Brands
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
Akoirah rolls out Diamond Draw campaign across cities for Akshaya Tritiya
Festive offer blends discounts with prize draws to boost jewellery shopping buzz
MUMBAI: Akoirah has launched a festive ‘Diamond Draw’ campaign across Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune, aiming to add a dash of excitement to jewellery shopping ahead of Akshaya Tritiya.
Running from April 6 to 19, the limited-period initiative offers customers a chance to win diamond jewellery worth Rs 1.5 lakh with every eligible purchase. Winners will be announced in-store, with one winner selected per outlet, turning a traditional shopping ritual into a more interactive experience.
Alongside the draw, the brand is also offering a flat 20 per cent discount on diamond value during the campaign period, positioning the offer as both celebratory and value-driven.
The move reflects a broader shift in festive retail strategies, where brands are looking beyond straightforward discounts to create more engaging, experience-led campaigns. By linking each purchase to a unique entry in a store-specific draw, the campaign aims to keep participation simple while ensuring fairness across locations.
Speaking on the initiative, Akoirah founder Namita Kothari said the idea was to make festive buying more meaningful and rewarding. She noted that while Akshaya Tritiya remains deeply rooted in tradition, customers today are increasingly seeking memorable shopping experiences alongside value.
The campaign also taps into evolving consumer preferences, with buyers leaning towards lighter, design-led jewellery rather than purely weight-based purchases. This shift has encouraged brands to combine product appeal with experiential elements to drive footfall and engagement.
Backed by digital promotions and in-store activations, the Diamond Draw campaign is expected to build momentum during the festive window. As competition intensifies around key buying occasions, initiatives like these underline how jewellery brands are reimagining the retail experience to keep customers coming back for more than just the sparkle.
