New Delhi: Indian travellers are turning to either short-haul international getaways like Southeast Asia and Australia, or domestic destinations for holidays this summer. Many are shunning the US and Europe, previously the most sought-after summer escapes, dissuaded by sharply higher airfares and flight disruptions.The 2026 summer travel trends are a departure from last year when travel platforms catered to both short and long-haul international travel, driven by easier visa options, greater flexibility, shorter flight duration, and comparatively lower costs, experts said.At travel platforms like Cleartrip, Thomas Cook and SOTC, the Philippines has emerged as a popular hotspot among Indians this summer, alongside short-haul sites such as Thailand, Malaysia, Bali, Singapore, Vietnam, Colombo, and Almaty. All of these are mostly 4-5 hours direct flights from Indian cities.
“This marks a shift from last summer, when international demand was led by both short-haul and long-haul destinations,” said a spokesperson for Cleartrip. Cleartrip saw a threefold jump in bookings for the Philippines alone this summer.Travellers are clearly avoiding the West this summer. “This year, we are seeing a clear pivot towards destinations such as China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, alongside closer-to-home favourites like Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan,” said Abraham Alapatt, president and group head, marketing at Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel.
