Digital creator Mahi Sharma, who travels extensively, usually has a packed bucket list. Her itineraries are stacked with all the hits, including top tourist destinations to see, skincare picks, what to wear, budget hacks and much more for her 3 lakh plus Instagram followers.
But in May last year, she experienced what Italians call the ‘sweetness of doing absolutely nothing’ aka Dolce Farniente in Montepulciano, the hilltop town of Tuscany. “Generally, people go to touristy places in Italy like Rome, Venice, etc. But I went 5 hrs away from Florence, to Montepulciano and learnt about slow living. We stayed in a rustic Airbnb with no tourists except us. People there actually just come out to get some sun, walk around and be in the present moment! There is no local transport, so I took my car, hiked to some unknown destinations, witnessed the most beautiful natural hot spring in the world, Saturnia, and visited wine factories. Basically, just roamed around the town like a local, tasting gelato, tiramisu, wines and pastas,” says Sharma as she lived an unhurried, unplanned and leisurely trip.
Hemant Mediratta, CEO of a sales marketing firm, took a similar slow travel trip last year when his calendar had become a series of “overlapping obligations” and holidays felt oddly performative. “I realised I was travelling often, but resting very little,” he tells Outlook Luxe as he made an impromptu trip to the Croatian island of Lošinj for a reset. It broke every rule he had previously followed while travelling.
“There were no city maps saved on my phone, no ‘top 10 things to do’ lists, and no ambitious sunrise alarms. Instead, I booked an escape to Lošinj Hotels & Villas to do absolutely nothing. My mornings began late. Breakfasts were unhurried affairs overlooking the Adriatic. The day unfolded organically: a swim that lasted as long as it felt right, a lounger that somehow became my office for introspection, and phone-free walks. The concierge team at Lošinj deserves special mention not because they filled my schedule, but because they emptied it. I went for the in-house wellness experiences to calm my nervous system rather than opting for extensive sightseeing,” Mediratta says, adding that true luxury isn’t about how much you pack into a trip, but how much you’re willing to let go: “Letting go of itineraries, urgency and the need to constantly document and share.”
As we enter 2026, people are opting for quiet travel, aka Hushpitality. Quiet travel means dialling down on life, opting for longer stays, fewer plans, and prioritising wellness over packed itineraries. It values silence over sightseeing and over-stimulation. As per Hilton’s 2026 Trends report, ‘Hushpitality: Seeking Sweet Silence’, people’s number one motivation to travel for leisure in 2026 is to rest and recharge, with Honolulu, Orlando, Cancun, Maldives and Bali as top destinations for restful vacations. “Among HNIs and UHNIs, the ultimate flex has quietly shifted from doing more to having the freedom to do nothing; without guilt, without logistics, without being reachable. Silence is the new status symbol because the one thing money can’t buy directly is uninterrupted time and mental bandwidth,” says Karan Bhangey, Founder of luxury concierge company, Indulge Global.
A Journey Inwards
Travellers are looking for “lighter days” or “no rushing” while customising their itineraries, a notable rise compared to pre-COVID travel patterns. “Early booking data and planning behaviour indicate that quiet travel requests are projected to grow by 18-20% percent year-on-year, particularly among urban professionals and couples in the 28-31 age group,” says Hari Ganapathy, Co-Founder, Pickyourtrail.
But why quiet travel? Experts indicate that quiet travel is a way for people to consciously detach from their surroundings and look inwards. “In yogic science, we don’t call it the art of doing nothing, but rather ‘minimal doing or Pratyahara, the fifth limb of Ashtanga Yoga. Much like a turtle withdrawing its limbs to find safety, Pratyahara is the conscious withdrawal of the senses to interact with the self. Modern research calls this the activation of the Default Mode Network (DMN), a brain system that thrives during idle moments (like staring into the ocean on vacation), sparking creativity and mental consolidation that the ‘active’ brain cannot attain,” says Dr Varun Veer, co-founder of Lifeyoga, a Delhi-based holistic wellness brand.
Also Read: Honeymoon Travel Trends, Cost And Couple Activities To Do
Quiet Travel Experiences
As most travellers are looking for places that allow the mind and body to rest, experiences like book retreats, nature-forward stays, sound baths, in-room entertainment, highly-personalised concierge services and leisure cruise travel are on the rise in quiet travel.
