This festive season is being marked by short trips , luxury getaways , and curated, meaningful holidays. Travel aggregators are seeing a surge in bookings, reflecting demand that blends tradition, spirituality, leisure, and experience-led escapes. Dussehra was a long weekend for many, others extended it into a five-seven day holiday by taking additional leaves. With Diwali approaching, travel aggregators highlight where people are headed, even as India witnesses a rise in inbound tourists eager to experience the festive season.
‘DOMESTIC TRAVEL CONTINUES TO PLAY A CENTRAL ROLE DURING THIS HOLIDAY PERIOD’
Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO, ixigo , shares that traditionally, travellers would plan trips around a four-day weekend, but this year many are extending it into five-seven days. “This shift is driving a sharp rise in leisure travel, with metro cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata showing over 100% year-on-year (YoY) growth. Destinations such as Port Blair, Dehradun, and Goa are among the top picks. On the international front, short-haul favourites like Bali, Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are driving demand. Additionally, airfares from key metros to popular routes like Lucknow, Goa, Jaipur, Chennai, Kolkata have also increased by an average of 15–20% YoY.” ‘
'THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS HAS BECOME A FESTIVAL OF FLIGHTS’
With leisure travel making up 46% of festive trips, the festival of lights has become a festival of flights, notes Hari Ganapathy, co-founder, Pickyourtrail . “Gen Z and millennials are driving the festive travel rush, with Bangalore, Chennai, and Delhi leading bookings. Couples are picking romantic breaks, families are spending quality time, and groups of friends are chasing shared adventures – after all, festivity is about coming together,” he says.
Visiting family and spiritual travel remain in focus
Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) remains the biggest driver of festive season travel. Therefore, of the top 10 most booked destinations, five are metros: Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai. “This year, with the festival falling early in the week, many travellers are booking their trips as early as the preceding Friday to enjoy extended festivities. Out of the top 10 high growth cities, five, namely Puri, Haridwar, Ayodhya, Rishikesh and Varanasi, are religious hubs. On the leisure front, Goa leads the pack, with destinations such as Jaipur and Udaipur also gaining traction. In terms of international travel, short haul destinations such as UAE, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, have become the go to choices this festive season for Indians,” shares Rajesh Magow, co-Founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip .
Where travellers are headed
OUTBOUND:
• Dubai
• Abu Dhabi
• Thailand
• Singapore
• Vietnam
• Bali
• Hong Kong
DOMESTIC:
• Jaipur–Udaipur– Jaisalmer triangle
• Himachal & Uttarakhand hill circuits
• Goa
• Kerala
Rising demand for ‘offbeat India’
• Gandikota, Andhra Pradesh
• Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh
• Hampi-Anegundi, Karnataka
• Binsar, Uttarakhand
• Meghalaya–Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh belt
Source: Thrillophilia
Surge in 5-star hotel bookings and curated, meaning escapes
Insights from PeekABoo, Cleartrip’s travel trends tracker, show a clear shift in festive travel. One of the top insights has been that luxury is no longer an afterthought. The maximum growth was seen in 4 and 5-star hotels, particularly 5-star bookings growing by 2x, reflecting a strong consumer preference for premium, experience-led getaway.
“This festive season, Indian travellers are redefining holidays as curated, meaningful escapes. Short-haul hubs are winning on time and convenience, while offbeat India is quietly rising as a crowd-free alternative. Above all, the shift towards ‘smart luxury’ – better stays and experiences without overspending – captures the spirit of how India is travelling in 2025,” says Abhishek Daga, cofounder, Thrillophilia.
Increased interest in India from international markets
As per Agoda, international travel interest is expanding at an even faster pace, with inbound searches by overseas travellers growing by 67% YoY during the holiday period. Gaurav Malik, Country Director for the Indian Subcontinent and Indian Ocean Islands at Agoda, notes, “What’s particularly exciting is the emergence of newer source markets such as South Korea, alongside consistent demand from regions like the Middle East and Southeast Asia.”
