Indian Travellers Shift Toward Experience-Led Year-End Holidays, Say Thomas Cook and SOTC

Indian travellers are shifting their preferences for New Year holidays, increasingly moving away from traditional countdown parties toward experience-led trips. According to data released by travel firms Thomas Cook (India) Limited and SOTC Travel, year-end holiday choices now encompass outdoor adventures, cultural explorations, cruises, and spiritual journeys.

Rajeev Kale, President and Country Head - Holidays, MICE and Visa at Thomas Cook (India) Limited, stated that year-end travel is increasingly about combining celebration with destination discovery. Travellers are seeking distinctive experiences ranging from watching New Year fireworks over Sydney Harbour and exploring European festive markets to experiencing Alpine landscapes.

For winter experiences, destinations such as Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland are seeing demand for Northern Lights viewing, husky and reindeer sledding, snowmobile excursions, and stays in glass igloos. Meanwhile, Japan is drawing interest for traditional New Year customs such as Hatsumode, the first shrine or temple visit of the year, alongside cultural celebrations in Southeast Asia.

Domestically, spiritual tourism is experiencing growing momentum during the year-end holiday season. Pilgrimage destinations including Char Dham, Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, Tirupati, and Vaishno Devi are attracting travellers looking to combine holidays with prayer and reflection.

Premium island holidays are also emerging as a notable trend for domestic travellers. To support this demand, Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel have introduced direct charter flights from Bengaluru to Lakshadweep for the year-end season, aimed at improving accessibility to the island destination.

Additionally, cruises are gaining traction among travellers looking to visit multiple destinations during their New Year celebrations, with active itineraries covering Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Australia-New Zealand.

SD Nandakumar, President and Country Head - Holidays and Corporate Tours at SOTC Travel, noted that travellers are increasingly seeking to make their holidays more meaningful through varied activities. While New Year celebrations remain an important draw, consumers are increasingly making the most of their trips through local traditions, seasonal attractions, outdoor adventures, unique stays, and cruise journeys.

To cater to these changing preferences, both travel companies are currently offering a mix of group tours and customised holiday packages covering both domestic and international destinations.

"The evolving preferences of Indian travellers highlight a clear shift toward experiential tourism and diversification within the travel and hospitality sector. Companies that quickly adapt to these niche demands—ranging from spiritual tourism and cruises to direct charter connectivity for destinations like Lakshadweep—are better positioned to capture discretionary spending. For businesses in the travel ecosystem, understanding these changing consumer behaviours is essential for designing targeted offerings and maintaining competitive advantage during peak holiday seasons." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes