Sept-Oct emerges as a prime travel window for Indians: Thomas Cook
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Multiple holidays and long weekends, greater flexibility around travel dates and changing travel preferences are adding new travel opportunities ahead of the festive and year-end season for Indian travellers.
According to Thomas Cook (India) Limited and its Group Company, SOTC Travel, travellers are showing greater flexibility in deciding when they holiday, with September–October emerging as an additional period for short breaks, family holidays and experience-led vacations. The traditional festive and year-end periods, meanwhile, continue to remain important for larger family holidays, international vacations, cruises, premium experiences and celebration-led travel.
The period offers several natural reasons for Indians to travel. Ganesh Chaturthi, Gandhi Jayanti, Navratri, Durga Puja and Dussehra create opportunities to combine celebrations with short breaks or longer holidays. The post-monsoon transition also makes September and October attractive for domestic travel, with opportunities for nature, wildlife, road trips, wellness and experiential holidays across different parts of the country.
Internationally, the period coincides with seasonal transitions across several destinations. Parts of Europe move into autumn, while destinations across Asia such as Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea offer favourable conditions at different points during these months. Easier visa processes and greater accessibility across several international destinations are also making it more convenient for travellers to plan shorter breaks and spontaneous getaways. This gives travellers the flexibility to consider everything from short-haul international breaks and European holidays to long-haul journeys, cruises and experience-led itineraries.
The appeal is also increasingly about value rather than simply savings. Travelling outside the busiest periods can potentially offer more competitive options across flights, accommodation and holiday packages in select destinations, allowing travellers to put their holiday budget towards better accommodation, premium experiences or curated activities. Relatively lighter crowds at select destinations can further enable a more relaxed and immersive experience.
Importantly, the rise of September–October does not come at the expense of the traditional festive travel season. Diwali continues to be a significant period for family and group holidays, while Christmas and New Year remain key occasions for international vacations, cruises, premium experiences and celebration-led travel. Instead, these periods together point towards a longer travel season, giving Indian consumers more opportunities to travel through the second half of the year.
Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Limited, said, “Indian travel has traditionally been defined by a few pronounced peaks through the year. In recent years, however, we have seen a more even distribution of demand, with travellers increasingly willing to consider shoulder and off-season periods as viable times to holiday. This is a meaningful shift in travel behaviours, with consumers no longer necessarily waiting for the next major holiday season to plan a trip. September and October are benefiting from this broader trend, while the established festive and year-end peaks continue to remain important anchors for holiday demand.”
S.D. Nandakumar, President & Country Head – Holidays & Corporate Tours, SOTC Travel, said, “The September–October period has a natural advantage in the number of opportunities it offers travellers to plan a holiday. Festivals, public holidays and long weekends are making it easier to add a short break or extend a trip, while favourable conditions across several domestic and international destinations provide further impetus. We are seeing travellers use these opportunities for everything from family and leisure holidays to more experience-led travel. This creates an additional layer of demand before the stronger Diwali and Christmas–New Year travel periods.”
