Amongst the biggest audience groups of British rock band Coldplay at their recent concert in Bangkok were the Indians.
"I was surprised to see so many Indians at the concert. The second most number of people at the concert were Indians after Thai people. It felt like I was back in my country," said 27 year old Siddharth Varshney, a resident of New Delhi who planned his trip to Thailand months in advance as soon as he was able to lay his hands on the concert tickets.
A 10-day trip costing around Rs 1.5 lakh to attend the Coldplay concert was worth it, said Varshney. "I am a big fan of Coldplay. And we got to see Thailand. We had also opted for premium properties for some of our stay. It was a wholesome experience as we combined it with a leisure trip."
Music tours featuring Coldplay in Bangkok have seen around a 32 percent increase in bookings, while Taylor Swift's March concerts have resulted in a 27 percent increase in travel bookings, said Prahlad Krishnamurthi, Chief Business Officer, Cleartrip.
He added that due to the music concerts in Bangkok, there was a 32 percent increase in bookings on their platform. For Singapore, there was a 49 percent increase in bookings.
Many of Varshney's friends have plans to attend the Taylor Swift concert.
"We are looking at the Taylor Swift concert tickets but it is all sold out," said Deepika Jena from Bengaluru, who had attended the Coldplay concert.
"Coldplay concerts are like a cultural phenomenon and I have grown up listen to their songs. I planned my trip with friends around the concert. We were looking at destinations that were near to India. Singapore tickets were all booked so we booked the tickets for the concert in Bangkok. There was a sizeable population from India at the concert. For big names and bands, Indians are willing to pay for international trips."
"Music is a universal language, and many Indians are passionate about various genres of music, including pop, rock, hip-hop, EDM, and classical. So, if a concert features popular artists or bands that have a strong following in India, they will end up attracting large tourist groups from the country," said Nishant Pitti, CEO and Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip.
Music tourism
A 35 percent surge in searches on their platform to the host cities of Coldplay and Taylor Swift concerts signals the growing trend of music tourism among Indians, he said.
"Ever since Coldplay and Taylor Swift’s tours were announced, travel searches have increased in India. One of the prominent global travel trends this year will be travellers catching their favourite band or artist live in a foreign country, and Indian tourists will be no exception," he said.
Increasing disposable income of Indians who are able to travel abroad is one factor that is leading to growing popularity of music tourism luring Indian tourists, Pitti said.
"Additionally, post-pandemic there has been a shift in people’s mindset towards travel. They are willing to even splurge to fulfil their wishes," he said.
Back home, too, music festivals and concerts are driving tourism. In 2023, music events like Zomaland in Pune, on November 4 and 5, saw a 20 percent increase in travel bookings for the city.
Nykaaland Mumbai in November led to a 12 percent increase in bookings.
Global Indie Festival Mumbai (November 4th and 5th, 2023) saw a 12 percent increase in bookings, according to Cleartrip data.
This year's Lollapalooza India event in Mumbai in January led to a 29 percent increase in bookings.
Upcoming events including Mahindra Blues Festival in Mumbai on February 10 and 11, 2024 has recorded a 15 percent increase in travel bookings. Vh1 Supersonic in Pune has led to a 28 percent increase in bookings. Zomaland and Mahindra Percussion Festival in Bengaluru in March have led to a 13 percent and 28 percent increase in bookings, respectively.
Around 25 major music and food festivals take place every year in India, attracting around 1.5 million attendees globally, Pitti noted.
International versus domestic
However, Varshney pointed out that the audience and event management at some of the music concerts or festivals is not smooth in India. "A music concert in Delhi where Lucky Ali had performed did not have proper arrangements due to which I left mid-event. Also, if you compare current costs of travelling to South East Asian countries versus travelling within India, the difference is not much."
He said that travel tickets to Thailand was around Rs 30,000 for the round trip. His travel cost to Pune last year for music festival NH7 Weekender was similar and along with accommodation the overall cost came about Rs 70,000 for a three-day stay.
"Accommodation cost are comparable in Thailand versus India. Plus, Thailand has made it visa free for Indians. More international artistes are performing in South East Asian countries. Indians are willing to spend for international travel for music concerts. I have friends who are willing to plan a trip to Europe to attend Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour'."
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