How the new Indian tourist is travelling more than ever before

Instead of just annual vacations, people are travelling more frequently for shorter breaks. Travel industry experts explain the trendHistorically, travel in India meant families going together, mostly to visit their grandparents, or travel largely confined to summer and winter vacations.Today, instead of one or two annual vacations, people are travelling more frequently for shorter breaks, whether it is weekend getaways, long-weekend breaks or spontaneous trips, along with one or two long holidays, says Rajesh Magow, co-founder and group CEO, MakeMyTrip. On MakeMyTrip’s platform, people book an average of two to seven trips a year.What has helped is improved highways, expressways and rising private vehicle ownership, which have made destinations within a few hours of major cities accessible, encouraging road trips and exploration of lesser-known locations.These shorter trip or staycations typically last two or three nights, with two nights being more common. These are weekend or long-weekend trips wherein some travellers may take a Friday or Monday off. This is different from summer and winter vacations, which generally last more than four nights, says Magow. Within the staycation category, a new category of celebration travel is emerging rapidly, says Magow, where families or friends travel together to celebrate a birthday or anniversary. “Earlier, people would go to their nani or dadi’s place to celebrate a family occasion. Now they take them along for milestone birthdays and anniversaries,” he notes.The nature of travel has also changed. “Holidays have become a regular lifestyle choice rather than an occasional annual indulgence,” says S.D. Nandakumar, president and country head, holidays and corporate tours, SOTC Travel.The frequency of travelling, though, is directly linked to the household income. “Every income segment travels,” says Magow, adding that every household that can afford it wants to travel today. “The choice is no longer between travelling and not travelling. The inflection point is an annual household income of about Rs 5 lakh, at which households take at least one or two trips a year. The frequency increases with rising income,” he says.No surprise then, India recorded 4,287 million domestic tourist visits in 2025, up from 2,322 million in 2019, according to the ministry of tourism’s India Tourism Data Compendium 2025.Urban travellers are looking for experiential travel whether it is nature-led, adventure, wildlife, wellness, premium or interest-based holidays, while travellers from emerging markets and smaller cities are exploring new destinations, often with family and through value-led packages, says Nandakumar. “But across markets, comfort, convenience, safety and value remain important considerations.”Digital booking platforms have helped too by simplifying the discovery and booking process and helping people plan even at the last minute, easing the process of planning frequently. On MakeMyTrip, 45-50 per cent of ticket bookings or travel plans happen within 48 hours, suggesting that Indians are not necessarily the most-advanced planners. “A very small proportion of our population really plans trips months in advance,” he says.Subscribe to India Today Magazine- Ends