One97 Communications Limited (OCL), the entity behind the Paytm brand, reported ongoing growth in spiritual, cultural, leisure, and spontaneous travel categories, highlighting a surge in aspirations and a renewed eagerness among Indians to travel more often.
Spiritual tourism emerged as a key driver of growth throughout the year. The Kumbh Mela proved to be a pivotal event, with bookings for Prayagraj skyrocketing more than threefold during January and February. This marked a significant increase from 2024, when pilgrimage hotspots like Ayodhya, Shirdi, and Varanasi had already experienced nearly 50 percent year-on-year growth. In 2025, searches for Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Tirupati rose by 34 percent, further establishing faith-based travel as a prominent trend.
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Festival schedules continued to heavily influence travel behavior. During Chhath Puja, flight bookings to Patna surged by 25 percent, exemplifying one of the country’s largest annual migration patterns. Similar increases were noted in previous years during major festivals like Holi, demonstrating the lasting impact of cultural events on seasonal travel demand.
The data also indicated a marked increase in spontaneous travel habits. Platform bookings jumped 15 percent immediately following salary credits, indicating a strong correlation between disposable income cycles and travel choices.
Entertainment tourism gained traction in 2025, with concerts acting as significant travel incentives. Cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru experienced a boost in inbound demand as live events encouraged short trips, continuing a trend that began in 2024, when concert-related travel rose over 40 percent, particularly among younger adventurers.
Leisure destinations showed resilience. Srinagar emerged as a standout success story, achieving record bookings during the year, while Goa maintained its allure, attracting more travelers than in 2024, solidifying its status as India’s top holiday spot.
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A discernible shift was the expansion of travel beyond major metropolitan areas. Tier-2 cities such as Indore, Lucknow, Patna, Surat, and Kochi noted a significant uptick in inbound traffic, reflecting deeper digital adoption and heightened travel ambitions throughout regional India.
A Paytm spokesperson reflected on the insights, stating, “Travel trends in 2025 confirm patterns that have been increasingly reinforced over recent years. From the sustained growth of spiritual and festival-inspired travel to a rise in spontaneity, event-focused trips, and increased demand from Tier-2 cities, users continue to trust Paytm Travel. We remain committed to creating a seamless, dependable, and scalable travel ecosystem to accommodate India’s evolving mobility needs.”
The company recently introduced Paytm Checkin, an AI-driven travel app that offers personalized recommendations and conversational booking across flights, trains, buses, and metro services, all on one platform. Paytm Checkin features zero convenience fees, cost-effective flight cancellations, rapid refunds, and a subscription-based Travel Pass that includes additional benefits like travel insurance and no-fee cancellations.
With features including real-time flight updates, Ticket Assure for trains, and Paytm Assured for buses, the platform aims to enhance reliability and transparency while supporting India’s rapidly changing travel environment.
