Founded and curated by Shoba Rudra, Founder of RARE India, the invitation-only conference at The Imperial, New Delhi successfully established itself as a carbon and waste-conscious event, demonstrating how the region’s experiential travel sector can balance robust commerce with rigorous planetary accountability.
Under Rudra’s guidance, BRIDGES 2026 rejected traditional, highly transactional trade fair formats in favour of a slow, high-impact ecosystem. The gathering brought together 58 independent hotel exhibitors, 5 Museums of Stories, 2 environmental NGOs, and 3 strategic partners to collaborate directly with 53 Foreign Tour Operators (FTOs), alongside an extensive network of DMCs, inbound operators, domestic agents, and international media from across India, Nepal, and Bhutan.
Reflecting on the deeper systemic change she has consistently championed across the subcontinent’s tourism landscape, Shoba Rudra stated: “The conversations and partnerships forged at BRIDGES this year prove that responsible tourism is no longer a niche marketing category—it is an existential blueprint for the future of travel. True hospitality must measure its success by what it leaves behind and who thrives when the traveller leaves. By focusing on small, passionate, owner-run hotels to the same table as global buyers, we wish to highlight that conservation, community equity, and commerce can coexist as equal, powerful engines. The journey forward is about slower, more deliberate choices that actively protect the spirit of our destinations.”
A defining achievement of the platform’s vision for BRIDGES 2026 was its commitment to environmental auditing. Operating as a carbon-accounted and waste-conscious event, the conference partnered with NettZero Environmental Advisory Technologies and the Indian School for Nature to meticulously calculate, audit, and offset the event’s Scope 1 & Scope 2 carbon footprint using high-quality removal credits, creating a potential benchmark for all future travel events in Asia.
The three-day architecture of the conference balanced targeted business networking with crisp insights on various subjects such as wellness, wildlife, heritage conservation etc. Curated in partnership with Avid Learning, the opening tracks featured critical macro-perspectives on climate and technology. Author and photographer Arati Kumar-Rao (Marginlands) delivered a poignant keynote titled ‘What Lies Beneath,’ exploring the fragility of South Asia’s changing landscapes, while Amanda Ho (Co-Founder, Regenerative Travel) unpacked global structures for restorative hospitality. The session tracks also spearheaded vital discussions on Travel in the Age of AI, alongside a series of rapid-fire Catalyst Talks covering wildlife preservation, living heritage, and community cooperatives, anchored by a climate performance titled ‘Climate change ka mujhe kya?’ by Meghana A.T.
The commercial engine of the conference was driven by two days of highly targeted, app-based, one-on-one business meetings. This set the stage for the presentation of the RARE Conscious Travel Awards 2026, organised alongside non-commercial sponsors Travel Inn and TOFTigers to recognise the quiet champions of regional conservation and heritage preservation.
The RARE Conscious Travel Awards 2026 Winners:
- RARE Sustainability Lighthouse: Khem Villas, Ranthambore TR, Rajasthan
- RARE Sustainability Lightkeeper: Buddhi Bahadur Thapa, Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge, Nepal
- Best RARE Hotel: Zhiwaling Heritage, Paro, Bhutan
- Best RARE Hotelier: Aparna Phalnikar and Sahaj Sharma, Dhyaana Farms, Ellora, Maharashtra
- Best RARE Destination Story: Dev Shree, Deogarh, Rajasthan
Beyond business matches, the event served as a cultural canvas—showcasing forgotten tribal photographs from Chhattisgarh, an interactive regional art and craft wall, and technology engineered to combat micro-plastic waste. Cultural evening showcases were led by the Barmer Boys (in association with Amarrass Records) and Shilpa Gowalkar. To bridge discussion with direct sensory experience, attendees participated in specialised pre- and post-conference familiarisation (FAM) trips across sensitive eco-circuits in Ladakh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Telangana, and Maharashtra.
By analysing the intersections of heritage, biodiversity, and local economics, BRIDGES 2026 has successfully reframed the parameters of travel in South Asia. Looking ahead to its next decade of advocacy, RARE India has officially locked in the dates for the next annual milestone, with BRIDGES for Conscious Travel 2027 scheduled to take place on September 15, 16, and 17, 2027.
Follow BOTT on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
Subscribe BOTT Channels on WhatsApp & Telegram to receive real time updates
