Festive travel: Puri searches jump 318%, Sri Lanka leads overseas surge

Indian travellers are looking beyond the usual festive-season itinerary, with accommodation searches for Sri Lanka surging nearly 262% year-on-year and those for Puri rising 318%, as Dussehra, Durga Puja and Diwali fuel interest in international holidays and domestic getaways. The data points to growing interest in destinations ranging from beaches and hill stations to cultural and spiritual centres.

According to travel platform Agoda, Bangkok, Phuket and Tokyo were the most searched international cities by Indian travellers for stays between October 15 and November 30, 2026. Within India, Goa, Puri and Udaipur topped the list. The findings are based on accommodation searches made between August 1 and September 30, compared with the same period last year.

The international trend highlights Asia’s continued appeal, with Thailand, Vietnam and Japan recording search growth of 55%, 86% and 125%, respectively. Sri Lanka, however, registered one of the sharpest increases among popular international destinations, followed by Hong Kong, where searches rose nearly 138%.

At the city level, Bangkok and Phuket recorded growth of 65% and 51%, respectively. Tokyo searches increased 109%, as the October-November period coincides with Japan’s autumn foliage season, when travellers visit gardens and parks to experience the changing colours of the leaves.

Vietnam is also attracting greater interest. Searches for Phu Quoc, known for its beaches and island-hopping experiences, increased 124%, while Hanoi registered a 94% rise. The growth suggests that Indian travellers are considering a wider mix of urban, coastal and cultural experiences when planning overseas holidays.

Puri, Ooty and Munnar see sharp rise in interest

Domestic travel searches also indicate a shift beyond established leisure destinations. Puri recorded the highest growth among the domestic destinations highlighted by Agoda, at 318%, followed by Ooty at 166% and Munnar at 107%. Varanasi searches rose 92%, pointing to interest in spiritual and heritage-led travel alongside conventional festive breaks.

Goa, which remained the most searched domestic destination, recorded nearly 43% growth, while Udaipur saw an increase of around 29%. The figures suggest that established holiday hotspots continue to draw travellers even as smaller or more experience-led destinations gain traction.

“The destinations people are considering reveal that there are now various ways to spend this time,” said Gaurav Malik, country director, Indian Subcontinent and Indian Ocean Islands at Agoda. Travellers are showing interest across “beach holidays, city breaks, cultural destinations and hill station escapes”, he added, choosing destinations based on the experiences they want rather than following a conventional itinerary.

The platform offers more than six million holiday properties, over 130,000 flight routes and more than 300,000 activities worldwide through its website and mobile app.