From free flights to ₹4.3 lakh tickets, Gen Z reshapes India’s travel story, says Cleartrip 2025 travel data

According to its Cleartrip Unpacked 2025 report, the cheapest flight booked on the platform during the year cost ₹0 after offers and wallet credits, while the most expensive flight ticket touched ₹4.3 lakh. Hotel bookings showed a similar spread, with the lowest-priced stay at ₹48 and the costliest hotel stay crossing ₹4.4 lakh.

Cleartrip’s year-end travel data for 2025 points to a widening gap in how Indians are travelling, with extreme price sensitivity on one end and big-ticket spending on the other.

A key driver behind this shift was the sharp rise in younger travellers. Gen Z bookings on Cleartrip grew by 650% in 2025, making it one of the fastest-growing customer segments on the platform. Their travel choices leaned heavily towards international hotspots such as Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, while value-for-money continued to dominate booking behaviour across age groups.

Affordability showed up clearly in the data. Over 65% of all bookings on Cleartrip were for budget and mid-range hotels, and around 66% of bookings were made via smartphones. Payments also tilted further towards digital modes, with UPI transactions rising 6% and credit card payments increasing 8% during the year.

At the same time, travellers didn’t shy away from spending big when it mattered. The most expensive flight booked on the platform cost ₹4.3 lakh, while the costliest hotel stay touched over ₹4.4 lakh for a Maldives property. At the other end of the spectrum, the cheapest flight ticket was booked for ₹0 after offers and wallet credits, and the lowest-priced hotel stay came in at ₹48.

Destination trends reflected a mix of experimentation and familiarity. Vietnam emerged as the breakout international destination of 2025, recording a 133% jump in traffic. Domestically, Uttar Pradesh emerged as the most visited state, with stay searches for Prayagraj rising threefold and Bareilly seeing a fourfold increase. Traffic to Varanasi and the Andaman Islands grew by about 20% on average.

Delhi and Bengaluru topped the list of solo travel destinations. Delhi saw heavy travel movement towards Himachal Pradesh, Jaipur and Agra, while Bengaluru travellers frequently headed to Coorg, Ooty and Kodaikanal.

The year also saw the rise of micro travel trends. 'Calmcations' drew travellers to Rishikesh, Coorg and Alappuzha, workations picked up in Goa, Pondicherry and Darjeeling, and digital detox trips gained traction in Spiti, Ladakh and the Andamans.

Booking behaviour highlighted growing spontaneity. Nearly 3 lakh people booked flights between 3 am and 4 am, while 38 lakh flight bookings were made within 48 hours of departure. Together, the numbers point to a travel market that is younger, more impulsive, and comfortable operating at both ends of the price spectrum.