Holi makes a splash on travel, with bookings 25% up from last year

These diverse celebrations showcase the rich cultural landscape of India, where Holi is embraced with local customs and regional variations. (Representational Image).

The Maha Kumbh has come and gone, but the travel boom continues with Holi around the corner, for which bookings have shot up 25-30 percent versus last year.

Data from multiple online travel agencies show that flight bookings have risen by around 25-30 percent, while hotel bookings have seen a 20-30 percent increase for Holi which falls on a Friday, resulting in a long weekend.

Travel-tech platform Ixigo has recorded an average 45-50 percent year-on-year (YoY) increase in flight bookings, driven by a mix of homebound travel, leisure getaways, and spiritual tourism, said company's Group Co-CEO, Rajnish Kumar.

Rikant Pittie, CEO and Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip also pointed to an uptick in air fares compared to the previous year despite airlines introducing special fares and promotional offers to attract passengers.

On average, domestic airfares have surged by approximately 12-18 percent, while international fares have seen a hike of around 8-14 percent.

"The average fare for the Delhi-Goa route during the Holi week (March 19-25) stands at Rs 16,362, marking a 196.1 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Given the increased demands, it is advisable to finalise travel plans in advance to ensure availability," Karan Agarwal, Director, Cox & Kings told Moneycontrol.

Executives from IndiGo pointed out that despite a high base from a year ago, when travel demand had shot up five-fold as Holi and Good Friday gave Indians a nine-day holiday opportunity at a cost of just three days off from work, domestic travel demand in India has surged especially for spiritual destinations.

Flight bookings to Ayodhya have skyrocketed by 50 percent YoY for Holi, while Varanasi and Amritsar have seen a 20-30 percent YoY increase, Ixigo's Kumar said.

"Tier-2 and 3 cities are witnessing a surge in flight bookings for the Holi weekend, with Gorakhpur seeing the highest increase at 154% YoY," he added.

"While there has been a dip in domestic travel demand in March when compared to February, destinations like Prayagraj and Varanasi have seen a higher travel demand when compared to 2024," a senior executive from the airline told Moneycontrol.

As the wave of spiritual travel seen during the Maha Kumbh Mela slowly reaches shore in March, the airline executive said that to ensure domestic travel demand does not see a massive dip post Holi, airlines are offering discounts to customers to keep travel sentiment high for the remainder of 2024-25.

Akasa Air, IndiGo, and Star Air have all introduced limited-time fare reductions, making air travel more affordable for passengers planning trips after Holi.

Daily domestic traffic in India fell from around 5.2 lakh daily passengers seen in the last week of February 2025, to around 4.8 lakh passengers seen in the first two weeks of March 2025, data from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) showed.

Despite a sequential dip in overall travel sentiment seen in March 2025, when compared to the month ago, travel demand is still higher when compared year-on-year in March 2025.

Hotels see a surge

Hotels have also seen a surge in rates as well as bookings.

"The spike in demand has pushed up hotel rates ahead of Holi. For luxury and premium properties, we’ve seen an increase of around 30-40 percent in room rates compared to regular weekend bookings last week,” said Karen Mulla, Co-founder of travel company TravelK.

For standard accommodations, the price hike is around 15-20 percent.

Hotel room bookings have risen by around 25-30 percent, especially to destinations like Jaipur, Udaipur, Varanasi, Goa, Alibaug, Lonavala, Rishikesh, Coorg, and Kerala, Mulla added.

She is also seeing a growing preference for private villas, luxury boutique hotels, and premium resorts—particularly among families and groups of friends.

Bookings for luxury properties and private villas have seen a sharp increase of around 40-50 percent compared to regular weekends, Mulla said.

Most premium and luxury hotels across popular leisure destinations are already 70-80 percent booked, especially in places like Rajasthan, Goa, and hill stations near major metros, she added.

"Some resorts and boutique hotels have already reached full occupancy for the long weekend, with very few rooms left for last-minute travelers," Mulla said.

Hostel brand Zostel is also seeing interesting booking trends for Holi.

"We are witnessing a strong demand for Holi bookings this year. There is a surge in midweek bookings also, which is rare. It’s evident that people are gearing up for Holi and are all set to celebrate the long weekend, said Dharamveer Singh Chouhan, Co-founder & CEO, Zostel.

Dormitory rates have increased by 20-25 percent on year and private rooms are seeing a 30-35 percent on year hike across premium, luxury, and standard categories as compared to general weekend pricing.

Singh said Pushkar, Sangla, Chitkul, Kalpa, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Rishikesh, Bir, Mcleodganj, and Kasol are seeing the highest bookings at their properties. "We have seen a significant increase in interest in these destinations, with an impressive YoY growth of 10 percent both in revenue and occupancy."

"Our resorts and hotels in destinations like Udaipur, Goa, Nainital, Vrindavan, Pondicherry, Jawai, and Jim Corbett are experiencing increased demand and healthy growth in occupancy and average daily rates (ADR)," -said Nikhil Sharma, Managing Director & COO, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group.

Cox & Kings is seeing high demand for tour packages and hotel bookings for destinations like Jaipur, Varanasi, Rishikesh, Vrindavan, Goa, and Udaipur, where travellers are looking to celebrate Holi in a unique and vibrant way.

"We have received a high number of group bookings, primarily from families and groups of friends, looking to celebrate Holi together at our hotels. At the same time, we’ve also noticed a rise in solo travellers this year, many of whom are choosing a staycation experience, opting for a relaxing retreat over the festive weekend," said Rahool Macarius, Market Managing Director (Eurasia) Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

He added that their hill station retreats in Mussoorie, Kasauli, and Dehradun are witnessing high occupancies, while leisure hotspots like Neemrana, Varanasi, Udaipur, and Jaipur are also seeing strong demand.

Akshay Thusoo, Senior vice president - Commercial, Sarovar Hotels said their hotel in Vrindavan is completely sold out, given the high demand during Holi, and their leisure destinations like Jaipur, Agra, and Jim Corbett are also seeing increased traction.

Hotel rates have seen double-digit growth, he added.

Going international to spread colors

Travellers are making the most of the Holi long-weekend to visit short-haul international destinations such as Abu Dhabi which is witnessing a 146 percent YoY rise, followed by Bangkok and Singapore at 38 percent and 40 percent, respectively,  Kumar said.

Indian travellers are also maximising the extended weekend by opting for a blend of vibrant domestic celebrations and quick international getaways. There is a surge in interest for destinations ranging from Vrindavan to Tokyo, travel agency Bookings.com pointed out.

Dubai emerges as travellers' favourite short-haul destination followed by Singapore and Bangkok. Beach destinations like Phuket and Abu Dhabi are also gaining traction, attracting travellers seeking a mix of adventure and luxury. Mecca, Kuala Lumpur, London, Tokyo and Paris round out the top ten, showcasing a blend of iconic city experiences and spiritual journeys.