The festival of Diwali is synonymous with family gatherings and catch-ups with long-forgotten extended relatives to exchange gifts and pleasantries. While the tradition surrounding family gatherings remains, there is a shift in how young Indians prefer to spend the auspicious occasion.
Travel agents say they are witnessing a surge in both domestic and international bookings for long weekend staycations around Diwali as luxury escapes and spiritual journeys take precedence over staying home. Besides the metropolitan cities, which continue to remain among the top 10 most-booked destinations, there are also growing takers for nearby international places like the UAE, Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore.
Rajesh Magow, Group CEO and co-founder, MakeMyTrip, says Indian travellers seems to be combining family reunions with traditional ceremonies as being with loved ones remains the biggest driving factor of festive season travel.
“Of the 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,” he said.
The long weekend is certainly an added advantage, agrees Rajeev Kale, Thomas Cook (India) President and Country Head, Holidays, MICE, Visa, saying there’s a clear growing trend for combining family bonding time with exploring new destinations.
“Particularly interesting is the increase in average spends, with travellers opting for longer stays and moving away from traditional three-day breaks to 6-12 day holidays. Multi-generational families are maximising school vacations for Diwali, while millennials and working professionals are combining weekends with festive holidays for extended getaways,” he said.
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On the domestic front, travellers are choosing Kerala, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Andamans, said Masgow; while internationally, Europe’s Switzerland, France, Italy, Austria, Spain and Portugal remain all-time favourites.
Additionally, Vietnam is emerging as a popular short-haul international destination, says Kale, adding that other nearby places that remain favourites include Oman, Maldives, Bali, and Cambodia as well as visa-free and easy visa destinations like Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Dubai-Abu Dhabi, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Ixigo Group CEO, Aloke Bajpai, said that this Diwali, there is a strong surge in flight bookings, with an average 60-65 per cent year-on-year increase, reflecting a mix of travel demand that blends tradition, spirituality, leisure, and experience-led getaways.
Masgow too noted the interesting shift in preference for pilgrimage destinations in the festive season, including spiritual circuits like Char Dham, Kailash Mansarovar, Ayodhya, and Varanasi.
“We are observing a rise in demand for pilgrimage destinations, reflecting how families are combining festive reunions with spiritual journeys,” he added.
Ayodhya, which has long been known for its vibrant and elaborate Diwali celebrations, recorded more than 100 per cent year-on-year growth in flight bookings – even outpacing major metros like Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai, he said.
Meanwhile, cruises and homebound travellers also remain high, especially among millennials and Gen Z, young couples and working professionals looking for a quick break.
“Travellers are also returning to their hometowns like Patna (46 per cent) and Lucknow (23 per cent) to celebrate with family, while leisure destinations, such as Jaipur, Goa, and Srinagar, continue to see strong demand as well,” Masgow pointed out.
Besides luxury destinations, the younger generation does not compromise on quality hotels either, say experts. This Diwali, the maximum growth was seen in 4 and 5-star hotels, particularly 5-star bookings growing 2 times, reflecting a strong consumer preference for indulging in a premium and experience-led getaway, as per a Cleartrip spokesperson.
“Overall, Cleartrip platform users grew by 2.2 times, with flight bookings increasing 2 times and hotel bookings witnessing a 3.5 times rise compared to the pre-festive period,” the spokesperson added.
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