Travel fintech platform Scapia has reported a sharp rise in festive-season travel demand, with bookings across categories growing three to four times year-on-year between October and December. While Goa and established hill stations remain popular, smaller coastal towns, island getaways, heritage destinations, wildlife experiences and emerging international hotspots are attracting increasing interest.
Beach and hill stay bookings during Dussehra week have each increased 3.5 times year-on-year. Goa bookings have risen 4.4 times, while Gokarna has recorded an eightfold increase, followed by Varkala and Kollam. Srinagar, Mussoorie and Manali have witnessed sixfold to sevenfold growth, while searches for Igatpuri have increased 4.5 times. October check-ins in the Andaman Islands have risen fivefold, with travellers exploring Havelock, Neil Island and Port Blair. Lakshadweep is also gaining popularity.
Scenic rail journeys and family holidays are contributing to the trend. Vistadome coach bookings have doubled this festive season, with popular routes including Pune–Mumbai via Bhor Ghat, Bengaluru–Mangaluru, Visakhapatnam–Araku Valley and the Kalka–Shimla railway. Beach stay bookings for Diwali week have increased 4.8 times year-on-year. Beach holidays average nearly two nights, almost one in three stays is booked at five-star properties, and three in 10 bookings include children.
Heritage and wildlife tourism are also witnessing strong growth. Heritage stay bookings have reached 4.8 times last year’s level, with Ajanta-Ellora recording a 4.9-fold increase and Kumbhalgarh a 4.6-fold rise. Jaipur and Udaipur continue to attract visitors. Meanwhile, safari stay bookings between October and December have increased 6.6 times year-on-year, with Ranthambore, Gir and Jim Corbett among the leading destinations.
International travel demand is strengthening ahead of the year-end holidays. Christmas and New Year flight bookings have reached 5.4 times last year’s level, while international stay bookings have risen 5.2 times. Southeast Asia accounts for more than half of international flight bookings on Scapia, with Thailand leading, followed by Vietnam and Singapore. Searches for Cambodia have increased tenfold, while the Philippines is also gaining traction. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are emerging as popular Central Asian destinations, with travellers booking around two weeks in advance compared with four weeks last year.
European destinations are also attracting growing interest, with searches for the UK, Germany and Czechia increasing approximately 4.5 times. Greece, Portugal, Poland and Denmark are gaining attention, alongside Australia and New Zealand for longer holidays. International flight bookings overall have risen around fourfold, reflecting growing demand for diverse, experience-led festive holidays across domestic and overseas markets.