The Gypsy Travel Festival concluded a two-day edition at Jio World Drive, bringing together more than 7,000 visitors and a cross-section of tourism boards, hospitality brands, travel creators and experience providers under one roof.
Lubaina Sheerazi, CEO and Co-founder of BRANDit and Co-founder and Curator of The Gypsy Travel Festival, reflected on the event’s momentum in a post following its conclusion.
“We are recovering, recovering from the energy, the momentum, and the memories we created at The Gypsy Travel Festival. It’s not exhaustion, but the kind that follows when something truly special comes together,” she wrote.
The festival was positioned as an experiential, participation-driven platform designed to allow visitors to engage with travel before making booking decisions. “What we set out to build was an experiential, participation-driven platform where travel could be experienced before it is booked,” Sheerazi said.
According to the organisers, the two-day event translated months of planning and curation into live engagement. “Two days of absolute pride, where we watched months of ideas, planning and belief unfold in real time,” she noted.
Spread across four curated zones, the festival moved beyond traditional brochure-led promotions, featuring cultural showcases, global food experiences, workshops, masterclasses and knowledge-led conversations. From Tibetan calligraphy sessions to wine appreciation workshops, and panel discussions such as “Food as the Gateway to Travel” and “Bucket List on Budget,” the programming was designed to encourage participation and interaction.
International tourism boards also created immersive experiences at the festival. “The Tourism Authority of Thailand didn’t just put up a stall, they created an experience through classical dance and immersive culinary sessions. The Kenya Tourism Board sparked genuine curiosity through cultural performance, craft and storytelling,” Sheerazi stated.
Organisers said the event attracted evolved, high-intent travellers — those who travel more than once a year and seek deeper, more meaningful experiences. Alongside cultural performances and workshops, the festival facilitated business conversations, with Sheerazi noting that partner participation translated into tangible outcomes.
“One of my favourite moments? Seeing the smiles on our partners’ faces when they realised this wasn’t just visibility, it was business,” she wrote.
The festival took place alongside OTM, described by Sheerazi as one of the busiest periods in the travel calendar. “Months of strategy, curation and execution came together across two incredibly intense days, all while OTM was happening alongside, which, if you’re in travel, you know is one of the busiest times of the year,” she said.
“The energy, resilience and teamwork were unmatched, and if this edition proved anything, it is that we’re building something that truly matters,” Sheerazi added.
Concluding her remarks, she signalled further plans for the platform: “But, we are just getting started. And If you believe travel should be experienced before it is booked, let us talk.”
