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This Senior Citizen Says Every Mom Should Solo Travel Atleast Once

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As a child, Indira M (70) longed to explore the world. But it was only in her sixties that she had a chance to push the geographical envelopes of her dreams. In 2015, as Indira soaked in the boundless South African savannah on her first solo international trip, the child in her was elated.

She was finally living the dream.

While articulating her first-ever safari experience, words fall short, but her visual vocabulary jumps to the rescue. “There were herds of them,” she says, describing the elephants, lions, and giraffes that paraded across the savannah as she and the group watched on.

Indira was a biochemistry teacher who has now turned a new corner in her life, exploring solo travel

Though technically strangers — Indira prefers the word ‘friends’ — the group bonded over the collective awe of watching nature’s best work unfold.

On every one of her solo trips, Indira’s fondest memories are of strangers transforming into friends.

“I’ve never been worried about making friends; we are of the same wavelength. We open up about life. Some of us bond over similar experiences that we’ve undergone. We understand each other. Age is no boundary,” she shares. Perhaps it is the novelty of the moment or the new horizons, but the bonds forged during these trips are special, Indira adds.

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Indira M found her passion in solo travel and has ticked 35 countries off her bucket list

She jokes, “During my first solo trip, I was just hoping that I would enjoy it after spending so much. Aside from this, I wasn’t scared at all.” On second thoughts, she adds, “It was a trigger that made me love travelling. It’s what got me started.”

Now, Indira can be heard endorsing solo travel to everyone she knows. There’s a certain quiet power in finding yourself beyond familiar home turf.

35 countries and counting

“Beyond her wildest imagination” is how Indira describes most of her solo travel adventures.

The South African safari, of course, tops the charts. It has a dual significance; not only was it the forerunner of Indira’s solo escapades, but it helped her find herself in the place she loves best — nature.

“We explored Johannesburg, Cape Town, and saw the wild animals, and admired the tourism models in these locations.” Since then, Indira has found herself discovering new ribbons of land every year.

The intrepidity of the experiences, she says, adds to the thrill. Years of falling into a set routine mean that solo travel lets Indira break out of the mould.

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Indira enjoys forming new connections on the solo trips that she takes, and these turn into lasting bonds

“I always wanted to travel,” she reiterates. “Before I was married, it was because of my financial position that I couldn’t. Then, I had children and a family to look after. During those times, even when I thought of travelling, I did not know about the option of travelling solo in a group. But this concept has given me independence. Somehow, worry or uncertainty did not set in.”

Now with her children settled, Indira feels she’s ready to turn that corner in her life and embrace the adventures.

For Indira, solo travel means self-discovery, deeper cultural connections, and the freedom to move at your own pace

As her daughter Rohini Rajagopal writes in a Vogue article, “Amma, a biochemistry teacher, had to put on hold her travel aspirations till retirement, till the financial freedom granted by a monthly pension and a provident fund. She wanted to see the world but in a safe, predictable and cost-effective manner. She did not necessarily care for inner awakenings or the giddy thrills of backpacking across borders. Isn’t this kind, the less sexy but more pragmatic version of female travel, also worthy of celebration?”

Rohini shares in her mother’s pride at taking solo travel by the reins and turning passion into purpose.

‘There’s a vacant room; do you want to join?’

In 2010, Indira’s husband passed away. “There were some senior citizens whom I would meet often. They were taking a trip. One day, one of them needed someone to share a room with,” she recalls, reasoning that during trips, there’s always the concern of finding someone compatible to share a room with.

“So she asked me if I would be keen to join. My children encouraged me to go. And that was the beginning. That’s how I got my confidence.”

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Indira believes solo travel empowers women by fostering independence, self-confidence, and giving them the freedom to define their own journeys on their own terms

From being wistful about exploring new horizons to ticking places off her bucket list, Indira has come a long way.

Every trip is laden with experiences, memories, and hiccups. For instance, that time in Istanbul when she forgot the code to open her suitcase and her group had to prise (read: break) it open. Then that time in Japan when she fell and hurt herself.

But in every sticky moment, kindness always makes a cameo.

“When we travel in a group, we behave like members of a family. Everyone helps everyone,” she reasons.

Her message to everyone who shies away from solo adventures because of the what-ifs is to just dive into the deep end. “I started later in life. But I want to urge others to start earlier. It adds to your confidence, shapes your personality.”

