Study finds Hyderabadis most secretive about their passions

Hyderabad: Around 95.2% of respondents in Hyderabad claim they spend more than 50% of their monthly earnings to pursue their passions, and 77.3% work on their passions daily or over the weekend while simultaneously pursuing a regular job, but 64.4% maintain that their family, friends or work colleagues may not be aware of these.

Today, passions play an important role in defining an individual's life. Nationally, when meeting someone for the first time socially, after having introduced themselves the top choice of topic for conversation for more than a third respondents (36.5%) are their hobbies or interests.

An individual's attitude towards time and money management; and often even their descriptions of themselves are skewed towards their passion. A new piece of research commissioned by the Singapore Tourism Board, "Meet India's Passionistas", based on primary data sourced from 14 cities across the country , highlighted the new roles, definitions and relationships that Indians are now assuming beyond identities based on conventional descriptions such as family status, career choices and region of residence or origin.

One of an interesting insights from the report was that although all cities surveyed demonstrated an element of secrecy associated with their passions, for instance, Delhi (59.6%), Jaipur (62.1%), Pune (59.7%), Kochi (59.5%) and Mumbai (58.9%) are the more prone to pursuing passions that their friends, relatives, and colleagues are not aware of compared to the national average of 52.4%, Hyderabad's propensity for intrigue is extraordinarily high at 95.7%.

82.4% Delhiites and 76.2% Mumbaikars spend a portion of their monthly earnings on to pursue their passion. More than two third of the respondents in each city (Delhi - 63.4% and Mumbai – 73.4%) state that they have passions, secret interests or hobbies that their family, friends or work colleagues may not be aware of.

These insights were corroborated by secondary data which states 26% women have been on solo trips not just to experience a destination, but also to meet new people and learn about new cultures . About 27% women say that they have plans to go on solo trips in the future to explore their hobbies and passions.

GB Srithar, Regional Director (South Asia, Middle East and Africa), STB, explains that the concept of 'Passionista' is aligned with the Board's brand "Passion Made Possible" and gives a peek into how Indians see themselves, who they connect with, and how they channel their passions into something meaningful.

The Meet India's Passionistas report confirms that Indian travellers' passions play a critical role in determining how they relate to society, where they travel and how they spend their energies, Sridhar adds. Singapore is promoted as a destination for seven 'Passion Tribes,' allowing consumers to cultivate their passions and interests in the city: Action Seekers, Foodies, Collectors, Culture Shapers, Explorers, Socialisers and Progressors. The street survey is the STB's latest effort to better understand the Indian consumers and connect with them.