Summer travel plans are brewing, and Gen Z is showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to exploring the unexplored. As part of India’s evolving travel culture, the generation continues to redefine trends—not just in the workplace, but in the way they experience travel as well. From music festivals to immersive local experiences, travel today is increasingly being driven by culture, community, and entertainment.
Interestingly, a recent report revealed that one of India’s biggest IT hubs is emerging as a favourite among Gen Z travellers. Not for jobs, but for seeking new experiences. As per a recent ClearTrip report, Gen Z leads a significant shift in India’s travel landscape, as the rise of Tier 2 hubs and Northeast destinations outpaces traditional favourites.
Gen Z traveller trends
With the official onset of summer bookings, ClearTrip reported that air bookings have grown by over 20%, while family hotel bookings soared by 124.9%. A signal of a combined summer plan, with aligning vacations and annual leaves, several tier 2 and 3 cities are attracting bookings, too.
With a steep rise in cultural tourism, Northeastern regions in India have become a popular hotspot, not only for the experience but also as an escape from the mercury. ClearTrip reported that Jaipur, Lucknow, Udaipur, Rishikesh, and Varanasi displayed a surge in interest, especially during the summer.
At the same time, Bengaluru has emerged as Gen Z’s top domestic travel destination, reflecting the generation’s growing preference for experience-led and flexible travel. According to the report, the IT hub is no longer seen only as a corporate or startup city, but also as a strategic gateway for road-trip-driven exploration.
With easy access to hill stations, coffee estates, wellness retreats, and scenic weekend getaways across Karnataka and neighbouring states, Bengaluru offers the kind of spontaneous and social travel experiences that resonate strongly with younger travellers. For Gen Z, the appeal lies not just in the destination itself, but in the journey around it, quick road trips, music gatherings, café culture, and offbeat experiences that feel personal and share-worthy at the same time.
Pallavi Saxena, Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer, Cleartrip, told financialexpess.com, “In the ‘Age of Experience,’ Gen Z is moving towards intent-led journeys. Our data shows Bengaluru emerging as a preferred summer choice precisely because it functions as a ‘Hub & Spoke’ anchor. In addition to its image as a lifestyle and cultural destination, featuring world-class bars, restaurants, historic sites and a growing calendar of concerts and live shows, it offers an exceptional geographic advantage for exploratory road trips.”
Saxena added, “Gen Z travellers are essentially unlocking a 300km radius of diverse experiences, spanning Gokarna, Ooty, Hampi, Coorg and many more destinations, making it the primary gateway for India’s rapidly expanding ‘coolcation’ and adventure segments.”
Ditching the hills
Internationally, Gen-Z, today, prefers Bali, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, and Singapore, ditching the hills for the coast. While not unconventional, these spots are evergreen tourist attractions, and travellers are moving towards flexibility and loyalty over other preferences.
Moreover, holiday destinations like Dibrugarh, Dimapur, Imphal, and Agartala broke the convention. In fact, with the Indian Premier League (IPL) season underway, bookings for Guwahati have surged, acting as both experience-led and destination-specific travel trend.