Puri sees 318% surge in festive travel searches as Indians look for holiday getaways

Indian travellers are looking beyond traditional holiday plans this festive season, with accommodation searches pointing to growing interest in international beach destinations, Asian city breaks, heritage cities and nature-led domestic escapes, according to travel platform Agoda. Searches made between August 1 and September 30, 2026, for stays between October 15 and November 30 show Bangkok, Phuket and Tokyo as the most-searched international cities among Indian travellers. Within India, Goa, Puri and Udaipur emerged as the leading domestic destinations. The findings come ahead of the festive travel period encompassing Dussehra, Durga Puja and Diwali, when many Indians plan holidays around family celebrations and extended breaks. Sri Lanka, Japan and Vietnam gain ground among international destinations Sri Lanka recorded a nearly 262% year-on-year increase in accommodation searches among the leading international destinations tracked by Agoda. Hong Kong SAR, China, followed with growth of nearly 138%, while Japan, Vietnam and Thailand also registered higher interest. Searches for Japan increased 125% year-on-year, followed by Vietnam at 86% and Thailand at 55%, according to the platform. At the city level, Bangkok and Phuket remained popular choices, with searches rising 65% and 51%, respectively. The Thai destinations offer a combination of cultural attractions, food experiences and coastal holidays. Japan also recorded strong interest, with searches for Tokyo rising 109%. The October-November travel window coincides with the autumn foliage season, when visitors travel to see the changing colours of leaves at locations such as Shinjuku Gyoen. Vietnam is another destination drawing interest from Indian travellers. Searches for Phu Quoc rose 124%, while Hanoi recorded a 94% increase. The former is known for its beaches and island-hopping experiences, while Hanoi offers historic neighbourhoods, lakes and local food experiences. Puri, Ooty and Munnar see a surge in domestic travel searches Within India, Puri recorded a 318% year-on-year increase in accommodation searches, the sharpest rise among the domestic destinations highlighted in Agoda's report. Ooty followed with a 166% increase, while searches for Munnar rose 107%. Varanasi recorded growth of 92%, indicating rising interest in destinations associated with cultural and spiritual experiences. Established leisure destinations also continued to attract travellers. Goa registered nearly 43% growth in searches, while Udaipur saw an increase of nearly 29%. The search trends suggest that Indian travellers are considering a wider mix of holiday experiences, from coastal breaks and hill stations to heritage cities and spiritual destinations, during the festive period. However, the figures reflect accommodation searches on Agoda and do not necessarily translate into confirmed bookings or actual visitor numbers. Travellers increasingly plan holidays around experiences Gaurav Malik, country director for the Indian subcontinent and Indian Ocean Islands at Agoda, said the range of destinations under consideration reflects different ways travellers are choosing to spend the festive period. Interest spans beach holidays, city breaks, cultural destinations and hill station escapes, suggesting that travellers are increasingly selecting destinations around the experiences they want, rather than following a conventional itinerary, he said. Agoda's analysis compares accommodation searches made by Indian travellers between August 1 and September 30, 2026, for stays from October 15 to November 30, with searches for the corresponding period last year. The findings offer an indication of travel interest ahead of the festive season, although actual holiday demand may vary as travellers finalise their plans.