India’s festive travel market is seeing a sharp increase in bookings among younger travellers, with Cleartrip reporting a 60% rise in flight bookings among travellers aged 15–24 ahead of Diwali 2026. The company’s PeekABoo travel trends tracker also recorded a 135% increase in leisure hotel bookings for Diwali, highlighting strong demand for festive getaways, accommodation and travel experiences.
The growth extends beyond traditional metropolitan destinations. Udaipur recorded a 316% increase in Diwali hotel bookings, while Bengaluru and Jaipur saw increases of 189% and 174%, respectively. Bookings also increased across budget, mid-range, premium and luxury hotels, suggesting that the festive travel surge spans multiple accommodation categories. However, these figures represent reported booking growth rather than total market size or travel expenditure.
Key Takeaways
- Gen Z travel: Flight bookings among travellers aged 15–24 increased 60% ahead of Diwali.
- Hotel demand: Leisure hotel bookings for Diwali rose 135%, according to Cleartrip.
- Domestic destinations: Udaipur recorded 316% hotel-booking growth, followed by Bengaluru at 189% and Jaipur at 174%.
- Budget stays lead: Budget hotel bookings increased 201%, the highest reported growth among accommodation categories.
- International travel: Taipei, Cebu, Dublin and Phu Quoc recorded strong growth in flight bookings.
- Bus travel expands: Bookings for journeys to several major Indian cities rose between 57% and 80%.
- Important context: Cleartrip’s published figures do not specify absolute booking volumes or provide a detailed breakdown of the comparison baseline.
Gen Z Leads Flight Booking Growth Ahead of Diwali
Cleartrip’s latest figures indicate that younger travellers are contributing significantly to the rise in festive-season air travel. Flight bookings among people aged 15–24 increased 60%, compared with 6% growth among travellers aged 25–34.
The difference suggests that the younger age group is driving a larger increase in flight bookings than the adjacent age category on Cleartrip’s platform. It does not necessarily mean that younger travellers account for the largest share of total bookings, because the company has not published the absolute numbers for each group in the reported summaries.
The trend may reflect the growing importance of travel experiences among younger consumers, including short holidays, visits with friends and family, and trips to destinations beyond traditional metropolitan centres. Festive travel can also combine leisure with family visits, making it difficult to attribute all the growth to discretionary holidays alone.
Cleartrip also reported a 44% increase in women’s share of bookings over the same period. The company did not provide enough detail in the published summaries to establish whether this refers to a relative increase in share or a specific change in the number of women booking trips.
Hotel Bookings Rise 135% for Diwali
Accommodation is another major contributor to the festive travel surge. Cleartrip reported that leisure hotel bookings for Diwali increased 135%, while bookings for Navratri rose 66%.
The Diwali figure indicates a substantial increase in reservations on the platform, but it should not be interpreted as a 135% rise in hotel revenue or occupancy across India. Booking growth can differ from actual stays, and the tracker does not publish the total number of reservations or the corresponding value of bookings.
The reported figures nevertheless suggest that hotels are benefiting from increased demand around the festive period. Travellers may be booking accommodation for destination holidays, family celebrations or extended trips that combine several activities.
The rise also extends across different price segments, indicating that the reported growth is not limited to luxury travel.
Udaipur, Bengaluru and Jaipur See Strong Demand
Cleartrip’s data points to strong hotel-booking growth in domestic destinations, including heritage cities and major technology centres.
| Destination | Reported increase in Diwali hotel bookings |
|---|---|
| Udaipur | 316% |
| Bengaluru | 189% |
| Jaipur | 174% |
Udaipur recorded the highest increase among these destinations, with bookings more than quadrupling relative to the comparison period used by the tracker. Its heritage attractions, lakes and leisure-hotel options make it a prominent destination for short holidays.
Bengaluru’s reported growth suggests stronger accommodation demand in a major business and technology hub, while Jaipur’s increase points to continued interest in heritage tourism and domestic getaways.
Cleartrip also reported increased flight bookings to several less conventional domestic destinations. Agatti recorded 130% growth, followed by Gaya at 98% and Dimapur at 80%. Flight bookings to Udaipur rose 59%, while Dibrugarh increased 37%, Gorakhpur 34%, Jabalpur 29%, Imphal 24% and Dehradun 9%.
These figures indicate a broad distribution of demand across destinations. They do not, by themselves, establish that smaller cities have overtaken major tourist hubs in total visitor numbers.
