Festive Travel Surge: 1 in 4 Indians Book Multiple Trips as 2026 Bookings Jump 50%

It looks like the old idea of a single, long holiday over Diwali or Dussehra is fading fast. According to a fresh report from backpacker‑hostel chain Zostel, Indian travellers are now treating the festive window – October to December – as a mini‑season of hops and skips. In fact, almost one‑in‑four guests booked more than one trip during that period last year.

The numbers are eye‑catching. Zostel says bookings for the October‑December quarter of 2026 are already about 50 percent ahead of the same stretch in 2025. Even more striking is the surge in Himalayan destinations – Sangla, Kalpa and Shangarh have seen bookings multiply three‑fold or more, with Kinnaur‑based spots leading the charge.

What’s driving this trend? Short, sweet escapes. The average festive stay lasts just two nights, and a surprising 30 percent of travellers check‑in on the very day they book. Roughly six‑in‑ten lock in their rooms within three days of arrival, and seven‑in‑ten do it within a week. Planning far in advance seems to be a thing of the past – fewer than one‑tenth of bookings are made more than a month ahead.

Solo adventurers dominate the crowd, accounting for just over half of all reservations. Couples make up about 30 percent, while groups of three or more represent one‑in‑seven bookings. Women travellers also feature prominently, comprising more than 20 percent of guests.

Geographically, the biggest source cities are Delhi‑NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad. The October peak aligns with the Dussehra and Gandhi Jayanti long weekend, while December’s Christmas‑New‑Year stretch tops the chart with a 40 percent jump in daily check‑ins.

“The festive season is no longer a single trip; it’s a season of trips,” says Dharamveer Singh Chouhan, co‑founder of Zostel and group CEO of Zo World. “People finish work, pick a spot, and head out for a quick two‑night break. That’s why we see repeat bookings and same‑day confirmations everywhere.”