Nearly one in four Zostel travellers booked more than once between October and December 2025, while bookings for the final quarter of 2026 are already around 50% ahead of last year, according to the Zostel Festive Travel Pulse 2026. India’s festive season is turning into an excuse for multiple getaways rather than one annual holiday.
The average festive stay lasted just two nights, with spontaneous bookings shaping travel plans. Three in ten travellers booked on the day of check-in, six in ten made reservations within three days, and seven in ten booked within a week. Fewer than one in ten planned their trips more than a month ahead. For travellers looking to escape routine without taking extended leave, frequent weekend breaks appear to be the preferred option. The biggest growth, though, is coming from the Himalayas, with Kinnaur accounting for three of the five fastest-rising destinations. November had no single major spike, with Saturdays consistently drawing bookings. It is a season of trips. Three out of ten festive travellers at Zostel book on the same day they check in. Nobody is planning Diwali in August. They finish work, pick a place, and leave.
Released on October 9, the report draws on booking data to track travel patterns from Navratri and Durga Puja to Diwali, Christmas and New Year. November bookings are already up 43% compared with the same point last year, suggesting that travellers are making room for more breaks during the festive period. Hampi, Gokarna, Varkala, Rishikesh and Jaipur are the most booked destinations for the 2026 festive season so far. The Christmas and New Year week was the busiest period of the quarter, and December 25 recorded nearly 40% more check-ins than an average day. Zo Trips, the group’s travel experiences business, hosted more than 1,500 travellers across 116 batches during the festive quarter. The report’s traveller behaviour figures are based on the October to December 2025 season, while destination rankings and booking growth reflect the 2026 festive season so far.
Dharamveer Singh Chouhan, co-founder of Zostel and Zo World and Group CEO of Zo World, said, “The festive season is not one trip anymore.
Last year’s Dussehra and Gandhi Jayanti long weekend marked October’s peak.
