1 in 4 travelers booked multiple festive trips last year
What's the story
According to a report by backpacker hostel chain Zostel, nearly one in four travelers booked multiple festive trips between October and December last year. Bookings for the same period in 2026 are already running about "50% ahead" of 2025. The report, titled Zostel Festive Travel Pulse 2026, highlights India's changing travel patterns during the festive season.
Travel trends
Shift from single holiday to multiple short getaways
The report highlights a shift in India's festive season from a single holiday to multiple short getaways.
It found that 23% of Zostel travelers made repeat bookings during the October-December quarter last year.
Nearly one in 10 travelers also visited two or more destinations in the same period, indicating a growing trend toward exploring different places during the festive season.
Booking behavior
Trend toward last-minute bookings
The report also sheds light on the average duration of festive trips, which was two nights.
It found that three in 10 travelers booked their stay on the day of check-in, while around six in 10 made reservations within three days of arrival.
However, less than one in 10 planned their trips more than a month in advance, showing a trend toward last-minute bookings during the festive season.
Destination trends
Most popular destinations for the upcoming festive season
Hampi, Gokarna, Varkala, Rishikesh, and Jaipur were the most-booked destinations for the 2026 festive season so far.
However, the biggest surge is seen in Himalayan bookings, with Sangla recording three times last year's bookings.
Kalpa (2.9 times), Shangarh (2.8 times), Chitkul (2.6 times), and Shoja (2.6 times) also witnessed significant growth in bookings during this period.
Traveler demographics
Other key highlights from report
The report also noted that over half of the bookings were for solo travelers, while around 30% were for pairs.
Groups of three or more accounted for one in seven bookings, with women making up over a fifth of all guests.
Last year, the Dussehra and Gandhi Jayanti long weekend was October's peak travel period, while every Saturday in November saw a surge in bookings.