It has been 20 years since we began working with hotels and experience curators to build a market for the changing face of tourism. Today, the need to expand the community of change makers is imperative, and urgent. Hence BRIDGES 2024!

BRIDGES by RARE India is a showcase of hotels, destinations and experiences which have been working towards a common goal – to promote tourism as a ‘force for good’. From design to location, operations to experiences – the exhibiting hotels and experiences have pioneered ideas in hospitality that have built a stellar destination story. Each hotel has a story to tell, highlighting choices that built value for the community, the destination and the discerning traveller.

Mission: To establish a platform, which reflects the inevitable switch towards community focussed and planet sensitive tourism. To be the singular experiential event that can inspire global collaborators to understand Responsible Tourism from the perspective of the sub-continent through a curated list of owner-run lodges, hotels, and experiences.

Envisaged as a celebratory event dedicated to our travel partners, BRIDGES is about building forward and overcoming inhibitions. It is also about looking at travel as a progressive domain that sparks wonder, inspires ideas, fosters creativity, and cultivates understanding.

The format has been consciously designed to be ‘breathe easy’, slow and conversational, and encourage meaningful interactions between participating hotels and the travel trade, media and select direct customers. Meet with storytellers from the Museum of Stories, a unique initiative to showcase experiences, and stories of travel innovations.

BRIDGES by RARE is aspiring to be a Carbon Neutral Event, as verified by NettZero. BRIDGES by RARE is committed to strengthening its sustainability journey by quantifying every aspect of its carbon footprint for Scope 1, Scope 2 and partial Scope 3 emissions. The event is probably one of India’s first travel events to undertake a realistic inventory of Greenhouse Gas emissions as per globally instituted norms while also taking steps towards mitigation and offsets through internationally validated credits. The process of calculation, verification and offsetting will be managed by NettZero Environmental Advisory Technologies - a leader in the field of sustainability management.

An endeavour to celebrate and honour our owner-hotels who have for years toiled to build value, often expending their own resources and energy to create a destination for tourism where none existed.

• Best RARE Hotel 2024 for concept, destination focus and sustainable initiatives.
• RARE Hotelier of the year 2024 for his/her dedication and service.
• Favourite RARE Destination Story 2024 for the best inspiring destination story.
• A Hero’s Journey – Awarded to hoteliers working towards being planet sensitive and community inclusive.

Meet owners and experts for a more nuanced understanding of conservation-based tourism, preservation of built heritage, and intangible heritage of performing arts, traditional healing, cuisine, arts, crafts, textiles etc. #makeityours and be the change maker by promoting BRIDGES to your FTO partners and anyone you think is building a responsible tourism business.

Hoteliers telling stellar destination stories write to Shobhana, mumbai@rareindia.com

DMCs, partner with us to recommend BRIDGES to your overseas partners, write to Joseph, headofsales@rareindia.com

Global tour operators promoting India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka for products and experiences, write to your DMC partners in the subcontinent.

Associations promoting responsible tourism and sustainable travel write to Shoba, shoba@rareindia.com for collaborations.

List of Participating Hotels

Ladakh

• The Grand Dragon, Leh
• Ladakh Sarai Saboo, Zanskar
• Lchang Nang, Nubra

Jammu & Kashmir

• AB Chapri Retreats Srinagar, Padnekkad (Kerala)

Himachal Pradesh

• The Lodge at Wah Palampur, Kandbari

Uttarakhand

• Jim's Jungle Retreat, Corbett

Tamil Nadu

• Svatma, Thanjavur

Gujarat

• Rann Riders by Kaafila, Dasada

Maharashtra

• Sawantwadi Palace
• Svasara, Tadoba National Park

Madhya Pradesh

• Bagh Villas | Kanha TR
• Jamtara Wilderness Camp, Pench TR
• Jehan Numa Wilderness Bhopal, Satpura
• The Sarai at Toria, near Khajuraho

West Bengal

• Glenburn Darjeeling, Kolkata
• The Rajbari Bawali

Assam

• Wild Mahseer, Balipara

Nepal

• Sanctuary Resort, Chitwan National Park,
• Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge

Odisha

• The Belgadia Palace, Mayurbanj

Kerala

• Cranganor History Café & Riverside Château, Muziris
• Pepper Trail, Wayanad
• Malabar Escapes Muhamma, Fort Kochi
• Windermere Retreats Munnar, Neriamangalam

Karnataka

• Shreyas Yoga Retreat, near Bengaluru

Rajasthan

• Bera Safari Lodge, Jawai
• Dera Amer, near Jaipur
• House of Rohet, Jodhpur
• Khem Villas, Ranthambore
• Manvar Kumat, Thar Serenity Camp
• Premkunj, Udaipur
• Ramathra Fort, Karauli
• Utsav Camp, Sariska

Friends of RARE

• Dhyaana Farms, near Ellora, Maharashtra
• Heritage Madurai
• The Post Card Hotels & Resorts
• Travel & Hospitality Representation Services (THRS)

The RARE Touchstones - a path towards Sustainable Tourism

Promoting Conscious Travel