Aspirational tourism: how new age indians are driving the boon in the tourism industry

Abstract

In an age that is no longer constrained by the limits of sightseeing and rest, aspirational tourism has become a highly overloaded form through which personal expression of identity, desire, and storytelling. Of a more traditional nature, this capstone project examines the evolution of tourism from conventional, to experiential, niche-driven, and sometimes unconventional travel selection out of the box tourism. Aspirational tourism is tourism involving pursuit of unique, socially shareable, meaningful experience which reflects the lifestyle aspirations, values and status of the travellers. These are adventures extending beyond bucket list destinations, and engage in immersive, transformative peregrinations like an eco-conscious retreat, a cultural immersion in a less explored destination, a digital detox vacation and an adrenaline charge expedition. This study is about the psychological, cultural and social reasons for such tourism trends as well as the marketing, social media and influencer culture which create the demand of curated, extraordinary experience. The project explores how destinations can be rethought as not just places that tourists visit, but as stages of life to live, be created and express self, identity and potential. It is achieved through the combination of qualitative interviews, case studies and secondary research. It also briefs how innovation and storytelling are being used in destination branding to embrace the modern traveller considering where the emergence of locations is getting along aspirations. This research ultimately helps in a more in depth understanding on how travel aspirations are changing in this new post pandemic world and provides strategic views for travel marketers, tourism boards and experience designers to get a hold on this specific growing niche of futuristic and purpose oriented explorers.