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Slow and steady wins the stay as Indian travellers rethink holidays in 2025
MUMBAI: Gone are the days of racing through postcards. In 2025, Indian travellers eased off the accelerator, choosing fewer destinations, longer stays and calmer itineraries over rushed, checklist-style holidays, according to the Thrillophilia 2025 Multi-Day Travel Index.
Based on confirmed and completed trips rather than search intent, the index captures how Indians actually travelled in 2025 compared with 2024. The verdict points to a maturing leisure market where reliability, comfort and depth of experience mattered more than ticking off multiple locations or chasing discounts.
Analysing thousands of executed journeys, Thrillophilia found a clear redesign of holidays. Single-base trips with day excursions rose 36 per cent year on year, while tours covering four or more cities fell 24 per cent. Medium-length breaks of six to nine nights grew 19 per cent, emerging as the most popular format across families, couples and wellness travellers.
Over-packed schedules lost favour. Slower, better-paced itineraries increased 21 per cent, while tightly packed plans declined 17 per cent. Custom and semi-custom trips moved firmly into the mainstream, growing 18 per cent and 16 per cent respectively, as large group tours slipped 21 per cent.
“2025 was the year travellers stopped asking how many places they could cover and started asking how well a trip would run,” said Thrillophilia co-founder Abhishek Daga. “Peace of mind replaced price as the real definition of value.”
Domestic travel continued to anchor leisure demand, especially destinations that allow relaxed pacing and dependable logistics. Kerala and Rajasthan remained steady favourites, while North East India rose 31 per cent, Kashmir 35 per cent and Ladakh 31 per cent, helped by better connectivity and experience-led interest.
Short-haul international travel surged fastest. Thailand grew 21 per cent, Singapore 24 per cent, Abu Dhabi 36 per cent, Vietnam 31 per cent and the Philippines 39 per cent, driven by visa ease and compact routing. Long-haul travel stayed niche but meaningful, with Japan, Kenya and Iceland each posting close to 39 per cent growth, largely for milestone journeys.
Different segments revealed distinct shifts. Gen Z and young professionals travelled more often, with multiple trips up 51 per cent and adventure-led itineraries rising 58 per cent. Families leaned into comfort and planning, with custom family trips up 21 per cent and rushed formats down 18 per cent. Couples ditched templated honeymoons, pushing custom plans up 47 per cent and privacy-led stays up 42 per cent.
Luxury travel also slowed down deliberately. Custom luxury itineraries increased 26 per cent, trips with fewer destinations grew 28 per cent, and wellness-focused journeys rose 24 per cent, redefining indulgence as precision rather than excess.
The index concludes that value in Indian leisure travel is no longer measured by distance covered, but by how smoothly a journey unfolds. In 2025, travelling less and better clearly became more.
Brands
Jubilant FoodWorks faces Rs 47.5 crore GST demand, plans appeal
Tax authorities flag alleged misclassification of restaurant services
MUMBAI: Jubilant FoodWorks Limited has landed in a tax tussle after receiving a GST demand of Rs 47.5 crore from the office of the additional commissioner of CGST and central excise in Thane, Maharashtra.
The order, issued under the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, relates to an alleged incorrect classification of certain services under the category of restaurant services. According to the tax authorities, this classification resulted in a short payment of goods and services tax for the period between the financial years 2019-20 and 2021-22.
The demand includes Rs 47.5 crore in GST along with an equal amount as penalty, in addition to applicable interest. The order was received by the company on March 13, 2026.
In a regulatory filing to the BSE Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited, the company said it disagrees with the order and believes its arguments were not adequately considered.
The company is preparing to challenge the decision and plans to file an appeal. It added that once the redressal process is complete, the demand is likely to be dropped.
Despite the sizeable figure attached to the notice, the company said it does not expect any material impact on its financials, operations or other activities.
The disclosure was signed by Suman Hegde, EVP and chief financial officer, who confirmed that the company received the order at 19:06 IST on March 13 and has already initiated steps to contest it.
The development places the quick service restaurant major in the middle of a tax debate that could hinge on how certain restaurant-linked services are classified under GST rules. For now, the company appears ready to take the matter from the tax office to the appeals desk.
