Survey: Durga Puja tops list of festivals Indians travel for
Indian travellers are increasingly planning trips around festivals, according to Skyscanner's India Culture Travel Index, which found 72% would consider a journey specifically to attend a major cultural or religious festival. Kolkata's Durga Puja leads at 58%. The report also said 43% would plan a trip around regional food and 25% are visiting Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns for cultural experiences. Other listed draws are Gujarat's Navratri Garba, Nagaland's Hornbill Festival, Ayodhya Deepotsav and Arunachal Pradesh's Ziro Festival of Music.
Source
Festivals & celebrations · read the original report ↗
Desk check · some claims need care
What the desk checked (5)
- 72% of Indian travellers would consider planning a trip specifically to attend a major cultural or religious festival — Attributed in source to Skyscanner's India Culture Travel Index; no sample size or methodology given
- 58% of Indian travellers consider travelling to attend Durga Puja, the top festival for festival-led travel — Figure appears in source, attributed to the same index
- 43% would plan a trip around regional food experiences; 25% are travelling to Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns for cultural experiences — Both figures appear in source, attributed to the index report
- Festival dates: Durga Puja 16-21 October, Navratri 11-20 October 2026, Hornbill 1-10 December 2026, Diwali 8 November 2026, Ziro Festival 24-27 September — Dates appear in source; year not specified for Durga Puja and Ziro, so internally inconsistent in parts
- Sample airfares such as Delhi-Kolkata from Rs 6,131 and Delhi-Ayodhya from Rs 4,641 — Figures appear in source as starting fares; no booking date or airline specified
Analysts’ view opinion
This survey signals that festivals are no longer just cultural occasions — they are becoming ticketed-style live experience products that audiences will travel for. With 72% saying they would plan a trip specifically around a festival and Durga Puja topping the list at 58%, the read-across for the entertainment business — especially live events, music and content — is that demand is shifting toward the experiential. From Kolkata's pandals to the Ziro Valley stage, audiences appear willing to spend and travel for atmosphere they cannot stream.
- Durga Puja leading at 58% underlines how pandal design, themes, music and lighting now function as a sizeable creative economy in their own right.
- The presence of the Ziro Festival of Music on the list suggests independent artists can build audiences well outside metro concert halls.
- The finding that 25% of travellers are heading to Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns points to new addressable markets for live-event organisers beyond the metros.
- With 43% saying they would travel for regional food experiences, there is a clear base for food-travel content and the creator economy.
- Ayodhya's Deepotsav being described with laser and drone shows shows traditional festivals are now competing on production value too.
What to watch — Watch whether live-event promoters, streaming platforms and brands start building dedicated festival-season content or sponsorship packages around these specific events.
This is stated intent captured in a travel company's index, not verified bookings, attendance figures or economic impact — and the story does not disclose the survey's sample size or methodology.
Deep dive
Research brief · 8 facts · 5 dates · exam-readyThe brief
Context
Skyscanner's India Culture Travel Index reports that Indian travellers are increasingly building entire trips around festivals rather than fitting celebrations into existing holidays. The index found 72% would consider travelling specifically to attend a major cultural or religious festival, with Kolkata's Durga Puja the single biggest draw at 58%. The accompanying travel guide lists six festivals — Durga Puja, Gujarat's Navratri Garba, Nagaland's Hornbill Festival, Ayodhya's Deepotsav and Arunachal Pradesh's Ziro Festival of Music — with indicative one-way airfares from Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. The trend also points travellers towards regional cuisine and smaller Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns.
Key facts
- Skyscanner's India Culture Travel Index found 72% of Indian travellers would consider planning a trip specifically to attend a major cultural or religious festival.
- Durga Puja in Kolkata is the top festival travel draw, with 58% of Indian travellers considering travelling to attend it.
- 43% of Indian travellers say they would plan a trip around regional food experiences.
- One in four Indian travellers (25%) are heading to Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns for cultural experiences.
- Kolkata's main Durga Puja celebration takes place from 16 to 21 October; fares start at Rs 6,131 (Delhi), Rs 7,227 (Mumbai) and Rs 9,330 (Bangalore).
- Navratri in Gujarat falls from 11 to 20 October in 2026, with nine nights of Garba and dandiya.
- The Hornbill Festival, held at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama, Nagaland, is set for 1 to 10 December 2026.
- Ayodhya's Deepotsav lights millions of diyas along the Saryu River; Diwali falls on 8 November in 2026. The Ziro Festival of Music runs 24 to 27 September.
