(December 31, 2025) India’s outbound travel landscape saw a generational reset in 2025 with millennials and Gen Z accounting for nearly nine out of 10 international trips, according to a report by travel fintech platform Niyo. Solo travel emerged as the dominant choice, reflecting a growing preference for independence and self-curated experiences. Short-haul Asian destinations and emerging Central Asian countries led demand, with Thailand and the UAE topping the list. Spending trends showed shopping as the largest overseas expense, followed by dining and transport, pointing to a new travel mindset that prioritises frequency, flexibility and experience over traditional holiday formats.
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What’s Driving Millennials and Gen Z to Travel More?
“With the Indian passport offering visa-free travel across multiple countries, millennials and Gen Zers made a lot of weekend getaways in 2025,” says Vandana Vijay, Founder and CEO, Offbeat Tracks.
Speaking to Global Indian, she says the new-generation Indian traveller is looking at taking multiple vacations a year. “This year saw an uptick in people wanting to explore Laos and the Philippines (first-time international travellers). For the more seasoned traveller, it was extreme adventure that took the limelight,” she says.
Fewer long trips, more frequent escapes
Explaining the trend, Vandana says travellers chose a couple of long travels, which was followed by several long weekend getaways over the course of the year, like a cruise to Antarctica or a Mongolian adventure.
“Within the domestic segment, we saw Arunachal Pradesh gain a lot of prominence. The Hornbill Festival got popular once again,” she says, adding Gen Z is also very deeply in touch with their Indian heritage, which was clearly seen at the start of the year, with many of them visiting the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj.
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The rise of the ‘vibe’ economy
“Indian millennials and Gen Z aren’t just travelling anymore. They are curating,” Archana Singh, Founder – Travel See Write, tells Global Indian.
As a luxury planner, she has realised the goalpost has shifted. “It’s not about finding the cheapest flight or hotel; it’s about maximising the ‘vibe’ per rupee,” says Archana, who sells destinations like Antarctica, the Arctic, Scandinavia, South America, Africa and Japan, among other countries, besides being a full-time content creator and owner of a boutique luxury travel company.
Where budget meets indulgence
“We’re getting smarter. My clients will happily take a budget flight if it means they can drop the savings on a private villa in Ubud or skydiving in Dubai. It’s about value, not just the price tag,” says Archana.
“Forget the Eiffel Tower for the first Euro trip. Now, it’s about a Blackpink concert in Korea, an anime tour in Tokyo, or hidden spots in Central Asia. If it’s not ‘un-Googleable,’ it’s not interesting,” she says. Old-school luxury was a five-star stay. New-age luxury is access. “A private dinner in a vineyard or a guided photo-op in a spot no one else knows about? That’s the real flex.”
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Solo, but never isolated
More Indians are hitting the road alone, but they’re looking for high-end, hyper-personalised experiences that feel safe and aesthetic. “The bottom line is, if your itinerary feels like a copy-paste job from a 2010 brochure, you’ve already lost. They want trips that tell a story, period,” adds Archana Singh, who has visited 110 countries on all seven continents.
Metros at the forefront of outbound travel
According to Niyo’s report, two-thirds of the journeys by millennials and Gen Z originated from Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai, reflecting the strong influence of India’s leading metros in outbound travel.
Solo travel emerged as the dominant preference among Indian travellers, with 63.8 per cent of trips undertaken by individuals. Couples accounted for 19.93 per cent of trips, followed by families at 12.26 per cent and groups at 4.01 per cent, indicating a growing inclination towards independent travel.
Thailand tops the destination chart
Leading the list of destinations was Thailand, which accounted for 23.08 per cent of trips, followed by the UAE at 21.57 per cent. Georgia attracted 9.65 per cent of travellers, Malaysia 8.89 per cent, the Philippines 8.8 per cent, Kazakhstan 7.38 per cent, Vietnam 5.87 per cent, Uzbekistan 5.6 per cent, the UK 5.38 per cent and Singapore 3.78 per cent.
Samuel Tanya Sharon
Emerging countries by flight growth were Thailand, the UAE, Malaysia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, while visa bookings also grew strongly for Dubai, Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia, the report said.
Where Indian travellers are spending abroad
Niyo’s report also highlighted evolving spending behaviours among travellers overseas, showing that shopping made up nearly half of total expenditure (47.28 per cent of card usage), followed by dining at 20.69 per cent, transportation at 19.93 per cent, accommodation at 9.09 per cent and experiences at 3.01 per cent. The findings of the report are based on travel data from over one million outbound Indian travellers.
How work flexibility is powering travel choices
Samuel Tanya Sharon, Advertising and Sales Associate at Accenture, tells Global Indian that Gen Z’s approach to work and income is also reshaping international travel habits.
“With many embracing flexible work models and side hustles, a growing number of young Indians are able to fund and prioritise overseas travel,” says Sharon, pointing out that this flexibility allows them to plan trips on their own timelines, seek immersive experiences, and set new standards for how frequently and confidently Indians travel abroad. With greater independence and control over their time, they are setting new expectations for how and how often young Indians explore the world, she feels.
Vinay Menon
In search of culture, colour and contrast
Vinay Menon, athlete and sports filmmaker, says millennials and Gen Z are on the lookout for vibrant locations and varied cultures of destinations outside India. “Realising that life is what you make of it, this generation is taking confident steps towards experiencing different cultures, seeing new locations, waking up in an environment that’s in contrast to our everyday life in India,” he tells Global Indian.
With better sources available now to gather information about a place and also to interact with other travellers through social media, Vinay says millennials and Gen Z are wearing their travel boots more than ever before.
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