For years, Diwali meant one thing for most young Indians: go home, help with the cleaning, eat too many sweets, and stay put till the holidays ended. This year, a growing number of them are doing something quite different. They are packing a bag and leaving.
Fresh booking data highlighted in reports today shows flight bookings among travellers aged 15 to 24 have jumped 60% ahead of Diwali, compared with a rise of just 6% among travellers aged 25 to 34. It is the clearest sign yet that for Gen Z, the festival break has become a travel break, and the destinations they are picking say a lot about how India now holidays.
Diwali falls on Sunday, 8 November this year, and with less than two weeks to go, the rush is already showing up in flights, hotels and buses. The numbers come from Cleartrip’s PeekABoo travel trends tracker, reported last week and highlighted again in fresh travel coverage on Tuesday. Leisure hotel bookings for Diwali are up 135% so far.
Not the usual holiday map
The most striking part is where people are going. This is not just Delhi to Goa and back. The biggest jumps are for smaller, regional destinations that rarely topped festive lists a few years ago.
Agatti in Lakshadweep leads the list with flight bookings up 130%, followed by Gaya in Bihar at 98% and Dimapur in Nagaland at 80%. Udaipur is up 59%, Dibrugarh 37%, Gorakhpur 34%, Jabalpur 29%, Imphal 24% and Dehradun 9%. It is a map of hometowns, heritage cities, islands and hill gateways, rather than one single party destination.
Hotels tell a similar story. Udaipur’s Diwali hotel bookings have risen 316%, with Bengaluru up 189% and Jaipur up 174%. Budget stays are growing fastest of all, up 201%, ahead of luxury properties at 162%, mid-range stays at 148% and premium hotels at 114%. In other words, young travellers are spending, but they are spending carefully, and they would rather save on the room and spend on the trip itself.
Where Gen Z is actually searching
Search data points the same way. Airbnb reported a rise of nearly 40% year on year in domestic festive travel searches, with Gen Z searches also up by almost 40%. The places younger travellers are looking at include Varanasi for its ghats and evening aarti, North Goa for beaches, South Goa for a quieter break, and Kolkata for culture and festive atmosphere.
That mix matters. Varanasi and Kolkata are not beach holidays. They are trips built around atmosphere, food, photographs and stories to take home.
There is another shift in the data: the share of bookings by women grew 44% over the same period, according to the Cleartrip tracker.
The bus is booming too
Not everyone is flying. Bus bookings are also climbing sharply: up 80% for Delhi, 76% for Pune, 68% for Nagpur, 63% for Chennai and 57% for Mumbai.
That split captures the two Diwalis happening at once: the traditional journey home, and a newer short getaway squeezed into the festival week.
What it means for last-minute planners
If you are still deciding, the data carries a practical warning. The fastest-growing categories are also the ones that sell out first. Budget rooms in Udaipur, Bengaluru and Jaipur, and flights to the smaller destinations on the list, will not stay cheap or available for long as 8 November approaches.
- Book the stay before the flight: with leisure hotel bookings up 135%, rooms in the popular cities are moving faster than seats on some routes.
- Check the smaller airports: Agatti, Gaya, Dimapur and Dibrugarh are seeing the sharpest flight growth, so check baggage limits, permits and onward transfers before you pay.
- Keep one day flexible: travelling a day before or after the peak Diwali weekend can still save money, especially on the busiest city routes.
- Carry ID and permits where needed: island and border-state destinations can need extra documents, so confirm requirements with the airline or hotel in advance.
None of this means the old Diwali has disappeared. Homes will still fill up and diyas will still be lit. But alongside that, a new habit is taking hold, and this year’s bookings suggest it is no longer a niche.
For Gen Z, Diwali is still a festival. It is just increasingly also a holiday, planned, booked and shared like one.
FAQs
How much have Gen Z flight bookings risen ahead of Diwali?
Flight bookings among travellers aged 15 to 24 are up 60%, according to Cleartrip’s PeekABoo tracker, compared with 6% growth among travellers aged 25 to 34.
Which destinations are seeing the biggest flight booking growth?
Agatti in Lakshadweep leads at 130%, followed by Gaya at 98% and Dimapur at 80%. Udaipur, Dibrugarh, Gorakhpur, Jabalpur, Imphal and Dehradun are also up.
Which city has seen the sharpest rise in Diwali hotel bookings?
Udaipur, with hotel bookings up 316%. Bengaluru follows at 189% and Jaipur at 174%, while leisure hotel bookings overall are up 135%.
When is Diwali in 2026?
Diwali falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026, with the main Lakshmi Puja celebrations held that evening.
Are budget stays or luxury stays growing faster?
Budget stays are growing fastest, up 201%, ahead of luxury stays at 162%, mid-range at 148% and premium hotels at 114%.
Informeia will keep tracking festive travel trends as Diwali approaches. Check back for the latest booking updates and destination guides.
