The best souvenir from a holiday may no longer be something you buy. It may be a skill you bring home.
Holidays are no longer just about ticking off monuments and clicking photographs at scenic spots. A growing number of Indian travellers are returning from trips with something more lasting than souvenirs: a new skill.
Batik painting in Bali, pottery in a village outside Delhi, block printing in Rajasthan, vacations are increasingly being built around learning something hands-on rather than simply seeing something new.
This shift, often described as “skillification,” is now backed by data. According to the American Express 2026 Global Travel Trends Report, 79 per cent of Gen Z and millennial travellers said they actively seek local workshops or destination-specific activities while on holiday.
The report also found that 69 per cent of respondents consider creating something with their hands among the most rewarding parts of travel, while 82 per cent said learning a new skill makes a trip more memorable. The survey included travellers from seven countries, including India.
From Bali Batik to a New Way of Travelling
Delhi-based artist Sheena Chandel experienced this first-hand during a family trip to Ubud in Bali.
What began as a casual introduction to batik, a traditional wax-resist dyeing technique, turned into an immersive lesson with a local artist.
“We spent the entire day badgering him with questions and did not realise that we had missed lunch,” Chandel recalled.
She was invited back the following day to continue experimenting with the craft. By the time she returned home, she had created her own artwork using the technique.
Her experience reflects a wider change in the way travellers are approaching holidays. Instead of simply observing a destination, they increasingly want to participate in it.
Learning Is Becoming Part of the Itinerary
The trend is visible closer to home as well.
Tour operators say demand for skill-based travel experiences has picked up sharply. According to the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), interest in skillification has grown over the past two years, with more than 5,000 queries recorded worldwide in the last month alone for learning-led activities that have seen double-digit growth.
Tour operators say travellers, particularly women, are increasingly seeking immersive experiences involving pottery, weaving, embroidery and traditional art forms. Conventional sightseeing itineraries are being supplemented, and in some cases replaced, by activities that allow visitors to learn directly from local practitioners.
Travel agency Wander Womanniya's founder Simran Malhotra said itineraries built around experiences that connect travellers with local cultures and crafts are attracting greater interest than conventional sightseeing packages.
The change reflects a simple desire: travellers want their holidays to leave them with more than photographs.
The Personal Connection Behind Skill-Based Travel
For many travellers, the appeal lies in the personal connection that learning a skill creates with a place.
A workshop with an artisan involves conversation, patience and repeated attempts. Unlike a conventional guided tour, where interaction may be limited to listening to commentary, a craft experience requires visitors to engage directly with people and their traditions.
Learning batik, embroidery or block printing can also open a window into a region's cultural history. Many traditional crafts carry stories connected to particular communities, generations and geographies.
The traveller is therefore not simply buying a souvenir. They are spending time understanding how something is made and why it matters.
India Has Plenty to Offer
India itself has emerged as a rich destination for this form of travel.
Kerala attracts visitors interested in Ayurveda and wellness practices, while Rajasthan is known for block printing and embroidery workshops. Gujarat offers weaving and embroidery experiences, while Odisha has become a destination for pattachitra and other traditional crafts.
Uttarakhand, meanwhile, attracts travellers interested in art, mindfulness and learning experiences connected with local traditions.
The trend extends internationally. Japan, Vietnam and Bali continue to attract travellers looking for pottery, lacquerware, weaving and other traditional craft experiences.
When a Walking Tour Becomes a Workshop
For 26-year-old Jaipur resident Shivangi Kapoor, the shift happened almost by accident.
During a trip to Noida, a walking tour through the city's old quarters introduced her to a group of women practising block printing.
“I was enamoured,” she said.
She asked to join them for the next two days. By the end of the trip, she had designed her own fabric using hand-carved blocks passed down through the artisan community.
It was no longer just a visit to a place. It had become an experience of learning, participation and creation.
The Future of Experiential Travel
What makes this trend significant is that it is not limited to a niche audience of art enthusiasts.
Tour operators say celebrities and public figures picking up craft-based activities during their own holidays have also helped normalise the idea that travel can double as a learning experience.
The shift could eventually change how destinations and travel companies design their offerings.
As more travellers begin to see skills as the real takeaway from a trip, workshops, artisan interactions and local learning experiences may increasingly become part of the main itinerary rather than optional additions to sightseeing.
The souvenir from a holiday may no longer be something bought at the airport. It could be something the traveller learned to make with their own hands.
