The report identifies five defining trends that form the R.O.O.T.S. of India's growing culture-led travel movement: Rediscovering Heritage, Open Discovery, Once-in-a-Year Experiences, Traditions and Taste, and Smarter Planning.
Heritage remains the strongest driver of culture-led travel in India. According to the report, 47% of Indian travellers would plan a trip around heritage and historical sites. Kerala, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand rank among the country's leading cultural destinations, reflecting growing interest in architectural landmarks, historic communities and living traditions.
Indian travellers are also becoming more open to discovering destinations through immersive cultural experiences beyond traditional sightseeing. Social media and YouTube account for 42% of the factors driving this interest, while food, craft and heritage trails account for 41%.
The trend extends beyond domestic travel. The report found that 46% of Indian travellers have already travelled internationally for a cultural event, festival or heritage trail, while another 43% aspire to do so. Closer to home, one in four Indian travellers, or 25%, are travelling to Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns for cultural experiences beyond the usual metro circuit.
Festival tourism is emerging as another major travel driver. As many as 72% of Indian travellers said they would consider planning a trip specifically to attend a major cultural or religious festival. Durga Puja leads the list of festivals travellers would consider travelling to attend at 58%, followed by Ganesh Chaturthi at 52% and Navratri Garba at 47%.
The findings indicate that major festivals are increasingly being treated as limited-time experiences around which travellers plan entire holidays, rather than activities pursued after reaching a destination.
Food, crafts and local traditions are also becoming central to culture-led travel. Regional food experiences rank among the leading travel motivations, with 43% of Indian travellers saying they would plan a trip around them. The trend reflects growing interest in experiences that connect travellers with a destination's traditions, flavours and way of life.
Travellers are also becoming more deliberate in planning culture-led journeys. Forty per cent of Indian travellers begin planning three to six months before departure, while 36% start one to three months in advance.
Festival timing is the biggest booking consideration for 36% of travellers, while 32% prioritise affordable prices for transport and accommodation.
Skyscanner's Price Alerts allow travellers to monitor fare changes without repeatedly searching, while its Whole Month search enables them to compare prices across different travel dates to identify better value around festivals, heritage trails and other cultural experiences.
The demand for culture-led travel is expected to remain strong. According to the report, 41% of Indian travellers plan to take two culture-focused trips within India over the next year, while 32% expect to take three to four such trips. Safety concerns, cited by 49% of travellers, and high travel costs, cited by 37%, remain the biggest barriers to taking more culture-led journeys.
Neel Ghose, Travel Trends and Destinations Expert, Skyscanner India, said, "For a long time, people chose a destination first and discovered its culture once they arrived. We're increasingly seeing that journey now happens in reverse. Travellers are starting with the experience they want, whether that's witnessing Durga Puja, exploring a heritage trail or discovering a region through its food, and then building the trip around it. That shift is changing not just where people travel, but how they plan.
"When festival dates are fixed and demand is high, comparing different travel dates, airlines, airports and routes can help travellers find better value. For instance, try mixing and matching airlines or airports when you are searching for flights, and use helpful tools like Skyscanner's Price Alerts, to find better value when planning travel."
Dr Navina Jafa, an expert in heritage tourism, sustainability, cultural strategy, and Kathak dance, said, "India's cultural heritage is not only about monuments, but also the ecosystems around heritage landscapes: creative skilled communities, cultural traditions, and living practices. Studies show a growing number of travellers seeking immersive heritage experiences, underlining India’s need to invest in its vast geographical diversity and multilayered cultural legacy. This fast-growing sector offers major opportunities for conservation, economic growth, and for strengthening heritage tourism nationally and globally."
Skyscanner has also curated cultural destinations across India to help travellers plan their next journey. The destinations include Kochi in Kerala at Rs. 10,765, Udaipur in Rajasthan at Rs. 10,307, Almora in Uttarakhand at Rs. 3,824, Kolkata in West Bengal at Rs. 5,271, Mumbai in Maharashtra at Rs. 4,722, Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh at Rs. 3,652, Puri in Odisha at Rs. 9,040, and Kohima in Nagaland at Rs. 7,250.
The prices are live prices dated 27th July 2026 for a one-way trip from Delhi to the destinations and are subject to change. Almora does not have an airport, so the price is for Dehradun, 354 kilometres away. Puri does not have an airport, so the price is for Bhubaneswar, 65 kilometres away. Kohima does not have an airport, so the price is for Imphal, 120 kilometres away.
Skyscanner is a global leader in travel that helps travellers plan and book trips with ease and confidence. Every month, it connects millions of travellers in 180 countries and 37 languages to more than 1,200 trusted travel partners for flight, hotel and car hire options. Founded in 2003, Skyscanner has offices worldwide across Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America, where traveller-first innovations are developed and powered by data and insights.
Using the latest technology, Skyscanner simplifies the complexity of travel and provides honest and transparent solutions, searching around 100 billion prices every day so travellers can be sure they have seen the best possible options in one place.
Skyscanner's research was conducted with OnePoll in July 2026 among 2,000 respondents in India. As India's appetite for culture-led travel continues to grow, the findings point to a shift in which heritage, festivals, food, traditions and immersive local experiences are increasingly shaping both destination choices and travel planning.
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