Festive Travel Bookings Grow 3-4x as Indians Explore Beyond Usual Holiday Hotspots, Finds Scapia
(MENAFN- MENAFNEditorial) Bengaluru, 14 October 2026: Scapia, India's leading travel fintech platform, today released its festive travel trends, revealing strong demand for holidays across the October-December period, with bookings across travel categories growing 3-4x year-on-year. While popular beach and hill destinations continue to attract travellers, the data shows growing interest in smaller coastal towns, island getaways, heritage and wildlife experiences, and emerging international destinations. From Gokarna and Varkala to the Andamans and Central Asia, Indian travellers are exploring a wider range of destinations and experiences this festive season.
Rathinamurthy R, Head of Travel, Scapia, said, "What's interesting this festive season is how travellers are looking beyond the usual holiday destinations. While Goa and popular hill stations continue to see strong demand, smaller beach towns, island getaways and wildlife destinations are growing rapidly. We're seeing a similar shift internationally, with travellers exploring newer destinations across Southeast Asia and Central Asia. There's a growing appetite to discover places and experiences that are different from the usual holiday itinerary."
Dussehra: Beyond the Popular Beach and Hill Destinations
Beach and hill stay bookings for Dussehra week are each up 3.5x year-on-year. While Goa continues to see strong demand, with stays growing 4.4x, smaller coastal destinations are gaining momentum. Bookings for Gokarna have grown 8x, followed by Varkala and Kollam .
In the hills, Srinagar, Mussoorie and Manali remain popular, with bookings growing 6-7x. Closer to Mumbai, Igatpuri has seen a 4.5x increase in searches.
Island holidays are also gaining traction. October check-ins for the Andamans have grown 5x compared to last year, with travellers exploring beyond Port Blair to Havelock and Neil islands. Lakshadweep is also seeing an increase in bookings, pointing to growing interest in island destinations during the festive period.
Scenic Train Journeys Gain Popularity
The journey itself is becoming part of the holiday experience. Bookings for Vistadome coaches, known for their panoramic views along scenic railway routes, have doubled this festive season.
Popular routes include Pune-Mumbai through the Bhor Ghat, Bengaluru-Mangaluru across the Western Ghats, Visakhapatnam-Araku Valley and the UNESCO-listed Kalka-Shimla railway. The trend reflects growing interest in travel experiences that go beyond the destination itself.
Diwali: Beach Holidays and Premium Stays Lead Demand
Beaches are emerging as a popular choice for Diwali week, with searches and bookings for beach stays growing 4.8x year-on-year. International flight bookings for the same period are also up approximately 4x, indicating strong interest in overseas holidays.
Beach getaways are among the longest and most premium domestic breaks of the festive season, averaging close to two nights. Nearly one in three beach stays are booked at five-star properties, while three in ten include children, highlighting the role of family travel in driving demand.
Year-End: Heritage, Wildlife and International Holidays Gain Ground
As travellers plan their Christmas and New Year holidays, interest is extending beyond conventional year-end destinations to heritage sites, wildlife experiences and international getaways.
Heritage stay bookings are tracking at 4.8x last year's pace. While Jaipur and Udaipur continue to attract travellers, destinations such as Ajanta-Ellora (4.9x) and Kumbhalgarh (4.6x) are seeing strong growth.
Wildlife tourism is another emerging preference, with safari stay bookings for October-December growing 6.6x year-on-year. Ranthambore, Gir and Jim Corbett are among the leading destinations.
International travel is also seeing significant momentum. Flight bookings for Christmas-New Year week are tracking at 5.4x last year's pace, while international stay bookings are up 5.2x.
International Travel: Southeast Asia Leads, Central Asia Emerges
Southeast Asia continues to dominate international travel preferences, accounting for more than half of international flight bookings. Thailand remains the most popular destination, followed by Vietnam and Singapore. The Philippines is gaining momentum, while searches for Cambodia have grown 10x.
Sri Lanka, northern Vietnam, Hong Kong, South Korea and the Maldives are also seeing strong booking interest for the year-end period. Meanwhile, destinations such as Cambodia, Uzbekistan and Turkey are attracting significant search interest, suggesting potential for further growth.
Central Asia is emerging as a destination of interest, with searches for Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan reaching new highs this festive season. Travellers are also making more spontaneous plans for the region, with bookings now being made around two weeks in advance, compared to four weeks last year.
