India Outbound Sep-Oct 2025

From overtourism to niche tourism, exploring new horizons in global travel

The latest issue of India Outbound magazine is out and in this issue we focus on the growing challenge of overtourism that is sparking strong reactions from residents in many of the world’s most popular destinations. Travel experts and destination managers share what steps are being taken globally, even as both say that Indian travellers, thanks to their off-season travel preferences, are in fact part of the solution.

To counter overtourism, nothing works like developing new circuits and destinations and this is what is happening in many parts of the world. For Indian travellers heading to the United States, we explore two off-beat journeys, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail for those looking to discover ‘America’s Native Spirit’ and a rejuvenating slow-travel detox break in Happy Valley, home to Penn State University. 

And when it comes to niche tourism, nothing surpasses the fascination of space travel, as we feature the inspiring story of Arvinder Singh Bahal, the octogenarian Person of Indian Origin who has joined the select band of people to have journeyed beyond Earth.

In this issue we take you on a trail through Uganda, where intrepid travellers can track gorillas and chimpanzees in their natural habitat. We also analyse the diverging fortunes of two familiar Indian favourites, Singapore and Dubai, to understand how Dubai has managed to outpace its one-time inspiration in Southeast Asia.

We also look at the nitty-gritty of the growth in the Indian outbound travel market by examining travellers’ habits and consumer trends such as duty-free shopping or solo women travellers.

Other Highlights of this issue:

Interview: Doug Warner, Executive Vice President, Explore Charleston

Eye on Africa: Call of the Kruger

Event Report: OTOAI reopens doors for Indian travel to Russia

City Break: Lyon – Uncovering many faces of Lyon

Read the September-October 2025 issue for features on several other destination reports, travel experiences and interviews with global travel industry leaders.