Republic Day break fuels short trips; nearby getaways in demand, say experts

“The appetite for weekend travel remains strong, with the extended Republic Day weekend presenting an opportunity for travel. There is a preference for nearby destinations, evident in the top travel choices from each metro,” MakeMyTrip co-founder and Group CEO Rajesh Magow said.

However, Goa continues to remain the favourite leisure destination within India and internationally, the skew towards easy-visa destinations continues to gain traction, he stated.

“Countries with direct connectivity to multiple cities have led demand, with Thailand at the forefront and Vietnam also performed strongly,” he added.

Echoing the view, Thomas Cook (India) president and country head, Holidays, MICE and Visa, Rajeev Kale said, the Republic Day long weekend offered travel-hungry Indians a welcome break via a 4-day ‘minication’.

“We have witnessed an increased travel intent for both domestic and closer-to-home locales. Destinations like Rajasthan, Andamans, Kerala, also Bhutan and Sri Lanka in the Indian subcontinent, Dubai-Abu Dhabi, Oman, Maldives, Mauritius, Central Asia’s Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, new emerging island destinations such as Sabah [Malaysia], Cebu and Boracay [Philippines], Sa Pa and Phu Quoc [Vietnam] have gained interest,” he said.

Mr. Kale said that multigenerational families, young India’s millennials and GenZ and young professionals also looked at drivecations to nearby offbeat destinations such as Panchgani, Mahabaleshwar, Lonavala, Coorg, Ooty, Munnar, Wayanad and more.

Meanwhile, Cox & Kings director Karan Agarwal said, based on internal booking trends, the company has recorded a nearly 20% increase in bookings for the 26 January long weekend compared to a regular January weekend, with travellers planning earlier and opting for structured itineraries that fit into tighter work schedules.

“Long weekends like Republic Day have become intentional travel moments rather than impulsive breaks. Travellers are planning smarter, choosing destinations that allow them to truly switch off, and valuing curated experiences that remove the stress from short holidays,” he said.

Domestic travel, he said, continued to lead long-weekend demand, contributing to approximately two-thirds of total bookings.

The data also pointed to a change in traveller profiles as bookings from corporate professionals in the 25-45 age group have gone up notably, alongside increased demand from family and multi-generational travellers.

Cleartrip chief growth and business officer Manjari Singal said, “We saw strong growth in bookings during the New Year 2025, and that growth momentum has carried into the Republic Day long weekend. Early trends in 2026 show bookings on Cleartrip already exceeding both last year’s NYE and Republic Day periods, signalling a clear shift towards short breaks and stay-led trips.

She said, Gen Z drove this surge, with overall travel up by over 20% YoY.

International air travel has seen particularly strong traction, with bookings growing 73% as younger travellers increasingly opt for international experiences, she said.

“Short-haul travel is also performing strongly, with bus bookings on Cleartrip up 1.5x YoY. High-demand metro routes like Bengaluru-Hyderabad and Bengaluru-Chennai continued to lead, alongside popular leisure destinations such as Goa, Pondicherry, Ooty and Manali,” she added.

SOTC travel president and country head, holidays and corporate tours, S.D. Nandakumar said, interestingly, the company witnessed demand for non-standard travel experiences and unconventional options like stays in machans/tree houses overlooking lush green tropical vegetation of Wayanad, Chikmagalur, Munnar, Thekkady, restored heritage fort in Goa, private villas with concierge services and a chef in Alibaug or plantation bungalows amidst rolling tea/coffee estates in Darjeeling, Assam or Coorg.

Indians also travelled to visa free/easy visa short haul outbound destinations like Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, he said.

Notably, spiritual tourism is on the rise as customers travelled to spiritual hubs like Ayodhya, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Bodh Gaya, Mathura-Vrindavan, Rishikesh-Haridwar and southern Indian circuits like Tirupati, Rameshwaram, Kanchipuram and Ramayana Trails in Sri Lanka, he stated.

“What is particularly encouraging is the shift in demand from merely metro cities to a strong emergence from regional India’s tier II and III markets,” he added.

Published – January 26, 2026 09:42 pm IST