It is cheaper to fly to Europe than to Srinagar this summer!

Ernst & Young is a February 2025 report had highlighted that tier I and tier II city dwellers preferred traveling to international destinations based on visa trends.

As the weather warms up and schools in the country prepare for summer breaks, many families have started planning their vacations. Whether it's to escape the city bustle or to explore new horizons, domestic travel options in India are aplenty.

But for many tourists, a domestic holiday during May and June 2025 may be too expensive to consider as airfares soar amid limited flights.

There are some destinations that come with a higher price tag than others. In fact, some of these destinations are costlier than certain international destinations, data shared by online travel agents (OTAs) with Moneycontrol shows.

Economy flights to Kerala, a major domestic destination, from metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai have risen to around Rs 8,000 - Rs 40,000 for April, May and June 2025, data from multiple OTAs shows.

For the extended Easter weekend (travel on April 17), a round ticket from Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram costs between Rs 20,000 and Rs 40,000.

Similarly, average economy airfares to Srinagar, Dehradun, Kochi, Port Blair, Silchar, Lakshadweep, Sikkim, and Leh from metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai have risen to around Rs 18,000 - Rs 70,000 for April, May and June 2025.

"Our data reflects a significant increase in airfares. Overall, in comparison to last year, we have seen an increase in airfares of approximately 15-20 percent across these routes," Indiver Rastogi - President, Global Business Travel, Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel told Moneycontrol.

He added that airfares to Srinagar, from Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru have risen approximately 21 percent, while airfares to Leh from Mumbai and Delhi have risen 15 percent on-year. Similarly, airfares to Shimla/Manali (Chandigarh) from Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru have risen 24 percent and airfares to Bagdogra from Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru have risen 20 percent on-year.

On the contrary, in May and June 2025, airfares for the Delhi–Istanbul, Mumbai–Athens, Chennai–Budapest, Kolkata–Warsaw, and Bengaluru–Prague routes stand around Rs 33,000, data showed.

The average airfare for Delhi–Istanbul is approximately Rs 33,000, up from Rs 31,000 in 2024 and Rs 29,000 in 2023. Mumbai–Athens fare is about Rs 34,000, compared to Rs 33,000 in 2024 and Rs 31,000 in 2023. Chennai–Budapest flights are averaging Rs 36,000, increasing from Rs 34,000 in 2024 and Rs 33,000 in 2023, while Kolkata–Warsaw fares have risen to Rs 34,000 from Rs 32,000 in 2024 and Rs 31,000 in 2023.

Bengaluru–Prague airfares are now at Rs 36,000, up from Rs 34,000 in 2024 and Rs 33,000 in 2023.

"These routes continue to offer competitive pricing due to strong airline competition, seasonal promotions, and growing interest in European destinations among Indian travellers," Rikant Pittie, CEO and Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip, told Moneycontrol.

Furthermore, air pricing to several summer favourites like Paris, Milan, Frankfurt, Zurich and London have seen a marginal decrease of 4 percent, compared to last year, Rastogi told Moneycontrol.

"This (decrease in airfares to Europe) is due to a notable increase in air routes and frequencies between India and Europe, with airlines like Air India and Indigo expanding their presence and adding more flights to key European cities," Rastogi said.

Changing patterns

Ernst & Young, in a February 2025 report, had highlighted that Tier I and II city dwellers preferred travelling to international destinations based on visa trends. The report said that India has seen a 15 percent increase in total passenger movement, with 22 percent increase in international air passenger traffic in 2023-24, compared to a year ago.

The report mentioned that visa applications had risen 11 percent in the first eleven months of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, accompanied by a 16.5 percent increase in aircraft being deployed on international routes.

"Airlines are making every effort to improve connections and guarantee smooth travel to international destinations due to the surge in demand. What is evident is that Indian travellers have more summer travel options than ever before and only continue to see this demand surge for the summer period," Rastogi said.

Australia, US experience

Phillipa Harrison, managing director, Tourism Australia, said that Australia is hosting around 430,000 Indian travellers a year, and they contribute about AU$2.3 billion to the country's economy.

"Visitation to Australia from India in 2024 is 108 percent of what we experienced in 2019! This increase is partly being driven by improved aviation links between our two countries, with the number of flights per week increasing and taking seat capacity to 333 percent of pre-pandemic level," Harrison said.

Fred Dixon, CEO, Brand USA, last week said that there has been a 24 percent growth in visits to the US in 2023.

"Whether travelling for leisure, seeking immersive experiences, iconic attractions, or unique culinary journeys, or for business, forging international connections and driving collaboration, they represent a dynamic force representing India’s growing economy," Dixon said.

Preference for international travel would have soared even more in 2025, if not for the falling rupee and rising hotel prices. The falling rupee and higher hotel prices are expected to have contributed a 15-20 percent rise in expense for Indian travellers in April-June 2025,compared to last year.

"The cost of tour packages has gone up because dollar is expensive. Moreover, unprecedented rush to hill stations in India are making domestic air travel and hotels expensive. So, people are looking at overseas destinations," Rajiv Mehra, president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), told Moneycontrol.

He added that announcements of free e-visas by several countries to attract Indian tourists has also kindled interest from travellers.