Food, Festivals and Heritage Drive Hyderabad’s Growing Culture Travel Trend: Report
4 Aug 2026 6:41 PM IST4 Aug 2026 6:41 PM IST
The findings, however, came from a relatively small group of regular travellers. OnePoll surveyed 2,000 people across India who had travelled during the previous 365 days.
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Hyderabad: Food, festivals and heritage are increasingly deciding where Hyderabad residents travel, including trips outside India, according to Skyscanner’s India Culture Travel Index 2026. Regional food experiences ranked as the leading cultural reason for choosing a destination at 56%, while 90% of respondents had either taken an international culture-focused holiday or expressed interest in one. The survey also found that 83% said their interest in culture-led travel had grown in recent years.
Travel decisions now begin with the experience rather than the place, said Neel Ghose, who leads Skyscanner’s India market and is its travel trends and destinations expert. “The question has always been, ‘Where do I travel?’ What we are seeing today is, ‘What do I want to experience?’ The destination is now an answer to what the traveller wants to experience,” he said while presenting the findings in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
The findings, however, came from a relatively small group of regular travellers. OnePoll surveyed 2,000 people across India who had travelled during the previous 365 days. Hyderabad residents made up 17.5% of the sample, or about 350 respondents. Along with which, Skyscanner said, it also used millions of price, route and other travel data points from its platform as the base for the research.
Food is a fundamental part of Hyderabad’s cultural identity,” Ghose said. Respondents, however, felt several Telangana experiences needed greater visibility, led by Charminar and Old City heritage walks at 39%. Bonalu and Medaram Jatara followed at 33% each, Bathukamma at 31% and the Warangal heritage circuit at 30%.
Festival travel was another strong theme, with three in four respondents willing to travel for a cultural or religious celebration. Durga Puja led at 38%, followed by Diwali at 37%, while Pongal and Kumbh Mela stood at 33% each. Bathukamma was chosen by 32% and Bonalu by 31%.
The domestic list presented at the event included Kochi, Udaipur, Almora, Kolkata, Mumbai, Lucknow, Puri and Kohima among the cultural destinations sought by Hyderabad travellers. Ghose associated these choices with food, religious sites, festivals and local history.
Interest in international cultural travel was led by Japan, chosen by 22% of respondents. Thailand and Vietnam followed at 17%, France at 16%, the United Kingdom at 15% and Italy at 10%. Of the respondents, 25% had already taken an international culture-focused holiday, 37% said they definitely wanted to and 28% were open to the idea. Digital platforms now play a large part in how these trips begin.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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