Indira’s advice to every woman is to take advantage of solo travel to tap into their potential to be adventurous

Underscoring why solo travel is special, she says that if you were to take those same journeys with your family, you’d always find yourself worrying about whether everyone’s okay. “Solo travel gives you a space of your own. It offers you a private bliss. You begin to see the world through your eyes and your perspective,” she reiterates.

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While Greece and Egypt are on the cards, Indira has already completed over 35 countries. The list is set to expand. In fact, as she’s chatting with us, she’s already packing for a trip across Scandinavia.

As a mother and daughter — Indira’s mother is 96 years old — she perfectly understands the challenges of resisting labels and taking time out for oneself. “But every woman should. These experiences that you have during your travels are going to last in your mind. For 365 days, you see to everyone’s needs. Take a break. You need it.”

All pictures courtesy Indira

Sources 
At 60, my mother went on her first solo trip abroad. It was nothing like you see in the movies by Rohini Rajagopal, Published on 8 December 2024.



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South African Tourism announces fifth edition of Corporate Think Tank in India

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South African Tourism is set to launch the fifth edition of its flagship Corporate Think Tank. The series will be hosted in four key hubs such as Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, and Kolkata on 19th September 2025, 07th November 2025, 12th December 2025, and 30th January 2026 respectively. Aimed at positioning the Rainbow Nation as a leading destination for global business events, the Corporate Think Tank brings together key industry leaders and corporate decision makers to explore business growth, evolving travel demands, and the future of MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions).

Led by Deepika Nair, Acting Trade Manager, South African Tourism, the event will connect with Indian corporates across key sectors such as IT, pharmaceuticals, and financial services. By expanding its focus beyond traditional metro markets, the initiative aims to tap new emerging business hubs like Chennai and Kolkata along with other cities, fostering greater accessibility and inclusivity. The initiative will highlight South Africa’s transformation into a modern, experiential destination that seamlessly blends world-class business infrastructure with leisure opportunities. Discussions will focus on evolving market trends such as digital transformation, sustainability, and innovative event strategies, while emphasizing the country’s capability to host large-scale conferences, incentive travel programs, and world-class corporate meetings. Further, catering to emerging preferences like sustainability-focused initiatives, family-inclusive business trips, and team-building engagement programs.

Speaking about the importance of this initiative, Deepika Nair, Acting Trade Manager, South African Tourism said, “India plays a pivotal role in our MICE strategy as one of the top contributors to arrivals in South Africa. We are excited to bring the fifth edition of Corporate Think Tank to India, where we will engage corporate leaders and decision-makers to showcase South Africa’s incredible potential as a business event destination. This 2025 initiative underscores our vision of establishing the Rainbow Nation as the premier MICE destination by offering state-of-the-art infrastructure, exceptional experiences, and cost-effective solutions. By consistently engaging with India’s corporate community, we aim to set new benchmarks for MICE travel and drive sustained growth in this thriving segment.”

Building on the success of previous editions, South African Tourism’s 2025 Corporate Think Tank highlights the dynamic growth of India’s corporate travel landscape and its critical role in South Africa’s MICE sector. In 2024, India emerged as one of South Africa’s fastest-growing source markets for MICE travel, contributing 20.2% of overall MICE arrivals. Business and MICE travellers collectively accounted for nearly half (49.6%) of Indian arrivals, underscoring the significant impact of this segment on South Africa’s tourism industry.

With Corporate Think Tank 2025, South African Tourism aims to build on this momentum and drive strong growth in MICE arrivals from India. As part of its broader strategy to create innovative platforms that inspire and engage the Indian corporate travel community, the initiative will spotlight South Africa as both a business-ready destination and a vibrant hub of culture and experiences.



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Taiwan Tourism expands India outreach with trade engagements in Kochi and Kolkata

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Taiwan Tourism Administration (TTA) recently concluded two significant trade and educational events in Kochi and Kolkata, marking a deeper outreach into South and East India.

A first such event at the South Indian city of Kochi by TTA, the event was an educational seminar. The high-tea event was attended by leading Taiwanese DMCs, Top Holidays and Apple Travel Services, whereas Singapore Airline was the partner airline to the event. Aimed at educating city’s travel trade on Taiwan’s diverse FIT and MICE offerings, the event was attended by some 30 leading travel agents and tour operators actively engaged in outbound tourism business.

