Long bound by responsibilities at home and increasingly at the workplace, Indian mothers are slowly waking up to Momcations, mothers on vacations.

A recent report by Thomas Cook India, one of the leading travel companies of India, says that women constitute the fastest-growing segment of the outbound travel market in India, with a growth of 32 pc. Mothers, who are increasingly happy to take a break from their daily chores – be it at home, in-office or both – and travel, often without anyone from the family, constitutes an important chunk of this segment, even though precise data is not currently available.

Mothers on vacation or Momcation as the slang goes is a phenomenon that has caught the Indian women’s fancy as well. For long, the women in India were expected, and many still do, to lead their lives as per the needs and desires of their families, leaving little time, energy and indeed enthusiasm for doing anything for themselves.

“Momcation is not just a trend but a necessity for a woman who is living for the child and family 24×7. This short break gives enough time to mothers to rest, relax and spend some quality time sans the husband and kids. Even a two-day vacay can make a big difference. I have taken a few vacations without my daughter and it gave me a lot of breathing space to be myself,” says Reegal Ranjan, the vice president of Value360 Communications, a PR company based out of New Delhi.

Another report, by Cleartrip, an online travel agent, suggests that women travellers comprise more than one-third of the total bookings at Cleartrip. Of these, almost 60 pc of women travellers are in the age group of 25-45 years.

Statistics also show that the numbers of mothers who are taking small retreats are also increasing day by day.

The destination preference of these travellers varies based on one’s interest type – like adventure, culinary, shopping, wellness, etc. Thailand, Dubai. Bali, Sri Lanka and Singapore are some of the leading destinations internationally while Rajasthan, Goa, Kerala are popular within India.

A respite from daily chores

“Momcation is a temporary escape from the demands of modern motherhood. It is a way of telling moms that they deserve a break and that’s huge. I am a mom not only to my daughter but also to my staff in many ways. So mothers travelling solo or with her friends is a great way to rejuvenate and break the monotonous way of life as travel is the only way you can live your dreams in an unpredictable manner,” expresses Alefiya Singh, the director of Iris Reps, a tourism marketing organisation from Mumbai.

“I haven’t been able to completely get away for a whole day from my four-year-old and rest of the families so far. But the couple or so hours I get to be away with my girlfriends at times, remind me of the person I am, besides a mom and a homemaker. Those breathers are my moments of Momcation,” says stay-at-home mom and freelance content writer Moulisree Bose from Bengaluru.

With more women becoming financially independent and income levels rising, both domestic and international travel has become very accessible and the exposure is allowing more women to discover new destinations and travel experiences. With or without support, mothers are taking the risk of drawing some attention towards themselves and embarking on their desired journey. The numbers are still very low, but there is a start.

“If you check Instagram, you’ll see over 50k posts with the hashtag Momcation as it is a rising global trend where mothers from across age groups choose to travel solo or at times even with friends. A concept that gets a nod from the psychologists as well relies on the support system available to the moms. It is reflective of not just the evolving social norms but also how the perception of travel has shifted over the years as a priority, rather than a mere functional need of going from one place to other,” explains Ashish Dhruva, the vice president of Cleartrip.

The new-age mothers are increasingly choosing to go on short trips as well as completing bigger travel circuits during the long weekends. They are booking online, taking domestic or international trips of their lifetime and ticking off the bucket list.

Seizing the opportunity

Now hotels and tour operators are attempting to cash in on the trend, rolling out customised packages targeted and designed for the exhausted mothers. While in India or abroad, mothers are even hiring self-driven or chauffeur driven cars to explore near and far. They are finding new friends online, joining groups with people they never met in life and remaining in touch, all thanks to social media.

“Besides young vacationers and honeymooning couples, there has also been a considerable rise in married and single mothers accompanied by their little ones. There has been a considerable growth in bookings for 2020 with a 67 pc rise overall so far. Out of this, a large chunk of holidaymakers includes women. And the numb r of mothers taking vacations alone is also increasing day by day. They enjoy entertainment, shopping, meditation, spas, cuisines as well as adrenalin-pumping activities,” remarks Varun Chadha, the chief executive officer of Tirun Travel Marketing, the Indian representative of Royal Caribbean Cruises.

“We have witnessed increased searches and bookings by female travellers including a significant number of mothers on our platform. It becomes evident when we consider that this trend is accompanied by the rising preference among the new- age Indians for staycations at child-free locations. Such travellers seek to book a self- drive rental car and explore their favourite places without the distraction of children. As there are many interesting locations within India, a rising trend is to go abroad as well and explore exotic destinations as well as the popular ones. While going on an international trip, mothers are preferring Australia, New Zealand and South Africa among others,” says Sunil Gupta, the managing director and chief executive officer of Avis India, one of the leading global car-rental services.

What’s on Mommy’s mind?

As with any other behavioural change, Momcations are first and foremost a question of the mindset, not just of the woman and her spouse, but also of the entire family and at times even the extended families, of which there are many in India.“The little ‘me-time’ is a very important and necessary thing for everyone. Unfortunately, in our larger society, mothers don’t usually get that. For an effective Momcation, a mother needs very strong support from the surrounding people, especially from the spouse.

Awareness and sensitivity regarding the need and purpose of having a ‘me-time’ have to be there. It is about mental health and its effect on every aspect of a person’s life. As the awareness will increase, the need for Momcation will also be strongly felt, by the mother and the people around her and the concept will be welcomed easily,” says Kathakali Bhattacharya, a practising psychologist from Kolkata.

The response of the spouse is key to a Momcation and here an increasing number of women are discovering, sometimes to their pleasant surprise, the spouse’s positive response to the idea. However, most of them fail to gather enough courage to speak up their mind and do what their heart tells them.

In many middle-class households, money is a factor and while prioritising, Momcation does not even feature in the family’s wish list. But at the same time, in upper-middle-class homes, where disposable money is available, the conservative societal outlook cages majority women from breaking free. In most cases, the colour of selfishness is applied to the idea if a mother expresses her desire to go for a small trip without the family, which had never been the case for the father.

“The more we walk away from things that poison our souls – the healthier will we be. That is what Momcation is to me – it is just walking away from the daily mundane in order to connect with my soul. I strongly believe that women need to gather enough determination to embrace Momcation in its true spirit. Love yourself in order to love others,” concludes Priyanka Roy, a mother and process developer at Infosys, Pune.