India’s holiday habits underwent a reset in 2025 from a surge in Gen Z (people born between 1997 to 2012) travellers to a growing demand for customised itineraries.
Gen Z travellers increased by 650 percent in 2025, according to travel firm Cleartrip data.
These travellers preferred multiple spots with Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok being the most GenZ approved.
In 2025, personalisation was not an add-on - it was the product. One in five trips saw five or more customisations before booking, noted travel platform Pickyourtrail.
A dive into how India travelled in 2025
Vietnam emerged as the breakout international destination of 2025, recording a 133 percent jump in traffic.
Traffic to Varanasi and the Andaman Islands grew by 20 percent on average.
Uttar Pradesh was the most visited in 2025. Stay searches grew significantly for Prayagraj at 3 times and Bareilly at 4 times.
Delhi and Bengaluru were the top two solo travel destinations this year — Delhi saw the highest movement to and from Himachal Pradesh, Jaipur and Agra. Similarly, Bengaluru saw from Coorg, Ooty and Kodaikanal.
Phuket, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok emerged as the most popular destinations of 2025.
Additionally, the fluctuation in rupee is also influencing international travel.
According to Cox & Kings, a portfolio company of private equity firm Wilson & Hughes, currency-aware planning is driving last-minute international bookings. Bookings made within 15–20 days of travel have risen by nearly 30 percent compared to last winter, with over 65 percent of these bookings being made for trips lasting under five days.
The unhinged Indian travellers of 2025
A traveller booked 361 days in advance for a stay in Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka, Cleartrip data showed. Another booked a stay 350 days in advance in Ribandar, Goa.
In 2025, Indian travellers began planning earlier so they didn’t have to scale back their holidays, Pickyourtrail noted. Its data showed that 53 percent of travellers booked their vacations well in advance, with 28 percent booking 60–90 days before departure and another 25 percent booking more than 90 days ahead.
On Cleartrip, 3 lakh people booked tickets between 3 am and 4 am while a traveller spent Rs 2.4 lakh on a Delhi–Guwahati flight, and another shelled out Rs 4.43 lakh for a Paris–Mumbai flight.
A traveller in Bengaluru stayed 30 days straight in one property and another in Kolkata stayed for 29 days straight. The costliest hotel stay booked this year touched Rs 4.4 lakh in the Maldives.
Indian travellers showed this year that they are ready to spend if there is value.
The Rs 5,000–7,500 segment for accommodation gained share in 2025, reinforcing the long-term trend of premiumisation as travellers opt for comfort and upgraded stays, MakeMyTrip said.
Up to 49 percent of travellers, depending on the destination, deliberately chose off-peak or shoulder weeks to optimise costs, Pickyourtrail data showed. By shifting travel dates, travellers saved up to Rs 40,000 per trip in destinations like Maldives and Dubai, nearly Rs 30,000 in Vietnam, and around Rs 20,000 in Sri Lanka.
The most expensive trip booked on Pickyourtrail in 2025 was a Rs 29 lakh family vacation across Europe.
In addition to trips, a traveller spent Rs 65,000 solely on excess baggage on a Ghaziabad–Bengaluru flight.
How India is travelling to welcome the new year
Year-end travel continues to gather strong momentum as Indian travellers prioritise celebration-led, experience-rich holidays to welcome the New Year, said SD Nandakumar, President & Country Head, Holidays & Corporate Tours, SOTC Travel.
Popular party destinations across Asia, Europe and Africa remain favourites, while destinations such as the Philippines, China and South Africa are also gaining interest for yacht parties, island-hopping and lantern festivals to snow landscapes, wildlife safaris and vineyard New Year celebrations.
In Europe, travellers are exploring unconventional locations such as Oulu in Finland for experiences like Arctic sauna and ice swimming, and Iceland for geothermal spas and glacier hikes, said Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head, Holidays, MICE, Visa - Thomas Cook (India) Limited.
"While Northern Lights remain a key draw, affordability in offbeat locales like Murmansk—at nearly one-third the cost of Northern Europe—has brought Russia up the Indian consideration set. Arctic experiences such as icebreaker cruises are also gaining traction," he said.
Australia-New Zealand remain favourites for outdoor adventure experiences and wildlife while Japan and South Korea appeal to travellers with their blend of tradition and pop culture, Kale added.
China has seen exceptional interest following the reopening of tourism, he added.
Back home, Nandakumar said that spiritual travel across India continues to see heightened interest, with journeys to Ayodhya, Varanasi, Bodh Gaya, Tirupati, Rameshwaram and Kanchipuram, often being paired with adventure experiences such as paragliding in Bir-Billing, river rafting in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh, bungee jumping, and snow activities in Gulmarg, Shimla and Sikkim.
Domestic cultural festivals including Rann Utsav, the Bikaner Camel Fair and Chennai’s Carnatic music season are further boosting travel interest beyond metros into Tier-II and III markets.
The domestic tourism growth story continues during the year-end and New Year holiday period, with sustained demand across leisure and pilgrimage destinations, said Rajesh Magow, Co-founder & Group CEO, MakeMyTrip.
The platform's data shows the share of pilgrimage travel has increased to 24.8 percent this year from 22.9 percent in 2024.
Trends that will define 2026 travel
Based on insights from more than 29,000 travellers across 33 countries and territories, Booking.com reveals that travellers are ditching the cookie-cutter itineraries and defining personal style.
Travellers in 2026 will rewrite the rule rulebook with holidays no longer being reserved for weddings, honeymoons, anniversaries or having a baby.
More than two-thirds of Indian travellers say they don’t need a reason to book a trip, while many justify booking a vacation simply because they have worked hard.
New reasons that are shaping 2026 travel include booking a trip to toasting a new job or promotion, showing off a new outfit, marking the closure of a breakup and receiving a surprise tax refund.
Indians are also ready to embrace new technology with many preferring humanoid homes.
Many travellers say that cleaning bots would sway their booking choice, while over a third travellers are most excited about a robotic chef.
For many, vacations are becoming a compatibility check. Travellers plan to use time away to test the strength of their relationships--- romantic, platonic or even professional. A majority of Indian travellers are open to taking a trip with a potential partner, colleague or new friend specifically to see how well they click.
Additionally, the classic road trip is shifting gears in 2026. It is moving beyond family and friend convoys to find new companions along the way, with 97 percent of Indian travellers open to carpooling on vacation and 85 percent willing to use an app to find travellers on a similar route.
Younger generations are leading the way, with 87 percent of Indian Gen Z open to using self-drive vehicles or AI to shape their routes, compared with just half of boomers.
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