In Europe, searches for the UK, Germany and Czechia are growing approximately 4.5x, while Greece, Portugal, Poland and Denmark are attracting increasing interest. Australia and New Zealand are also seeing growth, particularly for longer holidays.
The trends point to a festive travel season marked by greater variety in destination choices, with travellers combining familiar favourites with newer places and experiences across India and overseas.
Rathinamurthy R, Head of Travel, Scapia, said, "What's interesting this festive season is how travellers are looking beyond the usual holiday destinations. While Goa and popular hill stations continue to see strong demand, smaller beach towns, island getaways and wildlife destinations are growing rapidly. We're seeing a similar shift internationally, with travellers exploring newer destinations across Southeast Asia and Central Asia. There's a growing appetite to discover places and experiences that are different from the usual holiday itinerary."
Dussehra: Beyond the Popular Beach and Hill Destinations
Beach and hill stay bookings for Dussehra week are each up 3.5x year-on-year. While Goa continues to see strong demand, with stays growing 4.4x, smaller coastal destinations are gaining momentum. Bookings for Gokarna have grown 8x, followed by Varkala and Kollam .
In the hills, Srinagar, Mussoorie and Manali remain popular, with bookings growing 6-7x. Closer to Mumbai, Igatpuri has seen a 4.5x increase in searches.
Island holidays are also gaining traction. October check-ins for the Andamans have grown 5x compared to last year, with travellers exploring beyond Port Blair to Havelock and Neil islands. Lakshadweep is also seeing an increase in bookings, pointing to growing interest in island destinations during the festive period.
Scenic Train Journeys Gain Popularity
The journey itself is becoming part of the holiday experience. Bookings for Vistadome coaches, known for their panoramic views along scenic railway routes, have doubled this festive season.
Popular routes include Pune-Mumbai through the Bhor Ghat, Bengaluru-Mangaluru across the Western Ghats, Visakhapatnam-Araku Valley and the UNESCO-listed Kalka-Shimla railway. The trend reflects growing interest in travel experiences that go beyond the destination itself.
Diwali: Beach Holidays and Premium Stays Lead Demand
Beaches are emerging as a popular choice for Diwali week, with searches and bookings for beach stays growing 4.8x year-on-year. International flight bookings for the same period are also up approximately 4x, indicating strong interest in overseas holidays.
Beach getaways are among the longest and most premium domestic breaks of the festive season, averaging close to two nights. Nearly one in three beach stays are booked at five-star properties, while three in ten include children, highlighting the role of family travel in driving demand.
Year-End: Heritage, Wildlife and International Holidays Gain Ground
As travellers plan their Christmas and New Year holidays, interest is extending beyond conventional year-end destinations to heritage sites, wildlife experiences and international getaways.
Heritage stay bookings are tracking at 4.8x last year's pace. While Jaipur and Udaipur continue to attract travellers, destinations such as Ajanta-Ellora (4.9x) and Kumbhalgarh (4.6x) are seeing strong growth.
Wildlife tourism is another emerging preference, with safari stay bookings for October-December growing 6.6x year-on-year. Ranthambore, Gir and Jim Corbett are among the leading destinations.
International travel is also seeing significant momentum. Flight bookings for Christmas-New Year week are tracking at 5.4x last year's pace, while international stay bookings are up 5.2x.
International Travel: Southeast Asia Leads, Central Asia Emerges
Southeast Asia continues to dominate international travel preferences, accounting for more than half of international flight bookings. Thailand remains the most popular destination, followed by Vietnam and Singapore. The Philippines is gaining momentum, while searches for Cambodia have grown 10x.
Sri Lanka, northern Vietnam, Hong Kong, South Korea and the Maldives are also seeing strong booking interest for the year-end period. Meanwhile, destinations such as Cambodia, Uzbekistan and Turkey are attracting significant search interest, suggesting potential for further growth.
Central Asia is emerging as a destination of interest, with searches for Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan reaching new highs this festive season. Travellers are also making more spontaneous plans for the region, with bookings now being made around two weeks in advance, compared to four weeks last year.
In Europe, searches for the UK, Germany and Czechia are growing approximately 4.5x, while Greece, Portugal, Poland and Denmark are attracting increasing interest. Australia and New Zealand are also seeing growth, particularly for longer holidays.
The trends point to a festive travel season marked by greater variety in destination choices, with travellers combining familiar favourites with newer places and experiences across India and overseas.
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