(Image source from: www.goabroad.com)

Trying new cuisines has come forth as one of the biggest thrust for Indians traveling abroad, trade association ASSOCHAM has noted in a report on Indian tourism trends.

The industry experts noted that an “evolved palate” was urging more and more people to experiment with newer cuisines.

According to the report by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), 2.19 crore Indians traveled abroad in 2016, a rise of about 400 percent since 2000 when just over 44 lakh people set off on foreign trips.

“It is interesting to note that Indians have started traveling across the world more and more, which is an indicator of affluence, prosperity, and connectivity,” ASSOCHAM notes in the report, which was released recently.

“Indians have been bold travelers and they have continued to travel across the globe even when the mood across the globe was somber and not much travel was taking place across the countries,” the report adds.

The most-traveled destinations for Indians are America, Europe, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, China, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates.

Apart from food, the report also identified some other factors that serve as strong motivators for foreign travel: History, culture, grandeur and scenic beauty.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) identifies India as one of the fastest-growing markets for foreign tourism, second only to China. According to its estimates, India will account for five crore outbound tourists by 2020.

“Immersive experiences like culinary tours have recently become a hot trend among Indian travelers,” said Aloke Bajpai, the Chief Executive Officer & co-founder of ixigo, a travel, and hotel-booking website, was quoted as saying by ‘The Print’.

“With an increase in awareness about unique global cuisines, thanks to shows like MasterChef, Indians have developed an evolved palate. Almost 50 percent of Indians are keen on experimenting with authentic local cuisines and are planning their vacations around it,” he added.

According to Bajpai, as cited by ‘The Print’, a lot of Indian travelers are now more and more planning trips around major global food festivals.

“Destinations that offer remarkable culinary experiences are always on the list of gourmet enthusiast travelers and food lovers,” said Balu Ramachandran, head of air and distribution at Cleartrip, another travel portal.

“Food tours are gaining popularity as well, as they provide a more detailed perspective on a destination’s food culture. A recent trend in this space are food lovers indulging in a cooking session with chefs, thereby getting the true experience and even learning about local spices,” he added.

-Sowmya Sangam