Last minute travel is catching up in India: Experts
Hyderabad, May 19: The National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management (NITHM), under the aegis of the Department of Youth Advancement, Tourism & Culture (YAT&C), Government of Telangana, organized a One-Day Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on “Trends in Tourism & Hospitality Sector – Technology Competency Enhancement” on Tuesday at the NITHM campus in Hyderabad.
The programme was conducted as part of the Government of Telangana’s “99-Day Prajapalana” initiative, aimed at promoting knowledge enhancement, innovation, skill development, and institutional excellence across sectors.
The FDP brought together over 30 faculty members, academicians, researchers, tourism professionals, and hospitality educators from various institutions to deliberate on the rapidly evolving trends transforming the tourism and hospitality industry through technology, digital innovation, sustainability, and artificial intelligence.
The programme focused on helping tourism and hospitality educators understand changing industry expectations, technology-driven transformation, and future-ready curriculum approaches.
One of the key sessions of the FDP was delivered by Mr. D. Ramchandram, Co-chairman, Tourism Committee of FTCCI and Soft Skills & Public Speaking Trainer, on the theme:
During his engaging and insightful presentation, Mr. Ramchandram explained how technology, social media, digital storytelling, and changing consumer behaviour are redefining the tourism and hospitality landscape globally.
OverTourism, Screen Tourism, Frolleagues, Staycation …..etc, the new language of Tourism and Hospitality industry he decoded. There is no season as Travel Season now . Climate change is playing havoc with Tourism Industry, he highlighted Last minute travel is catching up in India. 3 out of every 10 bookings made online are made just within 3 days of travel, he added
Speaking on emerging travel behaviour, he observed that in the social media era, travel has increasingly become a form of self-expression and identity projection.
“People travel today not merely for destinations, but to communicate who they are — adventurous, spiritual, environmentally conscious, luxurious, or experience-driven,” he remarked.
He further noted that modern tourists now rely heavily on: Reels,, Reviews, Ratings,, AI recommendations, and digital content before making travel decisions.
Mr. Ramchandram elaborated on several emerging tourism concepts and terminologies shaping the industry, including: Overtourism, Disappearance of Holiday Season, Screen Tourism, Frolleagues Tourism Last-Minute Travellers and the evolution of the “Tourist Without a Travel Agent.”
He explained how travel trends today are increasingly influenced by technology, social media, artificial intelligence, digital storytelling and changing lifestyle aspirations.
He also highlighted how modern travellers now seek experiences, wellness, identity, self-expression, and social validation through travel.
Another major session focused on: AI in Tourism & Hospitality Education and Research Excellence – Trends, Insights and Innovation”
The session was delivered by industry experts: Mr. P. Mohan, Senior Data Scientist, Tech Mahindra & GF, NITHM and Mr. Phani Kishore YVN, Co-founder & Director, Gyan Astra IT Solutions
The speakers highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence, analytics, and emerging technologies in tourism research, customer engagement, curriculum innovation, and industry readiness.
A technical session on:“AI-Driven Transformation in Tourism and Hospitality: Leveraging AI and Digital Collaboration Platforms for Sustainable Tourism” was delivered by Dr. B. Sasidhar, CSE (AI & ML), GNITS.
The session focused on: AI integration, digital collaboration platforms, smart tourism, and technology-enabled sustainable tourism practices.
The FDP also included a practical session on: “Role of SPSS Technology for Tourism & Hospitality Research and Hands-on Training” conducted by Dr. D. M. Reddy, NITHM.
The session provided participants with practical insights into: statistical analysis, research methodologies, and and data-driven academic practices relevant to tourism and hospitality studies.
Speaking on the occasion, the organizers emphasized the importance of continuous faculty upskilling in emerging technologies to ensure: curriculum relevance, innovative pedagogy, industry, alignment,, and future-ready tourism education.
Participants appreciated the initiative for offering contemporary insights into tourism transformation, AI integration, sustainability, and evolving hospitality trends.
The programme concluded with an interactive feedback and valedictory session.
The FDP successfully reinforced NITHM’s role as a leading centre of excellence in tourism and hospitality education, committed to fostering innovation, research, and industry-academia collaboration in line with the vision of the Government of Telangana.