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Cruises, self drive: 85% Indians plan more holidays, 84% to spend big

Indians are packing their bags—and their wallets—with renewed purpose. As per the India Holiday Report 2025 by Thomas Cook and SOTC, travel is no longer a luxury or a once-a-year indulgence. It's becoming a lifestyle priority, with 85% of Indians planning more frequent and longer holidays this year, and 84% ready to boost their travel budgets by up to 50%. Cruises, self-drives, and scenic trains take center stage Forget whirlwind sightseeing tours—today's Indian traveller prefers immersive journeys. Unique travel formats like cruise holidays (45%), self-drive road trips (35%), and scenic train journeys (20%) have gained serious traction. From European river cruises to panoramic rail rides in Switzerland, the shift reflects a desire for slower, more meaningful travel. 'Travellers are prioritizing depth, discovery and emotion,' sais Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. 'It's about curated comfort-first experiences rather than ticking off destinations.' Digital Meets Human: Phygital Booking is the New Normal Travel planning has gone hybrid. A growing number of Indians (58%) now blend online research with offline bookings through travel agents or call centers. While 68% book online, 59% still prefer talking to an expert, indicating the enduring trust in human touch and personalized advice. This phygital model—a mix of digital and physical channels—is emerging as a strong conversion driver, catering to both tech-savvy millennials and value-seeking families. Travel Styles: One Size Doesn't Fit All When it comes to how Indians prefer to travel: 35% want partially guided tours with flexibility. 33% choose fully packaged, guided tours. 32% plan their holidays entirely on their own. Here are the key findings of the report: 1. Key Holiday Drivers: Influence of Social media, OTT platforms and Movies: 60% respondents indicated that social media, OTT platforms and movies are increasingly shaping their travel decisions Simplified visa processes and easy access: 44% respondents are more likely to visit countries offering simplified visa processes like e-visa or visa-on-arrival options such as Thailand, Malaysia, UAE, Sri Lanka; while countries that issue long-term visas are also seeing uptick like the Australia, Japan, USA Enhanced connectivity: 43% Introduction of new routes and direct flights are significantly improving accessibility - fuelling travel demand not just from metros, but significantly from India's rapidly growing Regional Tier 1 & 2 markets. Indian consumers continue to remain value-seekers: 39% prefer to actively seek promotions. At the same time, there is a clear shift towards trusted travel brands for premium holiday experiences, reflecting a focus on reliability 2. Increased frequency of Holidays and Longer Stays: Smart planning fuels mini-cations: 47% of respondents intend to leverage long weekends/ public holidays for short getaways. Equally, Strong shift towards longer trips with 54% respondents preferring longer holidays by extending for an additional 5-10 days, to create holidays of an average of 8-15 days. 3. Strong Holiday Spend Intent: Approximately 84% of respondents plan to increase their travel spends by 20-50% in 2025, with over 18% intending to boost budgets by a significant 50%. This mirrors a broader trend, where travellers are allocating more budgets to gastronomy, experiences and shopping - including premium outlets like McArthurGlen and Bicester Village. Evolving Travel Companion Preferences: Travelling together remains the preferred mode, with 90% opting for company. Multigenerational families (65%) lead the chart, followed by couples (60%) and a rising segment—'frolleagues' (colleagues who double as friends) at 28%; Solo at 10% Family bonding trips on the rise: There has been an increase in travel experiences focused on family connections, such as mother-daughter trips and sibling/cousin holidays Growing subsets, including solo female travellers, also in older age groups and empty nesters, reflecting diverse companion preferences across demographics 4. Experiential Travel Takes Centre Stage: Close to 75% respondents indicating strong interest for experience-led holidays. Over 45% of respondents are prioritizing phenomenon-based travel (like Northern Lights – Norway, Murmansk; Japan-S Korea's Cherry blossoms; Midnight sun –Iceland, Russia) - a pivot towards bucket list experiences Uptick in Safaris, self-drives, outdoor adventures (32%) Gastronomy (26%) reflecting - evolving palates and desire to experiment - with France, Spain, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea Event tourism—global music concerts, sporting events and festivals are also on the rise, aligning with a focus on entertainment-driven travel experiences (22%). Australia, Abu Dhabi, Thailand Spa-Wellness (19%) Relaxation, rejuvenation seeing demand – especially in destinations like Thailand, Bali, Kerala Luxury Holidays on the Rise: Over 36% respondents are opting for premium experiences like transportation via super cars/bikes, luxury cruise holidays (Scandinavia, Mediterranean, USA), private island dining in Australia, upscale stays in boutique hotels, French chateaux/Swiss chalets, heritage properties in India, glacier landings in New Zealand. Destination Preferences: Internationally, Europe continues to top the list (50%) led by Switzerland, France, Austria, Germany; Eastern Europe's Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia emerging well. Short-hauls like Southeast Asia follows with favourites like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore (46%); also Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Ras Al-Khaimah (37%); Japan & South Korea (35%) and Australia-New Zealand (26%); Island locales – Mauritius, Maldives, Bali, Sri Lanka (22%); South Africa & Kenya (12%) Central Asia's Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan (32%) signal growing interest for unique short hauls with easy access and affordability Morocco, Iceland, Greenland (8%) emerging on the radar For travel in India and subcontinent: Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand (55%) remain top favourites; North East (25%); Bhutan (32%); Rajasthan & Kerala (21%). Island/beach escapes like Andaman &; Lakshadweep (3%); are also gaining strong momentum; Goa (13%)