What if the best thing you brought back from a holiday wasn’t a souvenir, but a skill? The trend, popularly being called “skillcations”, is giving experiential travel a more hands-on twist. It is part of the larger evolution of experiential travel, with travellers moving beyond simply visiting a destination to actively engaging with its culture, food, crafts, traditions and landscapes. According to Hilton’s 2026 Trends Report, 72% of travellers said they would consider taking time off work to explore a personal passion, skill or hobby. American Express Travel’s 2026 Global Travel Trends Report found that 79% of Gen Z and millennials actively seek local workshops and destination-specific activities, such as cooking and craft classes. Google Trends data also shows the search term “skillcation” recorded a breakout increase of more than 5,000% worldwide over the past month.
The idea of learning something while on holiday, however, is not entirely new. Celebrities have long used their vacations to pick up new skills — from surfing to scuba diving, with actors such as Sonakshi Sinha and Parineeti Chopra becoming trained scuba divers. What’s changing now is the way travellers are approaching these experiences by attending workshops, classes and hands-on activities that are increasingly being built into itineraries. The phenomenon has finally acquired a name. From making pasta in Italy to learning how to make ramen in Japan, content creators and travellers are sharing videos of skills they picked up on their trips, turning the holiday itself into a classroom.
For Indian travellers, too, holidays where one can learn, participate and connect with a destination beyond the usual sightseeing are increasing in demand. Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) president Ravi Gosain says, “Travellers are increasingly looking for experiences that allow them to learn, participate and connect with the local culture, rather than simply visit a place.” Tour operators, he adds, have seen a double-digit rise in queries for learning-led activities over the past 18–24 months, with yoga, wellness, local cuisine, photography, crafts and certified adventure experiences among the most sought-after options.
{{/usCountry}}For Indian travellers, too, holidays where one can learn, participate and connect with a destination beyond the usual sightseeing are increasing in demand. Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) president Ravi Gosain says, “Travellers are increasingly looking for experiences that allow them to learn, participate and connect with the local culture, rather than simply visit a place.” Tour operators, he adds, have seen a double-digit rise in queries for learning-led activities over the past 18–24 months, with yoga, wellness, local cuisine, photography, crafts and certified adventure experiences among the most sought-after options.
{{/usCountry}}The shift is particularly visible among women travellers. Simran Malhotra, CMO, Wander Womaniya, a tour agency that organizes women-only group trips, says itineraries with hands-on activities are seeing more demand. She says, “There has been a significant shift in the mindset of women to experience immersive travel. Be it domestic or international itineraries, the ones which have more hands on activities are seeing 40% higher traction than the regular plans.”
“Some of the most popular skills are adventure activities like surfing, scuba diving and hiking. While the other experiences include indulging in martial art sessions, yoga retreats, and heritage walks are becoming an important part of travel itineraries,” adds Malhotra.
What Indians are learning
For Delhi-based Sheena Chandel, 32, a girls’ trip to Ubud, Bali, turned into an immersive Batik lesson with a local artist. She recalls, “We spent the entire day badgering him with questions and did not realise that we had missed lunch and it was close to dinnertime for both us and his entire family that was helping us.” She mentioned that the artist invited them back the next day, and her group left with some of his artwork and Batik pens to continue experimenting at home.
For 26-year-old Shivangi Kapoor based out of Noida, a trip to Jaipur came with its own hands-on souvenir. While walking through the old city, she found a fair where she saw a group of women showcasing their block print blocks. She said, “I was enamoured seeing this happen right in front of my eyes. I asked for their contact and then headed to their workshop the next day. Over two days, I picked my own blocks and designed my fabric.”
Where to go for what
According to Jyoti Mayal, chairperson, Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council, these destinations stand out for their learning-led experiences:
INDIA
Kerala — Ayurveda & wellness
Rajasthan — Block printing, weaving, lac bangle making, or embroidery
Gujarat — Mirror-work embroidery, weaving, and Ajrakh block printing
Odisha — Pattachitra, palm-leaf art and crafts
Rishikesh, Uttarakhand — Yoga and mindfulness
ABROAD
Japan — Calligraphy, sushi-making, noodle-making and Japanese paper arts
Italy — Italian cuisine, leatherwork, ceramics, painting
Thailand — Muay Thai, massage, and traditional craft workshops
Vietnam — Traditional crafts, lantern-making, tailoring and other local techniques
Bali, Indonesia — Wellness, Batik, bamboo and palm leaf crafts
Sri Lanka — Surfing, traditional wood carving, handloom weaving, lace-making, jewellery
How to plan your skillcation
Start with the skill, not the destination: Pick something you genuinely want to learn and then find the destination where it has a strong local connection.
Choose a practitioner: Look for workshops led by local artisans, chefs, instructors or cultural practitioners.
Don’t overpack the itinerary: Give yourself enough time to actually learn rather than squeezing a workshop between sightseeing stops.
Make it hands-on: Choose an experience where you create, practise or participate — not just watch.
Take the skill home: Buy the tools, materials or recipes you need to continue practising after the holiday.