Budget Hotels Record the Highest Growth
The hotel-booking increase spans all four price categories reported by Cleartrip.
| Hotel category | Reported booking growth |
|---|---|
| Budget | 201% |
| Luxury | 162% |
| Mid-range | 148% |
| Premium | 114% |
Budget accommodation recorded the strongest percentage increase, at 201%. Luxury hotels followed at 162%, with mid-range and premium properties registering growth of 148% and 114%, respectively.
The figures suggest that festive travel demand is increasing across multiple price segments. The budget category’s higher growth rate could reflect affordability considerations, wider availability or changes in booking patterns, although the published figures do not establish which factors are responsible.
Similarly, the rise in luxury bookings shows that higher-priced accommodation is also attracting demand. It does not necessarily mean that luxury hotels generate more bookings than budget properties, because percentage growth depends on the starting volume.
For hotel operators, the trend highlights the importance of pricing, room availability and advance planning during periods of concentrated travel demand.
International Travel Extends Beyond Traditional Destinations
Cleartrip’s tracker also recorded growth in international flight bookings to destinations outside the most familiar choices for Indian travellers.
| International destination | Reported flight-booking growth |
|---|---|
| Taipei | 146% |
| Cebu | 117% |
| Dublin | 110% |
| Phu Quoc | 106% |
| Osaka | 74% |
Taipei recorded the strongest growth among the listed destinations, followed by Cebu and Dublin. Phu Quoc and Osaka also reported increases.
The figures suggest rising interest in a wider range of international destinations during the festive period. However, the tracker does not disclose the absolute booking numbers for these routes. A high percentage increase can occur when a destination starts from a relatively small base.
International travel decisions also depend on flight availability, fares, visa requirements and total trip costs. The reported booking growth should therefore be viewed as an indicator of changing demand on Cleartrip’s platform rather than a comprehensive measure of India’s outbound tourism market.
Bus Bookings Also Rise During the Festive Season
Air travel and hotel reservations are not the only areas showing growth. Cleartrip reported higher bus bookings for journeys associated with major cities.
| Destination city | Reported bus-booking growth |
|---|---|
| Delhi | 80% |
| Pune | 76% |
| Nagpur | 68% |
| Chennai | 63% |
| Mumbai | 57% |
Bus travel often serves a different purpose from leisure flights, including journeys to hometowns for family celebrations. The increase therefore suggests that the festive movement includes both holiday travel and traditional seasonal migration.
Taken together, the figures across flights, hotels and buses show that the reported demand increase is not confined to a single transport mode.
The Bigger Picture
Cleartrip’s festive-season tracker provides an indication of how travel demand is evolving across age groups, destinations and accommodation categories. The 60% increase in flight bookings among travellers aged 15–24 stands out, while the 135% rise in leisure hotel bookings points to strong demand for stays around Diwali.
However, booking-growth percentages must be interpreted carefully. Without absolute booking volumes, spending data and a clearly stated comparison baseline, they cannot establish the overall size of the market or prove that younger travellers account for the majority of festive travel. The findings describe activity on Cleartrip’s platform rather than the entire Indian travel industry.
FAQs
1. How much have Gen Z flight bookings increased ahead of Diwali 2026?
Cleartrip reported a 60% increase in flight bookings among travellers aged 15–24. The company reported 6% growth among travellers aged 25–34 over the same period.
2. How much have Diwali hotel bookings increased?
Leisure hotel bookings for Diwali increased 135%, according to Cleartrip’s PeekABoo travel trends tracker. Navratri hotel bookings rose 66%.
3. Which Indian city recorded the highest growth in Diwali hotel bookings?
Udaipur recorded the highest increase among the destinations highlighted in the report, with hotel bookings rising 316%. Bengaluru recorded 189% growth and Jaipur 174%.
4. Which hotel category recorded the strongest booking growth?
Budget hotels recorded the highest reported growth, at 201%. Luxury bookings increased 162%, mid-range bookings 148% and premium bookings 114%.
5. Does the data prove that young Indians are spending more on travel?
Not by itself. The figures show growth in bookings on Cleartrip’s platform, but the published summaries do not provide absolute booking volumes, total spending or a detailed comparison baseline. They indicate rising activity rather than proving a specific change in overall travel expenditure.
Looking Ahead
The festive travel figures suggest that younger travellers and a broad range of domestic destinations are becoming important parts of India’s seasonal travel market. Airlines, hotels and online travel agencies will be watching whether the increase continues through the remainder of the holiday period and whether higher booking volumes translate into stronger revenue and occupancy.
For now, Cleartrip’s data points to a busy Diwali travel season, with growth across flights, accommodation and buses. The next useful indicators will be actual travel volumes, average booking values, hotel occupancy and whether demand remains strong after the festive period ends.
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