See a reel, plan a trip: How social media and AI are changing the way Indians travel

From Instagram reels to conversational AI, the way travellers discover their next destination is changing. Travel searches are increasingly driven by desire for an experience or interest rather than the name of a destination.

For many travellers, the first question is no longer simply where to travel, but what they want to experience. Food, festivals, heritage and other cultural experiences are influencing the destinations travellers consider, said Neel Ghose, Travel Trends and Destinations Expert, Skyscanner India.

“Over the last one year, the question has always been, Where do I travel? What is the destination? The question today is, What do I want to experience?,” he said.

Discovering a destination and affordability remain two key considerations for Indian travellers, he said. Skyscanner’s own platform behaviour also points to the importance of discovery, with Mr. Ghose stating that 51% of travellers arriving on the platform do not know where they want to travel.

To cater to such travellers, the platform has been building tools that allow users to begin with broader interests, travel dates or budgets rather than a predetermined destination. Its ‘Explore Everywhere’ feature, for instance, allows a traveller departing from Hyderabad to select a month and compare destinations based on available airfares.

Conversational AI is also increasingly being incorporated into the discovery process. Mr. Ghose said travellers can use Skyscanner’s AI-based tools to describe their interests, such as cricket, and receive destination suggestions along with flight and accommodation options.

Social media is another factor influencing choice of destination, particularly when it comes to cultural and culinary experiences. Mr. Ghose said food bloggers, Instagram and YouTube are increasingly exposing travellers to experiences they may not have actively searched for earlier.

Mr. Ghose also released findings from ‘The India Culture Travel Index 2026’, based on a survey of 2,000 people who had travelled during the preceding year. Hyderabad respondents accounted for 17.5% of the sample.