84% Indians prioritise culture-led travel within India: Skyscanner Report
Dr Navina Jafa and Neel Ghose
The report also revealed that 67% of Indians plan their trip around heritage, festivals and food.
Skyscanner has launched The India Culture Travel Index report that reveals that India’s appetite for culture-led travel is growing rapidly and 84% of Indian travellers choose to travel within India to explore the culture. The report was briefed during a launch event held at The Stainless Gallery, New Delhi on July 29, 2026. The report also revealed that 67% of Indians plan their trip around heritage, festivals and food.
Heritage continues to be the strongest driver of culture-led travel, with 47% of Indian travellers revealing that they would plan a trip around heritage and historical sites. Kerala, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand rank among the country's leading cultural destinations, reflecting travellers’ growing interest in exploring India's architectural landmarks, historic communities and living traditions.
Social media and YouTube (42%) are emerging as the biggest drivers behind growing interest in culture-led travel, along with the growing popularity of food, craft and heritage trails (41%).
Beyond domestic travel, 46% of Indian travellers have already travelled internationally for a cultural event, festival or heritage trail, while a further 43% aspire to do so, highlighting a growing curiosity to explore culture both within India and around the world. This openness extends closer to home too, with one in four Indian travellers (25%) heading to Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns for cultural experiences, beyond the usual metro circuit.
Festival tourism is experiencing a significant surge in popularity, as evidenced by the fact that 72% of Indians are either planning or considering a trip specifically to attend a major religious or cultural festival. According to the data, Durga Puja (58%) is emerging as the top festival travellers would consider travelling to attend, followed by Ganesh Chaturthi (52%) and Navratri Garba (47%).
Food, crafts, and local traditions continue to play an increasingly important role in shaping culture-led travel. Regional food experiences rank among the top reasons for travel, with 43% of Indian travellers saying they would plan a trip around them. The growing popularity highlights an appetite for experiences that connect travellers with a destination's local traditions, flavours and way of life.
A major portion of Indian travellers organise their culture-focused trips far ahead, with 40% mapping out details three to six months in advance, and 36% setting plans one to three months before their departure date.
The data revealed that 41% of Indian travellers plan to take two culture-focused trips within India over the next year, 32% expect to take three to four. While enthusiasm remains high, safety concerns (49%) and high travel costs (37%) continue to be the biggest barriers to taking more culture-led journeys.
Neel Ghose, Travel Trends and Destinations Expert, Skyscanner India, said, “For a long time, people chose a destination first and discovered its culture once they arrived. We're increasingly seeing that journey now happens in reverse. Travellers are starting with the experience they want, whether that's witnessing Durga Puja, exploring a heritage trail or discovering a region through its food, and then building the trip around it. That shift is changing not just where people travel, but how they plan.”
Talking to T3, Ghose highlighted how Indian travellers are planning these cultural trips differently. He said two things stand out the most. Traditionally, Indian travellers plan their trip last minute only. But when it comes to cultural experiences, Indian travellers are spending a lot of time, deliberation, and research. Almost 40% of travellers are travelling 3-6 months before going. One of the key reasons, he highlighted, is for festivals. The second finding is social media, which is also one of the key pillars of Skyscanner’s open discovery. Platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Spotify and others are becoming a big tool for planning and understanding the destination.
Festival timing has become the biggest booking consideration, with 36% of travellers saying availability during key festival or event dates matters most, followed by affordable prices for transport and accommodation (32%).
Dr Navina Jafa, an expert in heritage tourism, sustainability, cultural strategy, and Kathak dance, said, “India's cultural heritage is not only about monuments, but also the ecosystems around heritage landscapes: creative skilled communities, cultural traditions, and living practices. Studies show a growing number of travellers seeking immersive heritage experiences, underlining India’s need to invest in its vast geographical diversity and multilayered cultural legacy. This fast-growing sector offers major opportunities for conservation, economic growth, and for strengthening heritage tourism nationally and globally.”
According to Skyscanner, the top cultural destinations across India are Kochi, Kerala; Udaipur, Rajasthan; Almora, Uttarakhand; Kolkata, West Bengal; Mumbai, Maharashtra; Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh; Puri, Odisha; and Kohima, Nagaland.
Through the findings of the survey, Skyscanner analysed the evolving behaviours driving culture-led travel in India. The findings uncover five defining trends that together form the R.O.O.T.S. of India's growing culture-led travel movement, where R defines Rediscovering heritage, O represents Open discovery, another O represents Once in a year experience, T defines traditions and taste and S denotes Smarter planning.
