Navratri, Diwali drive double-digit travel surge, spending boom as festive demand peaks

From Navratri garba nights to Diwali getaways, Indians are opening their wallets wider this festive season. Travel bookings and discretionary spending have jumped and families are choosing to celebrate on the move and splurge on experiences.

India's festive season started with the nine-day Navratri celebration from September 22 to October 2 and will last till Diwali on October 22, followed by Christmas and New Year celebrations in December.

How much more are Indians travelling this festive season?

Travel demand has surged 18 percent year-on-year (YoY), with outbound bookings rising at 24 percent, according to a report by travel platform Thrillophilia, which has analysed around 4.2 million festive-season visits on the platform to gauge the 2025 festive travel pulse.

Where is India headed this festive season?

The UAE leads the festive pack, with Dubai accounting for 16 percent of outbound travel, during the festive period. Abu Dhabi is seeing a record demand of 7 percent, followed by Thailand at 15 percent, Singapore at 14 percent, Vietnam at 10 percent, Bali at 8 percent, and a resurgent Hong Kong at over 25 percent. Hong Kong’s Disneyland, Victoria Peak, and neon-lit food nights are driving its comeback as Asia’s rising sixth hub.

Within India, the Rajasthan triangle of Jaipur–Udaipur–Jaisalmer, with a 16 percent share, remains the top draw, followed by the hill circuits of Himachal and Uttarakhand, Goa, and Kerala. Gujarat is showing a distinctive post-Navratri spike, with families extending celebrations to Rajasthan or hopping on quick UAE/Southeast Asia breaks. Travellers from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, including Surat, Coimbatore, Indore, Nagpur, Vizag, and Vadodara, are fuelling a 6–8 percentage-point rise in overall festive traffic.

More than 70 percent of international demand now flows to short-haul Asia-Pacific hubs as Indian travellers swap long intercontinental holidays for compact 4–6 night smart luxury escapes.

According to travel platform Agoda, South Korea stood out with searches rising more than 45 times compared to last year among the top 10 international markets, expressing travel interest to India during the festive period. Travel interest from Southeast Asia was also strong, with searches from Thailand growing nearly two-fold, and interest from Malaysia rising 25 percent.

It added that Goa topped the rank as the most searched destination for the festive period. Meanwhile, searches for New Delhi doubled and Mumbai searches rose by 18 percent.

Are Indians spending more?

One of the defining trends this year is the shift to premium stays. Travellers are upgrading to boutique or branded hotels and adding high-impact experiences such as sundowner desert safaris in Dubai, evening bay cruises in Singapore, ziplines in Vietnam, and skip-the-line city passes across APAC (Asia-Pacific).

The average spend stands at Rs 25,000–45,000 per person for domestic trips and Rs 60,000–95,000 for short-haul international escapes. Bookings are typically made 9–12 days in advance, striking a balance between spontaneity and planning.

Who is travelling more?

Festive travel is led by 25–39-year-olds (young families and friend groups) and 40–55-year-olds (dual-income families), with seniors exploring niche journeys like Kenya’s lodge safaris and Japan’s autumn city tours.

What different destinations Indians are preferring?

Short-haul hubs are winning on time and convenience, while offbeat India is quietly rising as a crowd-free alternative, noted Abhishek Daga, Co-founder, Thrillophilia.

Gandikota in Andhra Pradesh has recorded over 22 percent YoY increase in travel bookings, Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh has seen over 18 percent growth, Hampi–Anegundi in Karnataka 16 percent growth, Binsar in Uttarakhand 14 percent increase, and the Meghalaya–Ziro belt recorded more than 13 percent increase.

Affluent travellers are looking at destinations like Africa, with Tanzania recording over 21 percent YoY) increase and Botswana more than 17 percent YoY growth drawing demand for exclusive safaris priced between Rs 1.6 and Rs 2.5 lakh per person for 5–7 night stays. Europe is also in demand with compact runs across Italy, Austria, Portugal, and Central/Eastern Europe for those seeking lighter crowds and value.

Thrillophilia expects the upcoming Diwali week to set new records as last-minute bookers drive a final surge in demand. With shorter flights, curated stays, and a growing appetite for unique experiences, the platform forecasts that short-haul international and boutique domestic escapes will continue to define India’s travel calendar well into 2026.