60% travellers say social media and OTT now shape their holiday plans: Thomas Cook & SOTC Travel

Thomas Cook (India) Limited, and its Group Company SOTC Travel, have released their India Holiday Report 2025 – a comprehensive study capturing the evolving aspirations and travel behaviour of Indian consumers. The survey conducted across digital platforms covering over 2500 respondents (a combination of past Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel customers, as well as non-customers) over a duration of one month, reflects a significant shift driven by rising disposable incomes and the growing aspirational value of travel, including experiential holidays.

Key findings include:

Key Holiday Drivers: Travel has now become a necessity – an essential part of the Indian lifestyle and is driven by factors like:

• Influence of Social media, OTT platforms and Movies: 60% respondents indicated that social media, OTT platforms and movies are increasingly shaping their travel decisions

• Simplified visa processes and easy access: 44% respondents are more likely to visit countries offering simplified visa processes like e-visa or visa-on-arrival options such as Thailand, Malaysia, UAE, Sri Lanka; while countries that issue long-term visas are also seeing uptick like the Australia, Japan, USA

• Enhanced connectivity: 43% Introduction of new routes and direct flights are significantly improving accessibility - fuelling travel demand not just from metros, but significantly from India’s rapidly growing Regional Tier 1 & 2 markets

• Indian consumers continue to remain value-seekers: 39% prefer to actively seek promotions, highlighting the strong influence of discounts/special offers on their purchasing decisions. Promotional campaigns & deals from tour operators and tourism boards are driving travel interest. At the same time, there is a clear shift towards trusted travel brands for premium holiday experiences, reflecting a focus on reliability

• Word of mouth still relevant: 30% of respondents reported that recommendations from friends, family and colleagues continue to impact their holiday decisions

Increased frequency of Holidays and Longer Stays:

• Holidays set to double/Triple: 85% of respondents plan to increase their holidays from 2 per year to 4-6 trips annually

• Smart planning fuels mini-cations: 47% of respondents intend to leverage long weekends/ public holidays for short getaways

• Equally, Strong shift towards longer trips with 54% respondents preferring longer holidays by extending for an additional 5-10 days, to create holidays of an average of 8-15 days

Strong Holiday Spend Intent:

•Approximately 84% of respondents plan to increase their travel spends by 20-50% in 2025, with over 18% intending to boost budgets by a significant 50%

•This mirrors a broader trend, where travellers are allocating more budgets to gastronomy, experiences and shopping - including premium outlets like McArthurGlen and Bicester Village

Evolving Travel Companion Preferences:

•Travelling together remains the preferred mode, with 90% opting for company. Multigenerational families (65%) lead the chart, followed by couples (60%) and a rising segment—‘frolleagues’ (colleagues who double as friends) at 28%; Solo at 10%

•Family bonding trips on the rise: There's been an increase in travel experiences focused on family connections, such as mother-daughter trips and sibling/cousin holidays

•Growing subsets, including solo female travellers, also in older age groups and empty nesters, reflecting diverse companion preferences across demographics

Experiential Travel Takes Centre Stage:

•Close to 75% respondents indicating strong interest for experience-led holidays

•Over 45% of respondents are prioritizing phenomenon-based travel (like Northern Lights – Norway, Murmansk; Japan-S Korea’s Cherry blossoms; Midnight sun –Iceland, Russia) - a pivot towards bucket list experiences

•Uptick in Safaris, self-drives, outdoor adventures (32%)

•Gastronomy (26%) reflecting - evolving palates and desire to experiment - with France, Spain, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea

•Event tourism—global music concerts, sporting events and festivals are also on the rise, aligning with a focus on entertainment-driven travel experiences (22%). Australia, Abu Dhabi, Thailand

Spa-Wellness (19%) Relaxation & rejuvenation seeing demand – especially in destinations like Thailand, Bali, Kerala

Premium & Luxury Holidays on the Rise:

•Over 36% respondents are opting for premium experiences like transportation via super cars/bikes, luxury cruise holidays (Scandinavia, Mediterranean, USA), private island dining in Australia, upscale stays in boutique hotels, French chateaux/Swiss chalets, heritage properties in India, glacier landings in New Zealand

Destination Preferences:

•Internationally, Europe continues to top the list (50%) led by Switzerland, France, Austria, Germany; Eastern Europe’s Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia emerging well. Short-hauls like Southeast Asia follows with favourites like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore (46%); also Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Ras Al-Khaimah (37%); Japan & South Korea (35%) and Australia-New Zealand¬ (26%); Island locales – Mauritius, Maldives, Bali, Sri Lanka (22%); South Africa & Kenya (12%)

•Central Asia’s Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan (32%) signal growing interest for unique short hauls with easy access and affordability

•Morocco, Iceland, Greenland (8%) emerging on the radar

•For travel in India and subcontinent: Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand (55%) remain top favourites; North East (25%); Bhutan (32%); Rajasthan & Kerala (21%). Island/beach escapes like Andaman & Lakshadweep (3%); are also gaining strong momentum; Goa (13%)

Increasing Demand for New Travel formats: Indians are increasingly opting for new and unique travel formats

•Cruises (45%), self-drives (35%) and scenic train journeys (20%) have entered the top three holiday travel formats apart from flights, as more travellers seek unique, curated, comfort-first experiences.

•Cruises across domestic and international for both ocean and river options, are emerging as popular choices

•This shift reflects the growing appeal of slow, immersive travel over rushed itineraries, including sustainable options like scenic train journeys in Switzerland

Booking Patterns:

Travellers are increasingly using a blend of digital platforms for research, contact centers and retail outlets for bookings, making phygital journeys a key driver of conversions

58% prefer a mix of online convenience with offline guidance (phygital), 59% opt for in-person visits to tour agency or talking over the phone while 68% book online

While digital adoption is growing, there remains a strong dependency on in-person visits to agencies, valued for the human touch, personalized guidance and expert recommendations

Travellers Equally Divided Across Travel Styles: The report reveals a near-equal distribution in travellers preferences for type of holidays

35% prefer partially guided tours, valuing a balance of structure and autonomy 33% respondents opted for fully packaged and guided tours, seeking a seamless, worry-free experience. Interestingly an equal number of respondents (32%) opted for entirely self-planned journeys

Sustainability focus: 37% of respondents are increasingly prioritizing sustainability and eco-conscious practices in their travel choices

Impact of AI & Tech on Travel Planning: The rise of AI and technology is transforming travel planning, with 35% of travellers using digital platforms for research, bookings and itinerary planning

Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., said, "The Indian traveller story is no longer just about destinations—it’s a reflection of evolving lifestyles and rising aspirations. Our Holiday Report 2025 clearly signals the emergence of a bold, experience-first traveller mind-set. Indians are not only travelling more, but also increasing spends - choosing depth, discovery and emotion over traditional sightseeing tours. While multigenerational family segments continue to lead, we are seeing strong emergence of new travel subsets like frolleagues and solo travellers.”

SD Nandakumar, President & Country Head - Holidays & Corporate Tours - SOTC Travel, said, “Our Holiday Report 2025 reflects evolving travel formats, with Indians moving away from rushed itineraries in favour of comfort-first, immersive experiences. Slow travel is seeing an uptick, with river and ocean cruises and sustainable rail journeys offering unique opportunities for exploration. Additionally, spiritual/pilgrimage tourism is on the rise – with our ‘darshans’ portfolio coupled with adventure tourism is gaining popularity – interestingly from young India’s millennials and GenZ."