India’s travel preferences are changing rapidly, and this year’s monsoon season is proving that holidays are no longer limited to winter or summer. According to Cleartrip’s PeekABoo Trends Tracker, travellers are increasingly choosing nature-rich and offbeat destinations over traditional tourist hotspots. The latest data shows that states like Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh have emerged as the biggest winners this monsoon, even outpacing popular destinations such as Goa in terms of booking growth.
The report highlights strong year-on-year growth across travel categories. Hotel bookings during the monsoon have increased by more than 54%, while bus bookings have witnessed an impressive 140% surge, indicating that more Indians are embracing rainy-season getaways.
Commenting on the trend, Pallavi Saxena, Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer at Cleartrip, said today’s travellers are driven by experiences rather than fixed itineraries. According to her, travellers are no longer waiting for the “perfect season” or choosing only well-known destinations. Instead, they are discovering places that offer unique experiences and closer connections with nature.
Northeast Emerges as the Biggest Winner
Among all destinations analysed in the report, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh recorded the strongest growth during the monsoon season.
Flight bookings to these destinations increased by 62%, while hotel bookings rose by more than 90% compared with the same period last year.
Other cities in the Northeast also reported impressive growth. Hotel bookings increased by over 65% in Shillong and more than 60% in Guwahati. Flight bookings to Itanagar rose by over 70%, while Jorhat and Imphal recorded growth exceeding 50%.
The report suggests that the demand for the Northeast, which gained momentum during the summer travel season, has remained strong throughout the monsoon, making it one of India’s fastest-growing travel regions.
Hill Stations Continue to Attract Travellers
Hill destinations also witnessed significant demand this year. Wayanad recorded hotel booking growth of more than 160%, while Alleppey saw an increase of over 145%. Popular hill destinations including Kodaikanal and Ooty also experienced hotel booking growth exceeding 70%.
Apart from hill destinations, cities such as Goa, Puducherry, Visakhapatnam and Udaipur continued to attract travellers, with hotel bookings rising by over 110%, 104%, 85% and 50%, respectively.
Gen Z Drives the Shift Towards Offbeat Travel
The report also points to changing travel preferences among younger travellers. Gen Z is increasingly choosing unconventional destinations over traditional holiday circuits.
Internationally, Tajikistan recorded the highest booking growth of over 245%, followed by Lakshadweep with over 80% growth. Muscat, the Philippines, Hubli, Leh and Tashkent also witnessed strong increases in bookings.
Train travel data further highlights this shift, with Gen Z accounting for 45% of all train bookings, followed by Millennials at 28%.
Solo Travel and Advance Bookings on the Rise
Traveller behaviour is also evolving. Flight bookings made by solo travellers increased by 65%, while group bookings grew by over 25% compared with last year’s monsoon season.
The hotel segment also remained strong, with bookings rising by 53.9% year-on-year. Mid-range hotels continued to gain popularity, while shorter stays remained the preferred choice among travellers.
The findings indicate that Indian travellers are becoming more experience-driven, with the monsoon season emerging as a preferred time to explore destinations beyond the usual holiday circuit.
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