Booking.com Crowns ‘Noctourism’ as India’s 2025 Travel Word of the Year

From mindful ‘Calmcations’ to workplace ‘Frolleagues’,  new vocabulary reveals how Indians are reshaping the way they explore the world

 INDIA, 17th December, 2025: Ready to swap sunrise selfies for moonlit magic? Booking.com, one of the world’s leading online travel platforms, in collaboration with Meltwater, has announced ‘Noctourism’ as India’s Travel Word of the Year for 2025. Focused on exploring destinations after dark for unique experiences like stargazing, night safaris, illuminated nightscapes or simply enjoying cooler temperatures, Noctourism captured the nation’s imagination, reflecting the desire for slower, immersive and emotion-led travel experiences in 2025.

 The research showcases a fascinating mix of new travel motivations: from Noctourism and Calmcation (restorative breaks) to the hyper-efficient charm of Microcations and the social bonding of Frolleagues. The findings reveal that 2025 was defined by a clear trend where emotion, intention and personal meaning shaped how Indians explored the world.

 Booking.com’s Travel Word of the Year 2025 research examined over 10 million data points from 3,00,000+ verified sources including media, social media conversations and other online conversations to identify emerging travel expressions and behaviour shifts that shaped India’s evolving travel landscape in 2025.

 The Power Players: The Top 5 Words That Defined Travel in 2025

Booking.com’s Top Travel Words of 2025 reflect how Indian travellers are actively seeking deeper meaning, balance and flexibility in their journeys, reflecting the trend that travel is becoming more intentional and experience driven.

 Top Trending Travel Words of the Year

• Noctourism: Night-time travel centred around stargazing and low-light stays – a trend Booking.com predicted for 2025 where 3 out of 4 (78%) Indian travellers expressed interest in experiencing it this year.
• Calmcation: Mindful breaks focused on rest, rejuvenation and stress reduction – driven by the desire to cultivate better lifestyle choices. Booking.com’s Travel Predictions 2025 revealed that 83% of Indian travellers were interested in longevity retreats for deep revitalisation.
• Frolleagues: Work-life blended trips celebrating coworkers who double up as friends - balancing productivity with shared discovery.
• Eco-scape: Conscious travel to reduce individual environmental impact. An increasing priority for many Indian travellers with a majority (87%) of them stating their willingness to travel sustainably this year as per Booking.com’s Travel & Sustainability Report 2025.
• Bucket-list-breaks: Once-in-a-lifetime trips to finally experience the destinations or moments you’ve always dreamed.

Other notable words shaping this evolving landscape include Solo Group Travel (solo travel with elements of social connections), Gastro-trails (culinary focussed travel), Impulse escapes (YOLO inspired spontaneous trips), Microcations (short memorable vacations). These words reflect a deeper desire among travellers for authentic cultural depth, conscious choices, meaningful social connections and greater work-life balance through their journeys.

 Gen Z vs Millennials: The Words and Phrases that Defined Travel for Them in 2025

The travel words of 2025 highlighted distinct generational priorities. Gen Z gravitated towards maintaining their individuality, social connections, spontaneity and sustainability-led choices, reflected in terms like Eco-scapes, Impulse escapes and Adventure awaits. Conversely, Millennials leaned into meaningful travel, social connection and deeper cultural immersion, with Frolleagues, Microcations, and Cultural-Trails emerging as their travel words of the year.

“Travel in 2025 marks a pivotal shift for Indian travellers. We are moving beyond traditional getaways towards a deeply intentional and personalized approach. Fueled by the growing appetite for after-dark safaris, stargazing escapes, bioluminescent beaches and culturally rich night markets that reveal a destination’s character in entirely new ways, Noctourism emerged as India’s Travel Word of the Year. This new vocabulary clearly shows that every trip is now an investment in self-discovery, forging deeper connections and embracing experiences that align with individual values. With this rising desire for tailored exploration, Booking.com’s vision for a seamless, end-to-end connected trip ensures travellers can plan, book and enjoy these moments effortlessly on one unified platform.”

Santosh Kumar, Regional Manager, South Asia, Booking.com