Where Are Indians Headed in 2025?

The 'No Go' List Last year, an unusual trend hit travelers. Quite literally. Barcelona residents doused tourists with water; they were protesting against over-tourism and unsustainable practices. Since then similar incidents and "bans" have hit the headlines, including a "Stay Away" campaign in Amsterdam to deter raucous British bachelor parties. Across the world, and in India too, overtourism is harming the very thing that popularized a destination. By no means an exhaustive list, these are places in danger of collapsing under their own fame. India: Kerala, Goa, Jaipur, Darjeeling, Manali, Rishikesh, Varanasi, Ooty, Munnar International: • Bali, Indonesia • Barcelona, Mallorca and Canary Islands, Spain • Venice, Italy • Amsterdam, Holland • Lisbon, Portugal • Phuket and Koh Samui, Thailand • Kyoto, Japan • Athens and Santorini, Greece • Machu Picchu, Peru • Dubrovnik, Croatia • Mount Everest

- Anita Rao Kashi

The overarching travel theme for 2025 is community. That is, finding the community that shares one's passion and pushing boundaries in order to have meaningful experiences. Whether star-gazing, aurora-chasing, sports-watching, wellness-seeking or nature-revelling, the joy of gravitating towards like-minded people and the sense of belonging it brings is emerging noticeably.

It's also clear that Indian travellers, where possible, are opting for smaller and alternative places as substitutes for crowded, tourist-overrun destinations, seeking unique experiences that combine a variety of things from natural beauty to cultural richness.

"As we step into a new year, it is interesting to see how travel preferences have evolved," says Santosh Kumar, Booking.com's country manager for India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Indonesia. "With the popularity of destinations like Shahdag and Baku in Azerbaijan or Gudauri in Georgia rising, we see a shift towards offbeat adventures. Improved connectivity, infrastructure and better visa regulations are making travel more accessible, convenient and exciting for everyone."

So from Shillong in India to Tromso in Norway and a whole lot of other places in between-Baku, Langkawi, Krabi, Colombo and Tashkent to name a few-Indians are set to jetset all over the globe looking for a variety of experiences.

IN INDIA

Shillong, Meghalaya: Often called the "Scotland of the East", Meghalaya's capital is a hill station that is enchanting for its stunning landscape filled with lush hills, waterfalls and glass lakes. One of the North-East's gems, searches for Shillong went through the roof, with Skyscanner reporting an 828% increase in searches last year. Fuelled by social media posts, it has become the darling of nature lovers and adventure seekers-650,000 tourists visited last year, according to the Meghalaya tourist information system.