On August 15, 2025, airlines witnessed unprecedented demand as the Independence Day holiday created a long weekend phenomenon. Leisure hotspots like Goa, Kochi, Gaya, and Ayodhya saw return fares skyrocket. Tickets from Mumbai to Goa reached amounts as high as ₹23,000 for well-timed flights, while late night options offered slightly cheaper alternatives around ₹15,000. Meanwhile, routes to Kochi climbed steeply to ₹25,000. In contrast, flights to Delhi and Kolkata remained relatively moderate, averaging between ₹13,000 and ₹14,000.
Travel industry insiders noted that surge began as early as August 13, driven by spontaneous weekend getaways to destinations such as Udaipur, Jaipur, Coorg, Mahabaleshwar, and Puducherry. This trend reflects a shift towards impromptu escapes that capitalize on consecutive public holidays, turning the first half of August into a peak travel window.
Budget agencies reported a 25–30% year-on-year rise in flight and hotel bookings during this period. Overall bookings spanning August 12–18 have surged, reflecting a broader uptick in both leisure and cultural tourism across India. Emerging preferences include a blend of coastal beach vacations, heritage experiences, and quick spiritual sojourns. The combination of public holidays clustering near each other has created a powerful catalyst for record travel traffic.
