India’s travel appetite in 2025 was shaped less by long holidays and more by faith, festivals and timing. Data from Paytm Travel’s ‘Travel Recap 2025’ shows spiritual travel emerging as one of the strongest growth drivers on the platform, alongside a clear rise in short-notice and event-led trips, even as leisure destinations held their ground.

The standout trend was pilgrimage-led travel, led by the Kumbh Mela. Prayagraj emerged as the defining destination of the year, with bookings rising more than threefold in January and February, according to the report. The surge far outpaced 2024, when pilgrimage hubs such as Ayodhya, Shirdi and Varanasi recorded around 50% year-on-year growth. In 2025, searches for Ayodhya, Varanasi and Tirupati climbed 34%, reinforcing the growing role of faith-based travel in domestic mobility.

Festival travel continued to anchor demand, especially for homebound routes. During Chhath Puja 2025, flight bookings to Patna jumped 25%, reflecting the scale of seasonal migration driven by cultural calendars. Paytm noted that this mirrored trends seen in previous years, with sharp spikes around festivals like Chhath and Holi shaping booking behaviour across trains, buses and flights.

Another notable shift was how closely travel decisions tracked income cycles. Bookings rose 15% immediately after salary credits, underlining a growing tendency among consumers to plan or commit to travel as soon as disposable income hits accounts. The pattern points to a more spontaneous travel mindset, particularly for short breaks and quick getaways.

Entertainment also played a larger role in travel decisions. Concert-led trips drove higher demand for cities such as Mumbai and Bengaluru, building on momentum seen in 2024 when concert-related travel grew over 40%. Live events are increasingly triggering short-duration travel, especially among younger travellers, rather than being tacked onto longer vacations.

Leisure destinations remained resilient. Srinagar emerged as one of the year’s strongest comeback stories, recording its highest-ever bookings on the platform. Goa, meanwhile, stayed in peak mode through much of the year, with traveller volumes exceeding 2024 levels.

Beyond metros, the report highlights a steady rise in travel to Tier-2 cities. Indore, Lucknow, Patna, Surat and Kochi saw meaningful growth in inbound travel, signalling deeper digital adoption and rising aspirations in smaller urban centres.

“Travel trends in 2025 reinforce patterns that have been steadily strengthening over recent years,” a Paytm spokesperson said. “From the rise of spiritual and festival-led travel to greater spontaneity, event-driven trips and growing demand from Tier-2 cities, these shifts reflect how Indians are choosing to move.”