Indian travellers are spending more, travelling farther, and planning vacations around experiences rather than just destinations, according to new travel trends released by Cleartrip during its summer travel campaign, Nation on Vacation (NoVac).
The data shows a major shift in how Indians are approaching summer travel in 2026:
-
luxury hotel demand is surging, -
family and group travel are rebounding strongly, -
Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities are driving domestic tourism, -
and live events like the IPL are increasingly shaping travel decisions.
For the travel industry, the message is clear:
Summer vacations are no longer just seasonal breaks—they are becoming planned lifestyle experiences.
Hotel bookings surge 80%, luxury demand spikes
The strongest growth this summer came from hotels.
According to Cleartrip:
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Hotel bookings jumped by more than 80% -
Air bookings rose over 20% -
Bus bookings increased by 35%+
But the biggest surprise came from premium travel.
5-star hotel bookings surged 108.2%
This outpaced:
budget stays,
mid-range hotels,
and premium categories.
The data suggests Indian travellers are increasingly willing to:
spend more on comfort,
prioritise experiences,
and upgrade vacations rather than simply travel cheaply.
Family travel makes a major comeback
One of the biggest post-pandemic shifts visible in the data is the return of shared travel.
Family hotel bookings rose 124.9%
Group bookings increased 24%
Family travel overall rose 68.6%
The trend points to:
multi-generational vacations,
larger group trips,
and experience-led travel becoming mainstream again.
For many households, vacations are increasingly being viewed as:
“quality time investments” rather than discretionary spending.
Tier-2 and Tier-3 India drive domestic tourism
Domestic travel remained extremely strong, especially from smaller cities and emerging travel hubs.
Among the fastest-growing domestic destinations:
Jaipur
Lucknow
Udaipur
Rishikesh
Varanasi
Northeast gains traction as a preferred holiday destination
Dibrugarh
Dimapur
Imphal
Agartala
Solo women bookings up 31.9%
Top Destinations and Emerging Travel Corridors
Most booked destinations: (Overall)
Domestic: Delhi
International: Bangkok
Gen Z’s Summer Picks – Top domestic destinations
Bengaluru
Mumbai
Kolkata
Hyderabad
Gen Z’s Summer Picks – Top international destinations
Bali
Phuket
Kuala Lumpur
Dubai
Singapore
Emerging travel corridors see strong growth – driven by better connectivity, rising regional demand, and more confident travellers
Domestic airports:
Navi Mumbai
Darbhanga
Leh
Gorakhpur
Kannur
International airports:
Nairobi
Frankfurt
Guangzhou
Riyadh
Lisbon
Milan
Haneda
Payments and Flexibility Trends
Payment trends show a strong preference for credit cards
63.1% of domestic bookings
48.9% of international bookings
Loyalty and flexibility are gaining importance
Strong usage of Flipkart SuperCoins, especially for domestic travel
Increased adoption of Cleartrip’s flexibility products: ClearChoice Plus and ClearChoice Max
Evolving Traveller Profiles
Both Gen Z and Millennials are showing similar preferences.
Bengaluru emerged as the top domestic choice for Gen Z and Millennials, largely serving as a strategic gateway for road-trip-led exploration, whereas Bali continues to define their global travel aspirations.
Solo female travel within India grew by 21.1%, signalling increasing confidence and independence. At the same time, international solo male travel rose by 35.8%
Group bookings rose by 24% and family travel by 68.6%.
Strong Growth Across Categories
Air bookings grew by over 20%, while Bus bookings went up by over 35%
Hotels, however, stood out with an increase of over 80%
5-star bookings rose by 108.2%, outpacing both premium and budget categories, suggesting that travellers are increasingly willing to spend more for higher-quality stays.
Family hotel bookings jumped 124.9%, pointing to a strong return of shared travel experiences.