Business EconomyPosted at: Mar 13 2025 1:58AM


Massive surge in travel bookings during Maha Kumbha Mela: ixigo data

Hyderabad, Mar 12 (UNI) A massive surge in travel bookings to Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh Mela (January 13 - February 26, 2025), according to a data released by ixigo, India’s leading OTA for the Next Billion Users.
Flight bookings witnessed 5.4x YoY demand, with nearby airports in Lucknow and Varanasi witnessing 69 per cent YoY growth, ixiogo revealed in its data.
Whiel in Train bookings, witnessed a 4x YoY rise and in bus bookings saw the highest surge at 20x YoY, underscoring strong demand across all segments for the world’s largest spiritual gathering, it stated.
Booking data from ixigo’s bus business, AbhiBus, highlights a surge in young travelers, with those aged 20-25 making up 26 percent of total bus bookings.
Gen Z bus travelers saw a remarkable 20-fold YoY increase during the Kumbh Mela, and 50% of all bus passengers heading to Prayagraj were under the age of 30.
Key origin cities contributing to the surge in demand across the ixigo Group included New Delhi, Mumbai, Kanpur, Meerut, Varanasi, Lucknow, Jaipur, Ranchi, and Ayodhya.
A significant shift in travel behavior was also observed, as solo travelers dominated train bookings, making up 60% of the total, surpassing group travel.
Speaking on this, Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO, ixigo, said “The Maha Kumbh Mela has spotlighted the rapid rise of spiritual tourism in India, with a remarkable surge in participation from young travelers. Our data shows that Gen Z and millennials are increasingly embracing cultural and religious journeys, making experiential travel the new norm. As faith-based tourism evolves, the future of travel will be driven by seamless multimodal connectivity - ensuring greater accessibility and convenience for a new generation of spiritually inspired explorers.”
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