Bangkok to Kozhikode: Where Indians are flying this summer and how much it will cost

Global uncertainty has not grounded India's travellers. Nearly nine in ten Indians are either planning or have already booked their summer 2026 holiday, according to Skyscanner's Smarter Summer Report, with 77% expressing confidence about travelling in the next three months. Even among the 38% who are yet to confirm bookings, active interest remains high, pointing to a travel market that is not retreating, but recalibrating.

The shift is less about willingness to travel and more about how that travel is being planned. Airfare volatility, rising overall costs, and global disruptions are reshaping decision-making in real time, making this one of the most complex planning seasons Indian travellers have navigated in recent years.

What is driving planning complexity

Four factors are most prominently shaping how Indians are approaching summer travel:

• Nearly half of travellers (48%) are factoring in fluctuating flight prices when making decisions
• 45% are weighing total trip costs more carefully than before
• Travel advisories are influencing the plans of 34% of travellers
• Operational disruptions, such as airport closures, are affecting 32% of travel plans

Yet amid the uncertainty, savvier planning is also emerging. A majority, 58%, believe July offers cheaper flights compared to August, reflecting a growing awareness of travel timing as a tool for unlocking better value.

Neel Ghose, Travel and Destinations Expert at Skyscanner India, described the mood as intent-driven but adaptive. "Summer 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most intent-driven travel seasons we've seen in India, but what's changing is how that intent is translating into action. Travellers are not stepping back; they are adapting within constraints. Instead of cancelling, they are staying flexible on where they go, with many willing to switch destinations in response to changing costs and conditions."

Ghose added that the mindset shift is particularly notable in destination choices. "We're also seeing a clear shift in mindset from 'where everyone is going' to 'where else can I go'. This growing openness to alternative and lesser-known destinations signals a more confident and value-aware traveller, one who is more open to switching plans if it improves the overall experience."

The rise of the offbeat traveller

This shift is showing up clearly in where Indians are choosing to go. Among those surveyed, 81% said they are open to lesser-known destinations, and 60% are actively seeking quieter, less crowded places. Nine in ten also said it is important that their holiday spend benefits local communities and small businesses — a significant value signal from a market that has historically gravitated toward popular international hotspots.

Aviral Gupta, CEO of Zostel and Zo World, said the numbers reflect what his hostel network is already experiencing on the ground. "At Zostel, we've been watching this shift happen in real time. Offbeat destinations across our network grew 88% year-on-year, and a significant 60% of those guests were first-time travellers, many of them from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Smaller-town India is no longer just a backdrop for travel stories; it's where the story begins."

That shift is also visible in how Zostel manages its own inventory. Gupta told Business Today that the platform deliberately holds back a portion of its bookings to serve last-minute planners, a growing segment of the market. Popular properties in destinations like Manali, Kasol, and Spiti are already booked out for peak summer, but Zostel keeps a reserve for spontaneous travellers, balancing that with the longer lead times that foreign guests typically require.

Overtourism is a real concern

One of the more striking themes from the conversation with Gupta is Zostel's conscious effort to redirect demand away from overcrowded destinations. When a location starts trending heavily on social media and bookings spike, the platform actively tries to channel travellers toward alternatives — a deliberate move to protect both the destination and the local economy.

"India has this problem of overtourism in certain destinations," Gupta noted, pointing to examples like Shimla where surging footfall has begun displacing locals. "We want to be very cognisant and conscious of that fact."

Flexibility over fixed plans

While 58% of travellers have fixed dates due to work or school commitments, 30% are opting to switch destinations rather than cancel trips entirely — a clear sign that adaptability has become central to how summer travel is being executed. Rather than locking in early, many are monitoring fare movements and keeping alternative destinations in consideration before committing.

Where Indians are flying — and what it costs

Most popular destinations for Summer 2026:

Rank	City	Country
1	Bangkok	Thailand
2	Denpasar	Indonesia
3	Singapore	Singapore
4	Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia
5	Tokyo	Japan
6	Phuket	Thailand
7	Ho Chi Minh City	Vietnam
8	Colombo	Sri Lanka
9	Seoul	South Korea
10	Kathmandu	Nepal

Cheapest destinations for Summer 2026:

Destination	Country	Avg. Seat Price (INR)
Kozhikode	India	₹4,985
Diu	India	₹6,809
Puducherry	India	₹11,435
George Town	Malaysia	₹12,029
Jammu	India	₹13,127
Shillong	India	₹13,752
Krabi	Thailand	₹18,356
Phnom Penh	Cambodia	₹24,599
Victoria	Seychelles	₹46,836

Soruce: Skyscanner