India’s leisure travel market is no longer defined by how much ground a traveller can cover in a single holiday. Instead, the focus is shifting towards pace, reliability, and experience depth. What once resembled checklist tourism is giving way to more deliberate, well-structured journeys — a change that signals a maturing traveller mindset rather than a temporary post-pandemic correction.
Indian leisure travel underwent a clear behavioural shift in 2025, with travellers opting for fewer destinations, longer stays, and better-paced itineraries, according to the Thrillophilia 2025 Multi-Day Travel Index released on 20 January 2026. The index is based on confirmed and completed multi-day trips, offering insight into how Indians actually travelled, rather than how they searched or planned to travel.
Compiled by Thrillophilia, the index analyses executed trips across domestic and international markets, comparing travel behaviour in 2025 with the previous year. The findings point to a market that increasingly prioritises execution reliability, comfort, and experiential depth over discounts or destination count.
Slower itineraries replace rushed travel
One of the most consistent patterns observed was a move away from multi-city itineraries. Single-base trips with day excursions increased 36 per cent year-on-year, while tours covering four or more cities declined 24 per cent. Travellers showed a growing preference for longer stays per destination, realistic daily schedules, and built-in downtime.
Medium-length holidays of six to nine nights grew 19 per cent, emerging as the most popular format across families, couples, and wellness travellers. At the same time, over-packed schedules declined 17 per cent, reinforcing the shift towards comfort-first planning.
Customisation also moved into the mainstream. Custom and semi-custom trips grew 18 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively, while large group tours declined 21 per cent, indicating reduced appetite for fixed-format travel.
Abhishek Daga, Co-Founder, Thrillophilia, said, “2025 was the year Indian travellers stopped asking how many places they could cover and started asking how well a trip would run. Across families, Gen Z, honeymooners, and luxury travellers alike, we saw a clear preference for fewer destinations, slower pacing, and customised itineraries. Peace of mind replaced price as the real definition of value.”
Domestic travel remains the foundation
Domestic destinations continued to anchor multi-day leisure travel, particularly those supporting slower pacing and reliable logistics. Kerala and Rajasthan remained strong performers, while emerging regions recorded sharper growth. North East India saw demand rise 31 per cent, Kashmir 35 per cent, and Ladakh 31 per cent, driven by improved connectivity and rising interest in experience-led travel.
Destinations offering predictable infrastructure and fewer transitions consistently outperformed, underscoring the shift towards execution confidence.
Short-haul international travel leads outbound growth
International travel rebounded strongly in 2025, led by destinations within seven hours of flight time. Countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Vietnam, and the Philippines recorded the fastest growth, benefiting from visa ease, compact routing, and high experience density.
Long-haul travel remained lower in volume but higher in intent, with destinations such as Japan, Kenya, and Iceland attracting travellers planning milestone journeys rather than frequent trips.
Value, redefined
Across segments, the index highlights a consistent redefinition of value. Trips that were well-paced, clearly planned, and reliably executed recorded higher conversion rates, fewer cancellations, and stronger post-trip satisfaction.
The Thrillophilia 2025 Multi-Day Travel Index concludes that Indian travellers are no longer measuring value by how much they can cover. Instead, value is increasingly defined by how smoothly a trip runs — signalling a structural shift in leisure travel behaviour rather than a passing trend.
Rahul Bhadana is a digital editor at TravTalk with experience spanning multiple content niches, with a strong focus on travel trade journalism and digital publishing. A graduate of Delhi University, his work covers editorial writing, content strategy and platform-led storytelling, supporting TravTalk’s digital growth and industry engagement. A technology enthusiast, he enjoys films, poetry and exploring new ideas across media and culture.
