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Busy intersection in Central Hong Kong Photograph: (Florian Wehde_Unsplash)
Short-haul Asia dominates Christmas and New Year bookings
As the year-end travel period begins, Indian travellers are choosing different types of winter getaways. Higher fares on long-haul routes, simpler visa processes across Asia, rising social travel trends, and shorter, value-focused trips are influencing behaviour for Christmas and New Year 2025.
Rather than multi-stop European holidays or long-haul itineraries, travellers are selecting destinations that offer experiences without long flights or complex planning.
Outbound hotel bookings have declined by 29 per cent overall, but short-haul destinations are showing strong demand, according to Adara, a RateGain company. Countries including China, Georgia, Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand recorded rapid growth, with China rising eighteen times over the previous year.
A key factor behind this increase is the resumption of direct flights between India and China, which has made travel faster and more accessible. Competitive fares, easier visa processes, and social media-driven discovery are contributing to Asia becoming a preferred choice for Christmas and New Year travel.
Long-haul destinations are declining, with bookings down for France (54 per cent), Germany (37 per cent), Australia (54 per cent), the United States (34 per cent), and New Zealand (65 per cent). Higher fares, longer travel time, and additional planning requirements are influencing the shift towards closer destinations.
Domestic travel is also increasing, with 51 per cent year-on-year growth. Destinations such as Varkala, Indore, Udaipur, Mahabaleshwar and Agra have recorded triple- and quadruple-digit rises, outpacing major metros. Mumbai (6 per cent), Bengaluru (21 per cent), Chennai (23 per cent), and Kolkata (38 per cent) saw declines during the same period.
The data indicates that value, accessibility and convenience are determining where Indian travellers plan to spend their winter holidays in 2025.
