When for the second year in succession, the Forbes List of Budget destinations included Agra and Budapest visited by globetrotter Harjinder Singh Kukreja from Ludhiana, Punjab, he reserved his position as a world-class influencer in the global market of tourism and social media outreach.

The prestigious Forbes list of budget destinations for the year 2019 includes 18 destinations from across the globe, two of which have been listed at number 7 and 8, due to their popularity as explored and highlighted by family visitor Harjinder Singh Kukreja. Like last year, this year too, he is the only Sikh and Indian to be on the list.

“Budget travel in 2019 is all about cheap destinations that offer an outsized experience” writes Alexandra Tatly who has put together the current list and has been compiling this list for the last five years. Presented in a new format, the destinations “are a nostalgic draw and somewhere they (world travellers and influencers) visited recently that they are all telling their friends about.”

Tatly says that “the goal is to highlight budget travel destinations that are a bit off-the-beaten path.”  This is indeed true says Harjinder Singh Kukreja who travelled with his wife and two kids to Budapest in Hungary. “How many Sikhs or Indians would you find choosing Budapest as a family tourist place to visit and enjoy? Known to do the unthinkable, Harjinder Singh chose Budapest.

His wife Harkirat Kaur and he were fascinated by the many universities in this east European country and the children loved the parks and the greenery. Harjinder Singh Kukreja who delves deep into the culture of the country he visits relished the red-brick city and “I told myself that I will come once again to understand the various cultural and historical facets of this beautiful country.”

The Forbes list acknowledges world traveller Harjinder Singh Kukreja’s enthusiasm for Belgium chocolates and his being a global Sikh activist asking readers to follow him on Instagram to “follow his delicious adventures.”

“In this year of the 550 years of Guru Nanak, I am exploring the possibilities of visiting towns and cities, including Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan and many more in the Arab world visited by Guru Nanak.”

With his more than 1.6 million followers on Twitter, it is no wonder that the two cities visited by him find a mention in the Forbes list and he is invited as an influencer by Visit Britain, Swiss Tourism and the Turkish Tourism Board.

The image of Taj Mahal conjures up as soon as you mention the historic Mughal city of Agra in central India, barely a three hour drive from India’s capital city Delhi. Relatively inexpensive, this ‘jewel of Islamic art in India’ is a tribute by Emperor Shah Jahan to his wife Mumtaz Begum. As “likely one of the biggest declarations of love in the world”, you feel a rekindling of deep love with your wife and kids when you visit the Taj Mahal, says Harjinder Singh Kukreja, who celebrated his wife’s birthday last year at the Taj Mahal. The site is a must-visit for every visiting dignitary to India.

Apart from Agra and Budapest visited by Harjinder Singh Kukreja, the other budget destinations include river and food city San Antonio, Texas, US, UNESCO heritage town Puebla, Mexico, island city Hawaii, USA, South Atlantic Ocean island St. Helena, City of seven lakes -Province of Laguna, Philippines, the Balkan Peninsula, architecture and food town Buenos Aires, Argentina, the remotely located picturesque Gobi Desert, Mongolia, beautiful South Africa, fun-loving Zanzibar, hidden gem of the Caucaus Mountains –Armenia, energetic Serbia, mythical, legendary and hospitable Transylvania, Romania, street art city George Town, Penang, Malaysia, heritage cold city Moscow, Russia and Asia’s hidden gem Taipei, Taiwan,

He has currently visited San Diego in the US and would be exploring it further again in the coming weeks.  In this year of the 550 years of Guru Nanak, I am exploring the possibilities of visiting towns and cities, including Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan and many more in the Arab world visited by Guru Nanak.

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The travel bucket of Harjinder Singh Kukreja is never full. He is always on the lookout for religious, cultural and historic towns. So don’t be surprised if this year he comes up with some more interesting and unknown cities and towns.