Nearly three-quarters of urban Indians are planning to travel this festive season (between September and December), according to the latest data from YouGov Surveys.

Millennials lead the festive travel trend at 80%, followed closely by Gen X at 75% and and Gen Z at 70%.

Among those planning trips, 72% of those surveyed favoured domestic travel. One in ten (9%) leaned towards international destinations while 19% are considering both domestic and international options.

When it comes to booking, MakeMyTrip was the top choice for booking flights and hotels, favoured by almost half of urban Indians (50% and 48%, respectively). Booking.com followed as the second most popular platform for both flights (25%) and hotels (27%). While EaseMyTrip was the next most popular choice for booking flights, Goibibo was a more popular option for hotels.

Despite reliance on booking platforms, 55% of urban Indians prefer to make their own bookings, as per the report.

Thirty percent opt for bundled packages through online travel agencies, while 17% use traditional travel agents.

Long weekends are expected to significantly influence travel plans for the upcoming festive season, with 27% of urban Indians considering the extended holidays from September to December as an ideal travel window.

The festive atmosphere also plays a significant role in their decision to travel during this period (for 23% of respondents), as do the year-end events (for 20%). One in five also consider festive deals on flights and hotels a good reason to travel during this time (19%).

For domestic travel, Goa topped the list at 35%, followed by Kerala at 26% and Himachal Pradesh at 24%. 

Internationally, the Middle East was the most popular choice at 46%, followed by Europe (35%) and Southeast Asia (34%).

Half of those planning trips have identified potential destinations but have not yet booked (51%), while 32% have already made their arrangements. The remaining 17% are interested in traveling but have not started planning.

Shorter vacations are preferred during this period, the study showed, with 47% planning to travel for a week and 34% opting for long weekends of up to 3 days. 

About 19% of respondents are looking at vacations lasting up to two weeks or more, indicated the report.

The YouGov study was conducted online between 13-16 August 2024, with an online sample of 2020 urban Indians.