Gen Z lead the travel wave in 2025 with 650% growth in travel bookings

If there’s one thing that defined travel in 2025, it was the shift towards smarter, value-led choices without compromising on fun. Cleartrip Unpacked 2025 year-end travel report reveals that travellers leaned heavily into affordable stays, mobile-first bookings, and flexible plans.

Key Insights from Cleartrip Unpacked 2025
- 650% growth in travel bookings by Gen Z compared to previous years.
- Their trips are spontaneous, vibe-driven, and experience-first — from skyline selfies in Dubai to street food crawls in Kuala Lumpur.
- Mobile-first habits: 65% of bookings were made via the Cleartrip app.
- Affordable stays dominate: Over 65% of bookings were for budget and mid-range hotels.
- Breakout destinations: Vietnam saw a 133% jump in traffic, while Varanasi and the Andaman Islands grew steadily by 20%.
- Domestic hotspots: Uttar Pradesh was the most visited state, with Prayagraj searches tripling and Bareilly quadrupling.
- Solo travel boom: Delhi and Bengaluru led the way, with strong movement toward Himachal Pradesh, Jaipur, Agra, Coorg, Ooty, and Kodaikanal.

Emerging Travel Trends
- Calmcations: Rishikesh, Coorg, and Alleppey for peace-seekers.
- Workations: Goa, Pondicherry, and Darjeeling for blending work and leisure.
- Digital detox escapes: Spiti, Andamans, and Ladakh.
- Adventure hotspots: Bir Billing, Lakshadweep, and Auli.

Quirky Traveller Behaviours
- Some booked stays 361 days in advance, while others made 38 lakh flight bookings within 48 hours of departure.
- Late-night planners: 3 lakh people booked flights between 3–4 AM — enough to fill 353 Airbus A380s.
- Extreme deals: Cheapest flight at ₹0, cheapest hotel night at ₹48.
- Luxury splurges: ₹4.43 lakh for Paris–Mumbai flight, ₹4.41 lakh Maldives hotel stay.

👉 In short, Gen Z didn’t just travel more in 2025 — they travelled differently, crowding every café, co-working space, and sunset spot across India with their energy, spontaneity, and love for experiences.