India’s Travel Boom Goes High-Frequency: New Data Reveals Rapid Growth and Changing Preferences

India’s travel habits are shifting from annual holidays to frequent, short trips, driven by better connectivity, rewards, and wider participation from women and Tier-2/Tier-3 cities. Scapia’s 2025 data shows sharp growth in flights, stays, and global spending. Travellers now prioritise experiences, flexible itineraries, and repeatable 48–72 hour getaways over long, infrequent vacations.

India’s travel landscape is undergoing a fundamental transformation, moving away from the traditional once-a-year holiday toward a pattern of frequent, shorter journeys. According to Scapia’s 2025 Travel Insights, this shift is being driven by improved connectivity, rewards-driven spending habits, and broader participation from women as well as travellers from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. As a result, Indian travellers are exploring both deeper domestic routes and a wider global footprint than ever before.

The data points to sharp growth across categories. Flight bookings on Scapia increased fivefold year-on-year, while accommodation bookings rose by nearly nine times. Indian travellers also demonstrated growing international confidence, spending in as many as 113 different currencies during 2025.

Commenting on the trend, Anil Goteti, Founder and CEO of Scapia, said that travel in India is no longer an occasional indulgence but a regular part of life. Travellers, he noted, are increasingly planning upcoming trips even before their current journeys end. This behaviour reflects India’s expanding global outlook, with Scapia users collectively travelling to 174 countries during the year.

Within India, demand extended beyond established hubs to include destinations such as Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh, Pakyong in Sikkim, Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh, and Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh. Internationally, the Scapia Federal Credit Card recorded usage across 174 countries and 113 currencies, spanning locations from Tashkent and Luang Prabang to Barbados and Puerto Princesa.

The data also highlights a more inclusive travel ecosystem. International flight bookings made by women grew three times over, while Tier-2 cities contributed more than 2.5 times growth, underlining a clear shift away from metro-centric travel. Younger travellers are equally influential: Gen Z accounted for one-third of all train bookings and 40% of solo female bus travel, reflecting strong uptake of ground transport and improved access to non-airport destinations.

Rewards continue to play a key role in enabling this frequency-led behaviour. Nearly half of all train bookings and close to 60% of bus bookings in 2025 were fully paid for using Scapia coin redemptions. Instead of reserving savings for one large annual vacation, travellers are increasingly converting everyday spending into multiple short trips, including weekend escapes and short-haul journeys.

Another notable shift is how destinations are being chosen. Travellers are prioritising experiences over geography, planning trips around activities such as trekking, wildlife safaris, music festivals, concerts, and cultural experiences rather than ticking off cities on a list.

Looking ahead, Scapia’s 2026 Travel Outlook outlines three key trends expected to shape the next phase of Indian travel. First, trip frequency is set to outweigh distance, with three or more trips a year becoming common, particularly in Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets. Faster bookings, better connectivity, and rewards are reducing friction and making short, repeat trips more appealing than a single long holiday.

Second, 48–72 hour destinations are expected to gain prominence. Locations will be selected based on how easily they fit into busy calendars rather than their aspirational value. Offbeat destinations, in this context, will be defined by how accessible and repeatable they are, not by how remote they seem.

Finally, international travel is likely to continue shifting toward experience-led planning. Festivals, dives, treks, concerts, and immersive cultural breaks will increasingly drive bookings, with travellers asking what they can do at a destination rather than simply where they should go.

Even perceptions of “premium” travel are evolving. Indian travellers are reassessing airport experiences, favouring flexibility and tangible value—such as dining and retail options—over traditional notions of exclusivity.

Together, these trends suggest that India’s travel story is entering a new phase: one defined by frequency, accessibility, and experiences that fit seamlessly into everyday life rather than standing apart from it.