Diwali festive period sees rise in 'visiting friends and relatives' travel

Spiritual tourism, local festivals, luxury stays and international travel see uptick

Visiting friends and relatives and spiritual tourism are set to drive festive travel demand in India, said Indian travel aggregators, where demand has largely been fuelled by domestic travellers. 

“The top 10 most booked destinations include five 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,” said Rajesh Magow, co-founder and group chief executive officer (CEO), MakeMyTrip.

 

He added that visiting friends and relatives (VFR) remains the biggest driver of festive season travel, as many Indians head back to their hometowns to celebrate Diwali. The Nasdaq-listed travel company also highlighted that cities such as Puri, Haridwar, Ayodhya, Rishikesh and Varanasi are among the top religious hubs this festive season. On the leisure front, Goa leads the travel demand, with destinations like Jaipur and Udaipur also gaining traction.

 

“In terms of international travel, short-haul destinations such as the UAE, Singapore, Thailand and an emerging favourite, Vietnam, have become the go-to choices this festive season for Indians,” he added.

 

Meanwhile, PeekABoo, Cleartrip’s travel trends tracker, noted that luxury is no longer an afterthought for travellers. The maximum growth was seen in four- and five-star hotels, with five-star bookings particularly growing by multiple times, reflecting a strong consumer preference for indulging in a premium, experience-led getaway. These insights were tracked by PeekABoo during the early access and day-one period of Flipkart’s Big Billion Days 2025.

 

“Overall platform users grew by 2.2 times, with flight bookings increasing two times and hotel bookings witnessing a 3.5 times rise compared to the pre-festive period,” data from Cleartrip showed.

 

On the other hand, EaseMyTrip, in a statement, said that spending patterns of Indian travellers are also rising, with nearly 80 per cent of Indians increasing both the frequency and budgets of their holidays. Younger travellers, particularly Gen Z, are driving cultural interest, with around 50 per cent looking to participate in local festivals and traditions. Families and groups are showing similar intent, making festive travel both organised and experience-driven this year.

 

“During the festive season, Indians are combining leisure with the celebration of traditions. Many are travelling to witness events such as Durga Puja, Dussehra, Diwali, and the Pushkar Camel Fair,” said Rikant Pittie, co-founder and chief executive officer, EaseMyTrip. “Festive travel during Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali is shifting towards longer, well-planned holidays. Post-GST reforms, many travellers are moving beyond short weekend trips and choosing six- to eight-day breaks.”

 

According to Ebix Travel, spending patterns for domestic trips during the festive period average Rs 3,000 to Rs 7,000 per day, while short-haul international travel ranges between Rs 25,000 and Rs 35,000 for a week.

 

Earlier, hospitality executives and travel operators had told Business Standard that after a cautious first half, the second half of 2025 is witnessing higher travel demand starting from July for the Independence Day long weekend and for Ganesh Chaturthi.

 

“Festive travel in India is more than mobility — it is a cultural movement that connects families, traditions and destinations,” said Ankur Sharma, chief business officer, Via.com (Ebix Travel), in a release. “This year, travellers are planning smarter and earlier, with booking lead times rising to seven to 15 days. We are also witnessing a surge in digital-first adoption, with UPI emerging as the fastest-growing payment mode, reflecting how India’s travellers are embracing convenience alongside tradition.”

 

Ebix Travel further added that metro-to-hometown routes, such as Bengaluru to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana during Dussehra, and Delhi to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for Diwali, are registering peak load factors.