Chennai Slow Travel: Agoda names Chennai as India's leading slow-travel destination, ET TravelWorld
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Digital travel platform Agoda has identified Chennai as India's pre-eminent city for 'slow travel', a style of tourism defined by longer stays and lingering exploration rather than checklist sightseeing. Analysing average booking durations across nine Asian markets, Agoda found that travellers who favour an unhurried pace are now spending the most nights in Rayong (Thailand), Kalegowa (Indonesia), Seoul (South Korea), Tokyo (Japan), Nha Trang (Vietnam), Boracay Island (Philippines), Taipei (Taiwan), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and, within India, Chennai.Chennai edged out Mumbai and Bengaluru for the longest domestic stays. Agoda attributes the city's appeal to its combination of cultural depth, coastal setting and thriving arts scene, which reward travellers willing to pause and absorb local life. 'In today's fast-paced world, slow travel encourages visitors to genuinely engage with the destinations they explore,' said Gaurav Malik, Country Director for India, Sri Lanka and Nepal at Agoda. 'Our data show Indian guests are increasingly trading whirlwind weekends for richer, more meaningful experiences.'The analysis also reveals an outward trend: Indian travellers heading overseas are choosing Seoul for extended breaks, drawn by a blend of heritage districts, contemporary culture and efficient public transport that lends itself to leisurely discovery. Across the region, beach towns and capital cities alike are benefitting from a mindset that values connection over speed.Industry observers say the shift has been brewing since the pandemic, when work-from-anywhere policies and flexible bookings normalised longer stays. For hoteliers and destination marketers the pattern translates into higher length-of-stay metrics and a chance to spread visitor spending beyond core tourist corridors. Chennai's Marina Beach promenade, for instance, is seeing greater weekday footfall from domestic guests stretching weekends into working holidays.Agoda has responded by spotlighting accommodation options and experiences suited to unhurried itineraries, while reminding partners that travellers equate slow travel with authenticity rather than luxury. Malik believes the momentum will build: 'Destinations that enable visitors to move at their own rhythm—whether that means a cooking class in Mylapore or a languid evening on a Rayong pier—stand to gain loyalty and positive word of mouth.' Stakeholders in the southern metropolis are already collaborating on pedestrian-friendly heritage trails and community homestays to keep visitors engaged for longer stretches.
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