AbhiBus Reports 40 Per Cent Rise in Bus Bookings During Republic Day Long Weekend

Tier-2 And Tier-3 Cities Saw Fastest Growth In Bus Travel During Republic Day Weekend

During the Republic Day long weekend, AbhiBus, ixigo’s bus booking platform, recorded a significant surge in travel, with bookings rising 35-40 per cent compared to last year. Reviewing travel patterns from January 21- January 27, 2026, the data reveals a shift toward tier-2 and tier-3 destinations, highlighting a growing trend of travellers opting for bus journeys back to smaller towns.

Bus bookings by solo women travellers recorded the strongest growth this long weekend, rising over 47 per cent YoY. This surge reflects growing confidence among women to travel independently, supported by enhanced safety measures and thoughtful features like AbhiBus’ Pink Seat option and ‘Brand New’ bus filters.

Travel to tier-2 cities grew by over 42 per cent, signalling strong homecoming travel, with some of the fastest bus growth seen in Bhubaneswar, Ujjain, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram, Chandigarh and Eluru. Additionally, bus travel to major metros like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Pune and Mumbai saw strong YoY growth, while bookings to leisure and pilgrimage destinations such as Tirupati, Jaipur, Ujjain and Goa grew by more than 39 per cent YoY.

Traveller preferences continued to tilt towards comfort, with sleeper bus bookings up by 35 per cent for long-distance journeys and non-sleeper bus bookings growing over 41 per cent for short intercity routes.

Rohit Sharma, COO, AbhiBus, said, "Long weekends continue to see a surge in travel, and bus journeys remain one of the top choices for travellers seeking convenience and connectivity. It was interesting to see women solo travellers driving bookings, as buses are emerging as a safe and reliable option, with several learnings implemented to enhance traveller confidence. While Tier-1 cities continue to grow in volume, the fastest growth in tier-2/3 destinations highlights that travel is no longer limited to metro-to-metro routes, reflecting the rise of homecoming journeys and stronger regional connectivity."