Travellers from India are recalibrating the purpose and shape of their trips, seeing international journeys as a route to ‘mental reset’ rather than mere leisure, according to Amadeus’ ‘Travel Dreams 2026’ white paper released via PRNewswire on 17 April. The study surveyed 6,000 travellers across six markets—1,000 of them from India—and 500 hotel general managers. Key findings show that 35 % of Indian respondents want to return from a trip with a ‘calmer nervous system’, while 38 % actively seek destinations that enable a digital detox.
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Nearly nine in ten say personalised, AI-enhanced experiences will influence booking choices, and 93 % rate strong sustainability credentials as a make-or-break factor—higher than any other cohort surveyed. For corporate travel programmes, the shift has tangible cost and policy implications. Amadeus calculates that Indian guests are willing to pay a 13-15 % premium for hotel room attributes—such as circadian-friendly lighting or curated healthy mini-bars—that enhance wellbeing. The report also notes that 87 % of Indian travellers rely ‘solely’ on AI-generated search summaries, pushing suppliers to optimise for generative-search visibility. Hotels are responding by earmarking 7 % of 2026 cap-ex for sustainability initiatives and close to US $0.32 m per property for AI solutions that automate revenue management and personalise guest journeys. Travel managers looking to keep India originators engaged should audit supplier environmental certifications, embed wellness leave around long-haul assignments and leverage AI-based booking tools that surface such value-adds without manual filtering. Amadeus’ President for EMEA-India Jan Tissera notes that ‘technology is the quiet enabler of traveller wellbeing’, positioning friction-free, personalised journeys as a competitive edge for destinations courting the high-spending Indian outbound market.
