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

1. Kerala
2. Andaman
3. Goa
4. Rajasthan
5. Tamil Nadu

TOP 5 INTERNATIONAL HOLIDAY PACKAGE DESTINATIONS

1. Thailand
2. Vietnam & Cambodia
3. UAE
4. Maldives
5. 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

The post Exploring Travel Trends: How India Celebrated the Republic Day Long Weekend appeared first on NRI News.

Top Domestic Destinations

• The top 20 domestic cities contribute 40% of all domestic searches travel during the upcoming holiday season, with Goa leading the charts
• Manali, Varanasi, Mussoorie & Udaipur witness double-digit % growth in searches
• 40% of the top 20 most searched domestic destinations include hill destinations across North and South India

The top 20 most searched domestic cities include:

• Goa
• Mumbai
• Udaipur
• Delhi
• Jaipur
• Manali
• Puri
• Bengaluru
• Munnar
• Varanasi
• Lonavala
• Mahabaleshwar
• Hyderabad
• Ooty
• Jaisalmer
• Kolkata
• Coorg
• Mussoorie
• Pondicherry
• Shimla

Top International Destinations:

• The top 20 international destinations contribute 83% of all international searches for travel during the upcoming holiday season
• Azerbaijan & Malaysia witness 248% & 100% growth in searches respectively. Japan, Vietnam & Turkey experience healthy double-digit growth in searches
• Canada & Maldives are the only two destinations among the top 20 that saw a drop in searches

The top 20 most searched international destinations include:

• United Arab Emirates
• Thailand
• Singapore
• Indonesia
• Malaysia
• United States
• Vietnam
• United Kingdom
• Sri Lanka
• Australia
• Canada
• Nepal
• Maldives
• Saudi Arabia
• Azerbaijan
• France
• Japan
• Hong Kong
• Turkey
• Qatar

Preferred Time of Travel

• Similar to last year, the Saturday before Christmas (21st Dec) continues to be the most searched travel date for both domestic and international travel.
• However, for domestic hotel searches, there is also a spike in interest for travel starting Dec 25th which indicates that travelers might be extending their holidays beyond Christmas till New Year’s Day

Business Class Travel on the Rise

• Business class bookings across domestic and international have grown by 50% YoY
• 80% increase in business class bookings for international flights
• 27% increase in business class bookings for domestic flights

Trend Towards Premiumization in Hotel Bookings

• The contribution of domestic hotel bookings priced above INR 10K+ increased to 22% as compared to 20% in the same period last year
• The contribution of international hotel bookings priced above INR 10K+ increased from 51% in 2023 to 57% this year

Holiday Packages

• Double-digit growth in bookings for holiday packages for the upcoming year-end holiday season 
• Average spending on year-end holiday packages has increased by 7% compared to the same period last year

Top domestic holiday packages:

• Andaman
• Kerala
• Goa
• Himachal
• Kashmir

Top international holiday packages

• Dubai
• Thailand
• Singapore
• Maldives
• Bali

The post Travel Search and Booking Trends in India for Year-End 2024 appeared first on NRI News.

MUMBAI: As India looks forward to the Summer high season, exciting new flight search data from the world’s leading travel search site KAYAK.co.in, shows that flight searches over the last six months (searches between 20.07.2022 – 20.01.2023) for travels to India in 2023 have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, growing by about 29% compared to the same period in 2019^. Indicating that inbound travelers may be feeling restored confidence in international travel – and shows that the country’s efforts to attract tourists are showing results.

“This is positive for India’s tourism sector, which has been amplifying its efforts to grow inbound travel from not just traditional source markets, but expanding its promotion further across the globe,” says Tarun Tahiliani, India Country Manager at KAYAK.

The United States has long been one of India’s most prominent tourism sources, with searches for flights until the end of this year growing about 21% compared to the same pre-pandemic period. Increases in flight searches from other European countries are also very positive, with the UK having a spike in flight searches of about 48% and France increasing by around 22%. There was also strong growth from Canada increasing by around 63% and Australia increasing by around 60% compared to 2019.

Top 10 countries from where travelers searched for flights to India for travels in 2023 and change compared to 2019^

“We are seeing a global trend, where travelers want to experience new, unique, and different things. And so they are looking beyond the usual favorites to see what else India has to offer. This is very positive for many local tourism players, as more eyes are turned to their offerings, linking the tourism and experience economies,” says Tahiliani.

Global travelers are looking to immerse themselves in the various experiences India offers. The top three spots on the most searched list of destinations are captured by sprawling urban centers New Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, which are at the cross-section of the country’s rich heritage and modern infrastructure. As exceptional experiences with culture, traditions, and cuisines continue to be one of the most significant attractions for travelers visiting India, destinations like Ahmedabad, home to intricate textiles, Mughal heritage, and unparalleled delicacies, have also found a spot among the most sought after designations for international visitors. Southern destinations, a convergence of lush landscapes and serene beaches like Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, and the always favorite Goa, have also garnered traveler interest.

KAYAK travel tips:

Use a travel search engine: KAYAK has the tools and filters to help you find great deals, including the Explore feature, which shows destinations by price. Before planning your journey, check the latest travel restrictions in your destination. KAYAK’s travel restrictions map provides real-time updates on COVID-19 restrictions and entry requirements of individual countries.

Set a price alert: As one of KAYAK’s most popular features, price alerts help travelers save money by alerting them when prices change for a flight or hotel they want. If a flight you’re eyeing drops in price, KAYAK will alert you so they can lock in that new price, instantly saving you both time and money.

Manage and stay up to date with your travel: KAYAK has built the trips feature on its app and website, that allows users to plan, build and manage their itineraries for travel of any length, in any location. The platform allows users to get real-time updates on any cancellations, stay informed about unexpected changes, delays, or gate changes that may arise and even find their luggage on the right conveyor belt after landing at the airport

The post KAYAK reveals inbound travel trends for international visitors to India in 2023 appeared first on NRI News.