The road show in Kolkata, a hitherto untapped market for Taiwan, also aimed at educating the city’s travel trade on Taiwan’s FIT and MICE offerings. India’s fourth largest city-economy and capital of one of the strongest outbound tourism source markets in India, West Bengal, the Kolkata roadshow had Thai Airways as the partner airline and some 50 agents attended the event.

Commenting on the two events, Paul Shih, Director – TTA Singapore Office, said, “India is a very diverse market and there are tremendous opportunities to exploit across the country. We saw some surprising response from our last year’s Educational Seminar with airline partner in the South Indian cities of Bangaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad. The two events were strategic extension of our trade outreach, engagement and educational programme that we have carried in India over the last year and half. Kochi gave opportunity to penetrate deep in the South India market, whereas Kolkata roadshow was our first post-pandemic push in the region and was aimed at opening East Indian market, particularly West Bengal.”

TTA made a determined comeback to India in January 2024 with strategic market-focussed plans. Taiwan recorded a robust 20.81% growth in Indian visitor arrivals last year and has since further strengthened its growth to 22.01% year-on-year for the January-May period this year.

“TTA is committed to long-term strategic approach and position Taiwan as a premier destination for high-end luxury and MICE travellers. These events will help enhance our destination appeal and visibility for HNI, FIT, incentives and luxury corporate travellers through strategic partnerships with airlines and travel agencies in these regions. We want to visit these places again and again and convince our travel industry friends that we are quite serious about forming new partnerships in order to develop these markets,” Shih further stressed.

The two events are aligned to TTA’s strategic goal of gradually expanding its destination marketing and trade outreach activations, while also introducing new products such as Golf Tourism that was recently introduced in the Indian market. Through such expanding activations, TTA aims to strengthen partnerships with travel industry professionals across a wider geography in order to increase the number of Indian tourists to Taiwan.



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Courchevel Brings the French Alps to India with an Exclusive Four-City Roadshow

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India, September 2025 – Courchevel, the distinguished jewel of the French Alps, is set to showcase its world of alpine luxury to India through an exclusive four-city roadshow in collaboration with One Rep Global.

The highly anticipated showcase will begin in Bangalore on September 15, travel to Ahmedabad on September 16, continue to New Delhi on September 18, and conclude in Mumbai on September 19.

Over the course of the week, India’s leading luxury travel advisors and trade professionals will be introduced to Courchevel’s finest experiences—from world-class skiing on the slopes of Les 3 Vallées and Michelin-starred gastronomy to luxury chalets, alpine events, and the cultural richness that has long defined Courchevel as a global luxury destination

Alexia Laine, Director, Courchevel Tourisme, shared: “India is an incredibly important market for us, and we are delighted to return with a stronger presence across four key cities. Courchevel offers an unmatched combination of thrilling alpine adventure and world-class luxury. For Indian travellers seeking refined experiences with a touch of cultural authenticity, Courchevel represents the very best of the French Alps.”

The roadshow is being curated by One Rep Global, India’s leading sales and marketing representation company for luxury hospitality and travel.

Hemant Mediratta, Founder & CEO of One Rep Global, said: “At One Rep Global, we are committed to connecting India’s discerning travellers with the world’s most exceptional destinations. Courchevel is a perfect example of luxury that goes beyond indulgence—it is about experiences, authenticity, and connections. This roadshow provides an invaluable opportunity for India’s luxury travel community to engage deeply with the destination.”

Loveleen Arun, Advisory Board Member of One Rep Global and Founder of Panache World, commented: “Indian travellers today are evolving rapidly in their preferences—they want destinations that not only deliver luxury but also embody a sense of place and uniqueness. Courchevel

offers exactly this—a rare harmony of elegance, culture, gastronomy, and adventure. We are delighted to be a part of this initiative to bring Courchevel closer to the Indian market.”

With its timeless allure, Courchevel continues to define haute montagne living, where glamour, gastronomy, and alpine adventure come together. Celebrating 80 years of setting the standard for luxury alpine experiences, 2026 marks a special milestone in Courchevel’s storied history. This exclusive roadshow is a gateway for Indian travellers to discover why Courchevel remains one of the world’s most coveted luxury destinations.



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