Tourism has been evolving with providers offering diverse location. The attention of international tourists, as well as tour providers, have shifted to gathering and delivering experiences.
Strange as it may sound to some, travel website TripAdvisor’s “Travellers’ Choice Experiences 2019- India” list is topped by Dharavi Slum Small-Group Tour in Mumbai. Touring one of the largest slums in Asia has also made to the “Top 10 Travellers’ Choice Experiences 2019- World and Asia” list too.
Old Delhi Bike Trip and an explorative journey of one of the World Wonders, Taj Mahal, on a superfast train have taken a backseat to this experience. Even a Bollywood tour in Mumbai has been pushed back, for that matter. The experiences provided to small groups travelling to this destination include seeing the work of pottery craftsmen and visits to leather shops.
The list was compiled from the website'’ algorithm which took into consideration reviews and the popularity of the destination than the actual footfall at the location.
Such tours have become popular after they attracted international attention after the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire. Instances of it were also seen in the recent Bollywood flick, Gully Boy. These tours are supposedly popular among travellers who want to explore the city they are visiting, hitting spots beyond destinations popularised by respective governments. But, there have been debates on the ethics of the visits to poverty-stricken areas.