From The Family Man to Paatal Lok: OTT shows drive Northeast travel surge; ixigo index shows

India's streaming hits are no longer just shaping watchlists - they are reshaping travel maps. Fresh data from ixigo shows that popular OTT series helped drive a sharp surge in travel to India's Northeast in 2025, turning once underexplored cities into high-growth destinations across flights, trains and buses.

Releasing The Great Indian Travel Index 2025, ixigo said the past year marked a standout phase for Indian travel, powered by a packed calendar of cultural events, concerts and large religious gatherings, alongside easier visa norms that sustained travel intent. Overall demand remained strong across modes, with flight searches up 45% year-on-year, train searches rising 20%, and bus searches climbing 42% compared to 2024.

OTT spotlight puts Northeast on the travel map

According to ixigo, binge-worthy shows such as The Family Man (Season 3), Paatal Lok (Season 2) and Delhi Crime (Season 3) showcased the Northeast's landscapes, cultures and gritty settings, sparking fresh curiosity among travellers.

That on-screen exposure translated into real-world bookings. ixigo recorded strong year-on-year growth in flight bookings to key Northeastern cities in 2025, led by Dimapur at +77%, followed by Agartala (+48%), Guwahati and Imphal (both +44%), and Itanagar (+42%). The platform said the surge reflected a growing appetite for lesser-explored destinations beyond traditional tourist circuits.

Gen Z drives spiritual travel surge

Alongside the OTT-led Northeast boom, ixigo's data shows that spiritual travel dominated India’s travel story in 2025, with Gen Z emerging as a major driver. Large-scale religious gatherings such as the Maha Kumbh triggered sharp spikes in demand, particularly to Prayagraj.

Gen Z bus bookings to Prayagraj rose nearly 20 times year-on-year during the Kumbh period. Reflecting the demand peak, the most expensive domestic flight booked on ixigo in 2025 was a Mumbai–Prayagraj ticket priced at ₹92,644.

Pilgrimage destinations also saw strong growth in flight bookings, led by Varanasi (+134%) and Tirupati (+102%), followed by Prayagraj (+80%), Ayodhya (+54%), Shirdi (+26%) and Amritsar (+24%). Bus bookings surged to Varanasi (+111%), Mathura (+99%), Ayodhya (+86%), Rishikesh (+81%), Haridwar (+73%), Amritsar (+61%) and Gaya (+55%), while train bookings grew steadily to Rishikesh (+43%), Prayagraj (+35%), Gaya (+28%), Dwarka (+26%), Mathura (+26%) and Ujjain (+25%).

Japan, South Korea top overseas picks

The index also points to a shift in international travel preferences. East and Southeast Asia emerged as top choices for Indian travellers in 2025, led by Japan (+63%) and South Korea (+61%), followed by Vietnam (+57%) and Thailand (+53%). Traditional favourites such as Sri Lanka (+42%) and Indonesia (+36%) continued to attract steady demand.

Beyond Asia, destinations like Oman (+71%), Kenya (+65%), Kazakhstan (+54%), the UAE (+52%), Uzbekistan (+49%) and Qatar (+45%) saw strong momentum, signalling a growing appetite for offbeat global getaways.