Thrillophilia Unveils Festive Travel Pulse 2025

Thrillophilia, an Indian platform for personalised multi-day tours and curated experiences, unveiled its Festive Travel Pulse 2025, offering an in-depth view of how Indians are planning Navratri-to-Diwali getaways. The report shows festive travel demand on Thrillophilia rising 18 per cent year on year, with outbound bookings up a striking 24 per cent YoY. More than 70 per cent of international demand now flows to short-haul Asia-Pacific hubs as Indian travellers swap long intercontinental holidays for compact 4–6 night “smart luxury” escapes. Insights are based on around 4.2 million festive-season visits to Thrillophilia’s platform, capturing real-time searches and bookings from travellers across India.

Commenting on the findings, Abhishek Daga, Co-founder, Thrillophilia, said, “This festive season, Indian travellers are redefining holidays as curated, meaningful escapes. Short-haul hubs are winning on time and convenience, while offbeat India is quietly rising as a crowd-free alternative. Above all, the shift towards ‘smart luxury’  better stays and experiences without overspending - captures the spirit of how India is travelling in 2025.”

Where India Is Headed

The UAE leads the festive pack with Dubai (16 per cent of outbound) and Abu Dhabi (6–7 per cent) seeing record demand, followed by Thailand (15 per cent), Singapore (14 per cent), Vietnam (10 per cent), Bali (8 per cent), and a resurgent Hong Kong (+25 per cent YoY). Hong Kong’s Disneyland, Victoria Peak, and neon-lit food nights are driving its comeback as Asia’s rising sixth hub.

Within India, the Rajasthan triangle of Jaipur–Udaipur–Jaisalmer (16 per cent) remains the top draw, followed by the hill circuits of Himachal and Uttarakhand (12 per cent), Goa (10 per cent), and Kerala (9 per cent). Gujarat is showing a distinctive post-Navratri spike, with families extending celebrations to Rajasthan or hopping on quick UAE/ Southeast Asia breaks. Travellers from Tier-II and Tier-III cities, including Surat, Coimbatore, Indore, Nagpur, Vizag, and Vadodara, are fuelling a 6–8 percentage-point rise in overall festive traffic.

Smart Luxury on the Rise

A defining trend this year is the shift to “smart luxury”: premium stays and curated activities without the price shock. Travellers are upgrading to boutique or branded hotels and adding high-impact experiences such as sundowner desert safaris in Dubai, evening harbour cruises in Singapore, ziplines in Vietnam, and skip-the-line city passes across APAC. The average spend stands at Rs 25,000–45,000 per person for domestic trips and Rs 60,000–95,000 for short-haul international escapes. Bookings are typically made 9–12 days in advance, striking a balance between spontaneity and planning.

Festive travel is led by 25–39-year-olds (young families and groups of friends) and 40–55-year-olds (dual-income families), with seniors exploring niche journeys such as Kenya’s lodge safaris and Japan’s autumn city tours. Booking lead times are tightening to 9–12 days, reflecting a blend of spontaneity and careful planning.

Offbeat India Rises and Luxe Safaris

While big names dominate, offbeat India is quietly winning over travellers. Gandikota in Andhra Pradesh (+22 per cent YoY), Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh (+18 per cent), Hampi–Anegundi in Karnataka (+16 per cent), Binsar in Uttarakhand (+14 per cent), and the Meghalaya–Ziro belt (+13 per cent) are emerging as crowd-free, heritage-rich escapes. These “hush luxury” destinations are drawing travellers seeking culture and quiet away from peak-season rush. At the ultra-luxury end, affluent travellers are looking to Africa, with Tanzania (+21 per cent YoY) and Botswana (+17 per cent YoY) drawing demand for exclusive safaris priced between Rs 1.6 and Rs 2.5 lakh per person for 5–7 night stays. Shoulder-season Europe also remains in play, with compact tours across Italy, Austria, Portugal, and Central/Eastern Europe for those seeking lighter crowds and value.

Thrillophilia expects the upcoming Diwali week to set new records as last-minute bookers drive a final surge in demand. With shorter flights, curated stays, and a growing appetite for unique experiences, the platform forecasts that short-haul international and boutique domestic escapes will continue to define India’s travel calendar well into 2026.