Holidays are no longer just about ticking off monuments and clicking photographs at scenic spots. A growing number of Indian travellers are returning from trips with something more lasting than souvenirs: a new skill.
Batik painting in Bali, pottery in a village outside Delhi, block printing in Rajasthan, vacations are increasingly being built around learning something hands-on rather than simply seeing something new.
This shift, often described as “skillification,” is now backed by data. According to the American Express 2026 Global Travel Trends Report, 79 per cent of Gen Z and millennial travellers said they actively seek local workshops or destination-specific activities while on holiday.
The report also found that 69 per cent of respondents consider creating something with their hands among the most rewarding parts of travel, while 82 per cent said learning a new skill makes a trip more memorable. The survey included travellers from seven countries, including India.
From Bali Batik to a New Way of Travelling
Delhi-based artist Sheena Chandel experienced this first-hand during a family trip to Ubud in Bali.
What began as a casual introduction to batik, a traditional wax-resist dyeing technique, turned into an immersive lesson with a local artist.
“We spent the entire day badgering him with questions and did not realise that we had missed lunch,” Chandel recalled.
She was invited back the following day to continue experimenting with the craft. By the time she returned home, she had created her own artwork using the technique.
Her experience reflects a wider change in the way travellers are approaching holidays. Instead of simply observing a destination, they increasingly want to participate in it.
Learning Is Becoming Part of the Itinerary
The trend is visible closer to home as well.
Tour operators say demand for skill-based travel experiences has picked up sharply. According to the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), interest in skillification has grown over the past two years, with more than 5,000 queries recorded worldwide in the last month alone for learning-led activities that have seen double-digit growth.
Tour operators say travellers, particularly women, are increasingly seeking immersive experiences involving pottery, weaving, embroidery and traditional art forms. Conventional sightseeing itineraries are being supplemented, and in some cases replaced, by activities that allow visitors to learn directly from local practitioners.
Travel agency Wander Womanniya's founder Simran Malhotra said itineraries built around experiences that connect travellers with local cultures and crafts are attracting greater interest than conventional sightseeing packages.
The change reflects a simple desire: travellers want their holidays to leave them with more than photographs.
The Personal Connection Behind Skill-Based Travel
For many travellers, the appeal lies in the personal connection that learning a skill creates with a place.
A workshop with an artisan involves conversation, patience and repeated attempts. Unlike a conventional guided tour, where interaction may be limited to listening to commentary, a craft experience requires visitors to engage directly with people and their traditions.
Learning batik, embroidery or block printing can also open a window into a region's cultural history. Many traditional crafts carry stories connected to particular communities, generations and geographies.
The traveller is therefore not simply buying a souvenir. They are spending time understanding how something is made and why it matters.
India Has Plenty to Offer
India itself has emerged as a rich destination for this form of travel.
Kerala attracts visitors interested in Ayurveda and wellness practices, while Rajasthan is known for block printing and embroidery workshops. Gujarat offers weaving and embroidery experiences, while Odisha has become a destination for pattachitra and other traditional crafts.
Uttarakhand, meanwhile, attracts travellers interested in art, mindfulness and learning experiences connected with local traditions.
The trend extends internationally. Japan, Vietnam and Bali continue to attract travellers looking for pottery, lacquerware, weaving and other traditional craft experiences.
When a Walking Tour Becomes a Workshop
For 26-year-old Jaipur resident Shivangi Kapoor, the shift happened almost by accident.
During a trip to Noida, a walking tour through the city's old quarters introduced her to a group of women practising block printing.
“I was enamoured,” she said.
She asked to join them for the next two days. By the end of the trip, she had designed her own fabric using hand-carved blocks passed down through the artisan community.
It was no longer just a visit to a place. It had become an experience of learning, participation and creation.
The Future of Experiential Travel
What makes this trend significant is that it is not limited to a niche audience of art enthusiasts.
Tour operators say celebrities and public figures picking up craft-based activities during their own holidays have also helped normalise the idea that travel can double as a learning experience.
The shift could eventually change how destinations and travel companies design their offerings.
As more travellers begin to see skills as the real takeaway from a trip, workshops, artisan interactions and local learning experiences may increasingly become part of the main itinerary rather than optional additions to sightseeing.
The souvenir from a holiday may no longer be something bought at the airport. It could be something the traveller learned to make with their own hands.
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