For instance, in Coorg, Beforest, an eco-friendly collective takes people through the quiet and simple pleasures of life through a bungalow stay in a lush coffee estate. From walking in the woods, waking up to the sweet melodies of a whistling thrush, dipping your feet in the cool waters of a spring-fed river, farm-to-fork food, to perhaps watching a frog at a waterfall, they’re reminding us of Malgudi days! “What is scarce will always command a premium, and hence a brag factor. So when you are really in a coffee estate living in the only bungalow there, you are enjoying a pristine, artificial-stimulus-free environment, and your brain is registering ‘this is something only I have’. We orient guests to avoid plans and itineraries and live in the here and now,” says Sunith Reddy, Co-founder, Beforest Lifestyle Solutions, adding that the stress is on quiet luxury travel.
At StarDream Cruises, which is into luxury voyages across Asia, their in-room entertainment on cruises is tailored for travellers who’d like hit pause on leisure trips. “Our onboard experiences are designed so guests don’t have to go far to enjoy themed entertainment. Each sailing features special experiences onboard such as Nanta cooking performances, Pickleball, Fitness workshops, and artiste performances,” says Naresh Rawal, Senior Vice President, Sales, StarDream Cruises.
Wellness over Speed
Wellness is a big part of quiet travel as travellers are on a quest for depth over pace. “Nearly 95% of visitors begin their stay with our Wellness Manager to understand what their body truly needs, instead of rushing out for sightseeing,” says Tarun Gulati, Director of the five-star resort VILEEN Rishikesh by the Ganges. The luxury resort’s Himalayan Wellness Escape is highly popular for seekers of quiet travel as guests can do daily yoga, meditation, mantra chanting, sound healing and gentle Himalayan treks, alongside sacred visits that nourish the spirit and calm the mind. Equally popular is the VILEEN Signature Journey, a deeply holistic~4-hour Samagra experience that harmonises body and consciousness through personalised spa therapies, mindful movement and slow stillness.
Six Senses Fort Barwara has also seen a steady shift in guest behaviour, with participation in in-house wellness activities like yoga, meditation, spa therapies, and curated experiences within the fort. At Lifeyoga, the wellness studio is planning ‘Ekyam’ retreats. It aligns travellers with the six seasons of the Vedic calendar. “Each retreat is being planned to be held in a region that reflects the energy of that specific Ritu (season), helping individuals return to a state of ‘oneness’ with both themselves and nature,” tells Dr Veer. Further, travellers are seeking quiet dining amidst nature, or a movie under the stars at boutique luxury resorts like Zana, Jim Corbett.
“By 2026, we expect destinations and stays that provide stillness in life, such as island retreats, alpine village experiences, wellness-first resorts, and countryside hideaways, to outperform traditional sightseeing-heavy routes. In that sense, doing nothing is no longer indulgent. It is intentional, and increasingly, aspirational,” predicts Ganapathy.
Personalisation Is Key
As travel shifts from ticking boxes to saving brain space, luxury travellers are relying on concierge-led services so they can travel stress-free, light and unplanned. Concierge-led services offer a personalised, high-assistance touch to your lifestyle to save you time, energy, worry and effort as you’re on the move. Whether it’s travel coordination, event planning, making a reservation, or handling minute requests, like scoring your favourite pizza or novel as you sit in another country enjoying a sunset by poolside, they’re the future of modern luxury lifestyle management. “We’re seeing more luxury travellers ask us to build white space into their itineraries – late check-outs, ‘no-agenda’ mornings, privacy-first stays, and destinations where they can disappear safely,” says Bhangey. His company has handled luxury travellers’ requests to keep worries at bay.
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“One of our clients travels everywhere with his personal cook because he likes his meals a certain way. Another one called from Vietnam requesting sada paan because it wasn’t available locally; we sourced all the ingredients and sent them to his hotel so his wife could make it just the way he likes it. We’ve handled everything from sourcing a client’s favourite blanket or book to delivering essentials, even undergarments, forgotten in the chaos of back-to-back travel. Once, we arranged for a case of Diet Coke to be delivered to a remote Himalayan retreat where it wasn’t available anywhere nearby,” he reveals.
These moments might sound indulgent, but they are key to guarding one’s peace. It’s less about splurging and more about switching-off as doing nothing on travels becomes the new luxury.
