Chasing the chill: More foreign holidays, rising spiritual getaways fuel winter travel rush

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26 Aug, 2025 12:21

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Christmas and New Year holidays are just around the corner and Indians have booked their tickets to travel far and wide for their yearly unwind.

According to ixigo Flights, international flight bookings are up 40-45 percent year-on-year (YoY), while domestic searches in December have risen 45-50 percent month-on-month (MoM).

Travel within India is on a roll too. Bus searches have crossed 100 percent YoY, highlighting the demand for both mountain escapes and popular leisure spots, according to online bus aggregator AbhiBus.

“Indians are embracing diverse winter escapes more than ever, from mountain retreats and coastal getaways to spiritual journeys and emerging international hotspots. Improved connectivity, new experiences, favourable winter climates, and ongoing holiday offers and discounts are making destinations across Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Central Asia strong alternatives, reflecting a growing appetite for unique, offbeat holidays this holiday season,” Rajnish Kumar, Group Co-CEO, ixigo, said.

India takes off

International travel is witnessing a strong surge, led by short-haul Southeast Asian favourites and fast-rising Middle Eastern and Central Asian hotspots. Bali has recorded over 100 percent YoY growth in bookings, while Sri Lanka is up 63 percent, Thailand 37 percent, Singapore 36 percent and Vietnam 23 percent, driven by relaxed visa rules, attractive fares and quick beach getaway appeal.

At the same time, emerging destinations across the Middle East and Central Asia are climbing rapidly, with Almaty, the UAE and Uzbekistan each growing 40-42 percent YoY in bookings, followed by Qatar at 35 percent and Oman at 32 percent, signalling a clear shift towards newer, value-driven international holidays.

Spiritual journeys soar this December

Spiritual travel is also seeing strong holiday demand, with flight bookings to Varanasi, Tirupati, and Ayodhya up by 25-30 percent YoY.

Bus searches to temple towns like Srisailam, Bhadrachalam, Tirupati, Kurnool and Kadapa are up by 50-55 percent YoY, highlighting the enduring appeal of religious trips during the winter season.

Winter destinations dominate year-end travel

Cooler getaways are driving India’s year-end travel rush, with Srinagar seeing over 100 percent MoM growth in December flight searches, alongside strong traction for Dehradun at 54 percent and Jammu at 39 percent.

Bus routes into North India’s winter belts are also surging, with Mussoorie, Manali, and Dehradun recording over 100 percent YoY growth in bus searches. Together, flight and bus trends show that mountains are nearly five times more in demand than beaches this holiday season.

Coastal, city escapes hold steady even as mountains lead

Beaches continue to hold steady, even as cooler destinations dominate. Goa remains one of the top picks with MoM flight searches up by 67 percent in December, supported by 30-35 percent YoY rise in bus searches. MoM flight searches to Port Blair (38 percent), Udaipur (32 percent), and Jaipur (24 percent) continue to climb in December, reflecting strong demand.

Bus searches to Vizag are also up by 55-60 percent YoY.