Unlike traditional tourism reports based on arrivals or search intent, the index is built on executed multi-day tour data, capturing how trips were actually planned, operated and completed. The analysis draws from aggregated bookings, itinerary design patterns, traveller segmentation and on-ground fulfilment data across India, Asia, Europe and long-haul markets.
According to the report, Indian leisure travel in 2025 underwent a structural shift, moving away from checklist-style, fast-paced itineraries toward slower, more deliberate multi-day journeys. Travellers increasingly prioritised predictability, comfort and experience depth over destination count.
Key Behavioural Shifts Identified
The index highlights several major changes in how Indians travelled in 2025:
- Custom itineraries overtook fixed group tours, as travellers across segments opted for personalised routing and flexible pacing
- Families emerged as the fastest-growing travel segment, influencing trip design toward fewer transitions and longer stays
- Short-haul international destinations dominated volume, while long-haul travel skewed toward higher spend and selective itineraries
- Repeat travel increased across mature destinations, particularly Europe and parts of Southeast Asia
The report notes that Indian travellers increasingly broke large trips into multiple focused journeys rather than attempting exhaustive coverage in a single visit.
Domestic Travel: Beyond the Usual Circuits
Within India, the index found strong growth beyond traditional hotspots. Destinations such as the Northeast, Ladakh, Kashmir and experiential Goa saw rising demand, driven by improved connectivity and interest in slower, experience-led travel.
States like Rajasthan and Kerala continued to attract high multi-day demand, supported by heritage depth, festival-led travel and reliable infrastructure. The Northeast emerged as one of the fastest-climbing domestic regions, particularly among younger and repeat travellers.
International Travel: Fewer Countries, Longer Stays
On the international front, Indian travel to Europe showed a marked change in format. While destinations such as Switzerland, Italy and France continued to lead demand, the way they were travelled changed significantly.
The index recorded a decline in high-coverage, multi-country Europe itineraries and a rise in two- to three-country trips, longer stays per city, scenic rail journeys and countryside-based exploration. Similar patterns were observed in Japan and select Southeast Asian destinations.
Segment-Led Travel Redefines Itinerary Design
The report also maps how different traveller segments influenced trip formats:
- Families prioritised comfort, predictable routing and hotel quality
- Honeymooners and couples favoured privacy, slower pacing and experiential stays
- Luxury and premium travellers focused on depth, regional immersion and execution reliability
- Gen Z travellers showed higher trip frequency, off-season travel and openness to emerging destinations
Across segments, travellers showed a higher willingness to spend when trips reduced fatigue and uncertainty.
Why Multi-Day Data Matters
The India Multi-Day Travel Index 2025–26 is based on operated itineraries, not listings or intent data. This approach captures what travellers actually experienced on the ground — including routing decisions, stay durations, transfer patterns and itinerary modifications.
The data has been compiled by Thrillophilia, which operates multi-day tours across domestic and international markets and tracks aggregated travel behaviour through end-to-end trip execution.
A More Deliberate Indian Traveller
The report concludes that Indian leisure travel has entered a more mature phase. Rather than maximising coverage, travellers are optimising for time efficiency, comfort and outcome certainty, reshaping how destinations are experienced.
The India Multi-Day Travel Index 2025–26 aims to serve as a reference for destinations, policymakers and industry stakeholders seeking to understand how Indian travel behaviour is evolving beyond headline tourism numbers.
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