MONDAY HOLIDAY DRIVES A SURGE IN LONG-WEEKEND TRAVEL
The Republic Day holiday, falling on a Monday, acted as a catalyst for travel, compared to last year when the January 26 holiday fell on a Sunday. The spike starts on January 23 (Friday) and peaks on January 24 (Saturday), as travellers start their trips early to make the most of the extended weekend
TOP 5 DOMESTIC LEISURE DESTINATIONS
Domestic leisure travel trends for the Republic Day long weekend showed both continuity and shifts year-on-year. In 2025, Goa led the list of top destinations, followed by Udaipur, Jaipur, Manali, and Munnar. In 2026, Goa retained its top position, while Jaipur and Udaipur swapped ranks to take the second and third spots, respectively. Manali continued to feature among the top four destinations, and Pondicherry entered the top five in 2026
SPIRITUAL TRAVEL IS SEEING STRONG DEMAND
In terms of spiritual travel, destinations such as Puri, Varanasi, Amritsar, Ayodhya, Ujjain, Dwarka, Udupi, and Tirupati are seeing strong demand.
TOP 5 INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS
In 2025, the UAE emerged as the most preferred international destination, followed by Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia. In 2026, Thailand moved to the top spot, with the UAE close behind in second place. Vietnam stood out this year, rising sharply from 10th position in 2025 to become the third most booked international destination for the long weekend. Malaysia retained its fourth position, while Singapore featured fifth among the top international choices.
TOP 5 INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS FROM KEY METRO CITIES
- Delhi travellers showed a preference for Dubai, followed by Bangkok, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur, and Bali.
- From Mumbai, Dubai emerged as the top destination, with Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore, and Colombo also featuring among the top five.
- Bengaluru travellers favoured Bangkok most, followed by Dubai, Phuket, Colombo, and Singapore.
- Chennai saw Bangkok lead outbound travel choices, followed by Dubai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Colombo.
- From Kolkata, Bangkok ranked highest, with Kuala Lumpur, Phuket, Dubai, and Singapore completing the list of top international destinations
TOP 5 DOMESTIC DESTINATIONS FROM KEY METRO CITIES
- Travellers from Delhi preferred Goa the most, followed by Jaipur, Rishikesh, Mussoori, and Udaipur.
- From Mumbai, Goa led domestic choices, with Lonavala, Alibag, Mahabaleshwar, and Karjat rounding off the top five.
- Bengaluru travellers showed a strong preference for Goa, followed by Mysore, Coorg, Pondicherry, and Wayanad.
- Chennai’s top domestic destinations included Goa, Auroville, Yelagiri, Yercaud, and Ooty.
- From Kolkata, Mandarmani emerged as the most preferred destination, followed by Digha, Darjeeling, Go,a and Shantiniketan
TOP 5 DOMESTIC HOLIDAY PACKAGE DESTINATIONS
- Kerala
- Andaman
- Goa
- Rajasthan
- Tamil Nadu
TOP 5 INTERNATIONAL HOLIDAY PACKAGE DESTINATIONS
- Thailand
- Vietnam & Cambodia
- UAE
- Maldives
- Indonesia
“The appetite for weekend travel remains strong, with the extended Republic Day weekend presenting an opportunity for travel. There is a preference for nearby destinations, evident in the top travel choices from each metro. That said, Goa remains the favourite leisure destination within India. Internationally, the skew towards easy-visa destinations continues to gain traction. Countries with direct connectivity to multiple cities are leading demand, with Thailand at the forefront and Vietnam also performing strongly.” – Rajesh Magow, Co-founder & Group CEO, MakeMyTrip