India Leads Global Travel Momentum in Early 2026

India’s travel and tourism sector is witnessing a visible surge in activity in the immediate run-up to the Republic Day long weekend, with booking trends from mid-January clearly indicating heightened domestic and outbound travel movement. Airlines, hotels and tour operators report that enquiries and confirmations have accelerated since the second week of January, signalling early momentum for the 2026 travel calendar. The upcoming Republic Day break has emerged as the first major travel trigger of the year, encouraging travellers to plan short leisure getaways, spiritual visits and quick international trips. This early demand pattern is also influencing how the industry is preparing for the rest of the year, particularly around long weekends and festival-linked travel periods. Travel professionals note that Indian travellers are increasingly planning holidays around fixed national holidays rather than waiting for traditional peak seasons. This behaviour is driving advance bookings, improved load factors for airlines and higher weekend occupancy across key leisure destinations. Hotels and resorts are responding by fine-tuning pricing strategies and packaging experiences rather than offering deep discounts. Meanwhile, tour operators are observing growing interest in curated itineraries, indicating a shift from last-minute travel to planned, experience-driven journeys. The Republic Day travel rush is also acting as a sentiment indicator for the months ahead. Strong movement during this period is encouraging the industry to anticipate sustained demand through subsequent long weekends and festive breaks in 2026. As of mid-January, the travel ecosystem is already adjusting inventory, staffing and marketing plans, reflecting confidence that India’s evolving holiday-based travel behaviour will continue to shape both domestic and international tourism flows in the year ahead.