Festive Season Travel Trends 2025: Insights from Industry Experts

“Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) remains the biggest driver of festive season travel, as many Indians head back to their hometowns to celebrate Diwali. Therefore, of the top 10 most booked destinations, five are metros: Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai. This year, with the festival falling early in the week, many travellers are booking their trips as early as the preceding Friday to enjoy extended festivities. We are also observing a rise in demand for pilgrimage destinations, reflecting how families are combining festive reunions with spiritual journeys. Out of the top 10 high growth cities, five, namely Puri, Haridwar, Ayodhya, Rishikesh and Varanasi, are religious hubs. On the leisure front, Goa leads the pack, with destinations such as Jaipur and Udaipur also gaining traction. In terms of international travel, short haul destinations such as UAE, Singapore, Thailand and an emerging favourite, Vietnam, have become the go to choices this festive season for Indians.” -To be attributed toRajesh Magow, Co-Founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip