This International Women’s Day, we spotlight women shaping the future of travel in India. From the Sunderbans to hospitality technology and Spain’s cultural circuits, these leaders highlight a shared vision — prioritising authenticity, meaningful connections, and the growing influence of the solo woman traveller.
Several trends converging to reshape the role of travel agents
We’re living in times of rapid evolution and change. What’s truly exciting is not one, but several trends converging to fundamentally reshape the role of a travel agent. While AI is freeing us from managing transactions to prioritising experiences, geopolitics is making travellers more dependent on trusted advisors than ever. And a new generation of travellers is challenging every convention we’ve built our businesses around. Together, these forces are resetting the playbook entirely.
As a legacy business committed to consistently reinventing relevance, our response has to involve constant recalibration of organisational and business priorities. In fact, every player in the travel trade, regardless of size, legacy, or agility, needs to be willing to recalibrate and reimagine — continuously, and on the go. That’s not easy. But those unwilling to change will find the industry has moved on without them.
Lessons in authentic, community-led travel
As a woman entrepreneur in hospitality, one thing I have learned is that building a travel brand requires patience with places the world has not discovered yet. When we developed resorts at Waxpol Hotels & Resorts, particularly Sunderban Tiger Camp and later forest retreats in Pench, Kanha, and Dooars, the idea was never to build large hotels. Instead, we created small, nature-led spaces that respected the landscape and worked with local communities.
At the time, this seemed unconventional, as many believed travellers wanted only well-known destinations with large infrastructure. Today we see a different traveller who values authenticity, conservation, and meaningful engagement with the places they visit. For me, the most rewarding part has been seeing how travel can transform communities.
A blueprint for meaningful, tech-enabled travel
The tourism sector is poised for transformative changes, driven by rapid technological advancements and evolving traveller expectations. The road ahead revolves around technology, personalisation, and flexibility, which are redefining how travel experiences are designed and delivered. Travellers today seek seamless, efficient, and meaningful journeys tailored to their individual interests and preferences.
The tourism trends shaping 2026 are not about bigger experiences, but about smarter and more meaningful ones. Technology is no longer limited to back-end support; it has become central to the travel system and customer experience. Artificial intelligence and digital tools are enabling travel professionals to design personalised itineraries, streamline operations, and deliver seamless services.
At the same time, technology cannot replace the human expertise that defines great travel experiences. The future lies in blending digital efficiency with human insight and personalised service.
Guests always at the centre of planning
Building our business around people and processes, with the guest always at the centre of every decision. In travel, experiences are created by people, so we invested deeply in nurturing and training our teams, especially our tour managers who represent us on every journey.
At the same time, we built strong processes to ensure consistency, reliability, and attention to detail across every tour. This combination allowed us to scale while still delivering warm, personalised experiences. By always asking, “What is best for our guests?” we created trust, and in travel, trust is the foundation of long-term growth.
With a quiet confidence
I sit at the fascinating intersection of hospitality’s soul and its spine, where heartfelt experiences meet the smart machinery of hospitality technology. The trend exciting me most right now is the rise of intelligent hospitality technology such as Hotel-Spider — the smart, seamless integration of technology into hotel operations that doesn’t strip away warmth but amplifies it.
In an era saturated with AI, I see a powerful opportunity to use technology not as a replacement for the human touch, but as its greatest enabler. The boldest move a woman can make is to trust her own vision with quietness, steadiness, and on her own terms.
Women are redefining travel — and themselves
Without a doubt, I am most excited about women travellers as an emerging trend. When I learned in Madrid that I would become Director of the Tourism Office of Spain in India, my first thought was promoting women’s travel — solo or together.
Travel transforms you; you don’t only visit places, you also discover yourself, especially when travelling alone. Spain is ideal for women, from vibrant cities like Barcelona, Madrid, and Seville to hidden gems. Solo travel teaches resilience and appreciation: you celebrate moments you wish to share and overcome challenges alone.
Through travel, women gain confidence, courage, and self-esteem — becoming independent, free, brave, and powerful.
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.
