Gen Z lead the travel wave in 2025 with 650% growth in travel bookings

Gen Z lead the travel wave in 2025 with 650% growth in travel bookings - enough to crowd every café, co-working space, and sunset spot across India

National, December 2025: If there’s one thing that defined travel in 2025, it was the shift towards smarter, value-led choices without compromising on fun. Cleartrip Unpacked 2025* year-end travel report reveals that travellers leaned heavily into affordable stays, mobile-first bookings, and flexible plans.

Flavour of the Year: Affordability, Gen Z and Value

At the heart of this year’s shift was Gen Z. With a staggering 650% growth in travel bookings, they didn’t just travel more but travelled differently. Their trips were spontaneous, vibe-driven, and unapologetically experience-first. From skyline selfies in Dubai to street food crawls in Kuala Lumpur and late nights in Bangkok, these destinations emerged as the most “bussin’” spots of the year. Millennials, meanwhile, weren’t far behind. Borrowing cues from Gen Z’s mobile habits 65% of bookings this year were made on the Cleartrip phone app. Also, over 65% of the bookings were made for budget and mid range hotels from a wide catalogue of affordable and value stays on Cleartrip.

A Dive into How India Travelled

2025 was also the year Indians expanded their travel map. Vietnam emerged as the breakout international destination, clocking a 133% jump in traffic. Closer home, spiritual and nature-led travel continued to rise, with Varanasi and the Andaman Islands seeing a steady 20% growth in interest.

Uttar Pradesh** was the most visited in 2025, with a rise in stay searches for Prayagraj (3x) and Bareilly (4x). Solo travel gained serious momentum, with Delhi and Bengaluru leading the pack. Delhi saw strong movement towards Himachal Pradesh, Jaipur and Agra, while Bengaluru saw Coorg, Ooty and Kodaikanal. The two work hubs anchored by tech parks and business travel, also doubled as leisure gateways.

Phuket, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok stood out as the most popular international destinations. A major driver of international confidence was Cleartrip’s Visa Rejection Cover. At the same time, niche travel trends quietly picked up steam. When travellers wanted ‘Calm over Kaam,’ they chose Calmcations in Rishikesh, Coorg and Alleppey. Those blending work with wanderlust headed to Goa, Pondicherry and Darjeeling for Workations. And for anyone craving a break from screens, Spiti, the Andamans and Ladakh became go-to digital detox escapes. Adventure Junkies, meanwhile, flocked to Bir Billing, Lakshadweep and Auli.

Quirky, Unhinged Travellers and the Chaos They Packed Along the Way

If the numbers from 2025 prove anything, it’s that Indian travellers truly did things their own way. Some planned nearly a year in advance by booking stays 361 days ahead in Chikkamagaluru and 350 days ahead in Ribandar, Goa. Others preferred the thrill of the moment, with 38 lakh flight bookings made within 48 hours of departure.

Late-night planners were out in full force too. Around 3 lakh people booked flights between 3 and 4 AM - enough to fill 353 Airbus A380s, the world’s largest commercial aircraft. Long stays became a thing, with one traveller booking a 30-day hotel stay in Bengaluru and another spending 29 days straight in Kolkata.

Then came the extremes. The cheapest flight of the year cost ₹0, while the most affordable hotel night was just ₹48. This is proof that deal-hunting is an art form. On the other end, travellers weren’t shy about splurging either; ₹2.4 lakh for a Delhi–Guwahati flight, ₹4.43 lakh for Paris–Mumbai, and a ₹4.41 lakh hotel stay in the Maldives (we’re guessing a forgotten anniversary was involved). Someone even spent ₹65,000 just on excess baggage flying from Ghaziabad to Bengaluru.

Taken together, 2025 was a year where India travelled with personality. They were spontaneous yet thoughtful, budget-aware yet indulgent, and always ready to chase the next experience. 2026 is going to be challenging and exciting, and we cannot wait!