Is the travel industry keeping pace with the traveller? In this guest column, Kartik Gaggar, Founder of Rajasthan Studio, argues that the era of passive sightseeing is over. Drawing from the quiet intimacy of a Jaipur pottery workshop and backed by global data, he explains why today’s visitors aren’t looking for souvenirs—they are looking for skills, silence, and sincere human connection. The question he asks, is whether the travel trade is ready to give it to them. Here are some lessons from the workshop floor — and from the world — on what experiential travel really means today.
By Kartik Gaggar, Founder, Rajasthan Studio
A few months ago, a traveller sat down in a blue pottery studio in Jaipur. She had flown in from Amsterdam, booked a one-hour workshop, and within 20 minutes, had clay on her elbows and tears in her eyes. Not because anything went wrong. Because something had gone beautifully right. She told us, quietly, that this was the first time in years she had made something with her hands.
That moment, small as it sounds, says everything about where travel is heading. Each of the workshops we offer is a conversation between a traveller and a tradition. And over the past year, we have watched something shift decisively.
Traveller numbers are up. International visitors now make up around 70% of our guests. But more than volume, what has changed is depth. People are no longer satisfied with watching. They want to do. They want to fail at something, laugh at their crooked line or lopsided pot, and then try again.
This is not anecdotal. The American Express 2026 Global Travel Trends Report, drawing from thousands of travellers across nine countries, found that 79% of Millennials and Gen Z are likely to seek out local workshops or activities specific to the destination they visit. 82% say learning a new skill while traveling creates a more memorable experience. And 76% believe the skills they gain on a trip stay with them longer than any material souvenir.
Groups are the new frontier
One of the most exciting developments this year has been the growth of group and institutional experiences. We have hosted architecture students exploring horn and bone carving. We have run puppetry and storytelling workshops for groups of over 30 students. Tie-dye sessions for corporate teams. Block printing for mixed groups of tourists.
What these groups showed us is that craft workshops are no longer being seen as niche or exotic. They are being chosen over monuments. Over guided city tours. Over another meal at a heritage hotel. This has real implications for travel designers. Experiential workshops belong in every group itinerary. Not as an add-on. As a centrepiece.
What the world is saying
Globally, the numbers confirm what we are seeing on the ground. The World Travel & Tourism Council projects global travel spending to exceed $11 trillion in the near term, and within that surge, immersive and experiential formats are among the fastest-growing sectors.
Arival’s 2026 US Experiences Traveler Outlook makes a striking point: while travellers are taking fewer trips overall, they are spending more per trip on experiences. Younger travellers are outspending older cohorts on experiences by an average of a hundred dollars per booking. The conclusion is clear. People are being more intentional. They are choosing less but choosing better.
Slow travel, which encourages spending more time in one place rather than racing between cities, is accelerating this shift. A traveller who spends three days in Jaipur instead of one does not just visit a workshop. She comes back. She talks to the artisan again. She brings her friend next time. She posts about it genuinely, not performatively. That is the traveller we are designing for now.
Rahul Bhadana is a digital editor at TravTalk with experience spanning multiple content niches, with a strong focus on travel trade journalism and digital publishing. A graduate of Delhi University, his work covers editorial writing, content strategy and platform-led storytelling, supporting TravTalk’s digital growth and industry engagement. A technology enthusiast, he enjoys films, poetry and exploring new ideas across media and culture.