Among int’l markets, interest has surged
• South Korea (searches up 45x YoY)
• Thailand (nearly doubled)
• Malaysia (+25%)
• UAE (+87%)
• USA (+28%)
Source : Agoda
Increased interest in luxury safaris in Africa
Tanzania (+21% YoY)
Botswana (+17% YoY)
Source : Thrillophilia
‘DOMESTIC TRAVEL CONTINUES TO PLAY A CENTRAL ROLE DURING THIS HOLIDAY PERIOD’
Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO, ixigo , shares that traditionally, travellers would plan trips around a four-day weekend, but this year many are extending it into five-seven days. “This shift is driving a sharp rise in leisure travel, with metro cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata showing over 100% year-on-year (YoY) growth. Destinations such as Port Blair, Dehradun, and Goa are among the top picks. On the international front, short-haul favourites like Bali, Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are driving demand. Additionally, airfares from key metros to popular routes like Lucknow, Goa, Jaipur, Chennai, Kolkata have also increased by an average of 15–20% YoY.” ‘
'THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS HAS BECOME A FESTIVAL OF FLIGHTS’
With leisure travel making up 46% of festive trips, the festival of lights has become a festival of flights, notes Hari Ganapathy, co-founder, Pickyourtrail . “Gen Z and millennials are driving the festive travel rush, with Bangalore, Chennai, and Delhi leading bookings. Couples are picking romantic breaks, families are spending quality time, and groups of friends are chasing shared adventures – after all, festivity is about coming together,” he says.
Visiting family and spiritual travel remain in focus
Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) remains the biggest driver of festive season travel. Therefore, of the top 10 most booked destinations, five are metros: Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai. “This year, with the festival falling early in the week, many travellers are booking their trips as early as the preceding Friday to enjoy extended festivities. Out of the top 10 high growth cities, five, namely Puri, Haridwar, Ayodhya, Rishikesh and Varanasi, are religious hubs. On the leisure front, Goa leads the pack, with destinations such as Jaipur and Udaipur also gaining traction. In terms of international travel, short haul destinations such as UAE, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, have become the go to choices this festive season for Indians,” shares Rajesh Magow, co-Founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip .
Where travellers are headed
OUTBOUND:
• Dubai
• Abu Dhabi
• Thailand
• Singapore
• Vietnam
• Bali
• Hong Kong
DOMESTIC:
• Jaipur–Udaipur– Jaisalmer triangle
• Himachal & Uttarakhand hill circuits
• Goa
• Kerala
Rising demand for ‘offbeat India’
• Gandikota, Andhra Pradesh
• Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh
• Hampi-Anegundi, Karnataka
• Binsar, Uttarakhand
• Meghalaya–Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh belt
Source: Thrillophilia
Surge in 5-star hotel bookings and curated, meaning escapes
Insights from PeekABoo, Cleartrip’s travel trends tracker, show a clear shift in festive travel. One of the top insights has been that luxury is no longer an afterthought. The maximum growth was seen in 4 and 5-star hotels, particularly 5-star bookings growing by 2x, reflecting a strong consumer preference for premium, experience-led getaway.
“This festive season, Indian travellers are redefining holidays as curated, meaningful escapes. Short-haul hubs are winning on time and convenience, while offbeat India is quietly rising as a crowd-free alternative. Above all, the shift towards ‘smart luxury’ – better stays and experiences without overspending – captures the spirit of how India is travelling in 2025,” says Abhishek Daga, cofounder, Thrillophilia.
Increased interest in India from international markets
As per Agoda, international travel interest is expanding at an even faster pace, with inbound searches by overseas travellers growing by 67% YoY during the holiday period. Gaurav Malik, Country Director for the Indian Subcontinent and Indian Ocean Islands at Agoda, notes, “What’s particularly exciting is the emergence of newer source markets such as South Korea, alongside consistent demand from regions like the Middle East and Southeast Asia.”
Among int’l markets, interest has surged
• South Korea (searches up 45x YoY)
• Thailand (nearly doubled)
• Malaysia (+25%)
• UAE (+87%)
• USA (+28%)
Source : Agoda
Increased interest in luxury safaris in Africa
Tanzania (+21% YoY)
Botswana (+17% YoY)
Source : Thrillophilia
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