Timeline
- 24 to 27 SeptemberZiro Festival of Music in Ziro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh, bringing independent artists and music lovers.
- 11 to 20 October 2026Navratri Garba celebrations across Gujarat.
- 16 to 21 OctoberMain Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata.
- 8 November 2026Diwali; Ayodhya Deepotsav features laser and drone shows, fireworks and Ramayana-themed processions.
- 1 to 10 December 2026Hornbill Festival at Kisama, Nagaland.
Who has a stake
- Indian domestic travellers — Festivals are becoming the reason to travel, shaping when and where they holiday and how much they spend on fares.
- Skyscanner — Published the India Culture Travel Index and indicative airfares, positioning itself in the festival-led travel market.
- Kolkata and West Bengal — Durga Puja is India's single biggest festival travel draw at 58%, bringing visitors to pandals and city celebrations.
- Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh — Hornbill Festival at Kisama and Ziro Festival of Music draw travellers beyond the metro circuit into the Northeast.
- Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh — Deepotsav positions the city as a grand-scale Diwali destination with diyas on the Saryu, drone and laser shows.
- Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns — 25% of travellers now visit them for cultural experiences, opening up local tourism and food economies.
- Airlines and airports (CCU, AMD, DMU, AYJ, HGI) — Festival-led demand on routes from Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore during peak festive months.
Why it matters
Festival-led travel turns cultural events into economic engines, spreading tourism demand beyond metros to towns such as Kisama, Ziro and Ayodhya. With 72% willing to travel for a festival and 43% planning trips around regional food, culture is shaping India's domestic travel calendar and airfare demand in the festive months.
UPSC angle
Prelims pointers
- Skyscanner's India Culture Travel Index: 72% would travel specifically for a major cultural or religious festival.
- Durga Puja, Kolkata tops festival-led travel at 58%.
- Hornbill Festival is held at the Naga Heritage Village, Kisama, Nagaland (1-10 December 2026).
- Ziro Festival of Music is held in Ziro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh (24-27 September).
- Ayodhya Deepotsav lights millions of diyas on the banks of the Saryu River; Diwali 2026 falls on 8 November.
- 25% of Indian travellers visit Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns for cultural experiences; 43% plan trips around regional food.
Mains framing
India's festivals are shifting from local observances to national travel products: Skyscanner's India Culture Travel Index records that 72% of Indian travellers would plan a journey specifically around a major cultural or religious festival, with Kolkata's Durga Puja the leading draw at 58%. The drivers are experiential — pandals and bhog in Kolkata, nine nights of Garba and fafda-jalebi in Gujarat, indigenous games and crafts at Kisama, diyas and drone shows on the Saryu at Ayodhya, and independent music in Ziro Valley — reinforced by the finding that 43% would travel for regional food. Significantly, 25% are choosing Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns, suggesting demand is dispersing beyond the metro circuit and can support livelihoods in crafts, food and hospitality in smaller and Northeastern destinations. The implications include seasonal concentration of demand on a few routes and dates, and pressure on local infrastructure and heritage sites during short festival windows. A way forward, consistent with the source, lies in improving air and last-mile connectivity to destinations such as Dimapur, Itanagar and Ayodhya, spreading visitor flows across a longer festival calendar, and packaging food and craft experiences so that host communities capture more of the value.
Key terms
- India Culture Travel Index
- Skyscanner's survey-based report on how culture and festivals influence Indian travellers' trip planning.
- Durga Puja
- Kolkata's biggest festival, marked by towering pandals, music and bhog; India's top festival travel draw at 58%.
- Navratri Garba
- Gujarat's nine-night festival of Garba and dandiya dancing, with chaniya cholis and foods like fafda-jalebi and khichdi.
- Hornbill Festival
- Nagaland's showcase of tribal music, dance, food and craft held at the Naga Heritage Village, Kisama.
- Deepotsav
- Ayodhya's grand Diwali celebration with millions of diyas on the Saryu, laser and drone shows and Ramayana processions.
- Ziro Festival of Music
- Independent music festival in Ziro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh, held in open-air hill settings.
Practice questions
- Festival-led tourism is emerging as a driver of domestic travel in India. Discuss its economic and cultural implications, with examples from recent survey findings.
- How can rising traveller interest in Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns be leveraged for inclusive regional development? Examine with reference to festivals in Northeast India.
- Examine the role of cultural events such as Durga Puja, the Hornbill Festival and Deepotsav in shaping India's destination branding and seasonal tourism demand.
Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.