India’s travel calendar is gradually moving beyond its traditional summer, festive and year-end peaks, with September and October emerging as an additional period of strong travel interest, according to Thomas Cook (India) and its group company SOTC Travel.
The shift indicates that Indian travellers are becoming more flexible about when they take holidays, with shoulder-season periods increasingly being used for short breaks, family vacations and experience-led trips.
Travel seasonality begins to even out
India’s travel demand has traditionally been concentrated around three major periods — summer holidays, the festive season and Christmas-New Year travel.
However, the pattern is increasingly spreading across the year. September and October are benefiting from a combination of public holidays, festivals and long-weekend opportunities, giving travellers more flexibility to plan trips without waiting for the traditional peak seasons.
The development is significant for the travel industry because it potentially creates an additional demand window ahead of the larger Diwali and Christmas-New Year peaks.
Festivals create fresh travel opportunities
The September-October period offers several occasions around which travellers can build short or extended holidays, including Ganesh Chaturthi, Gandhi Jayanti, Navratri, Durga Puja and Dussehra.
The post-monsoon transition also expands the range of domestic travel options. Nature and wildlife holidays, road trips, wellness breaks and experiential vacations can become attractive during this period across different parts of India.
Thomas Cook (India) President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa Rajeev Kale said the company has seen demand becoming more evenly distributed, with travellers increasingly considering shoulder and traditionally off-season periods for holidays.
“This is a meaningful shift in travel behaviours, with consumers no longer necessarily waiting for the next major holiday season to plan a trip. September and October are benefiting from this broader trend, while the established festive and year-end peaks continue to remain important anchors for holiday demand,” Kale said.
International travel adds another layer
The September-October window is also creating opportunities for international travel as seasonal conditions change across destinations.
Parts of Europe move into autumn, while destinations in Asia such as Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea offer travel opportunities at different points during the period.
Improving accessibility and easier visa processes in several international markets are also making shorter international breaks more feasible, alongside longer European holidays, cruises and experience-led itineraries.
SOTC Travel President & Country Head – Holidays & Corporate Tours S.D. Nandakumar said festivals, public holidays and long weekends are making it easier for travellers to add a short break or extend an existing trip.
“This creates an additional layer of demand before the stronger Diwali and Christmas-New Year travel periods,” Nandakumar said.
Value shifts from discounts to experiences
The emerging shoulder-season trend is not necessarily driven only by cheaper travel.
Travelling outside the busiest periods can potentially provide more competitive choices for flights, accommodation and holiday packages in select destinations. Travellers may consequently be able to allocate a larger share of their holiday budgets towards better accommodation, premium experiences and curated activities.
Relatively lighter crowds at some destinations can also contribute to a more relaxed and immersive holiday experience.
Festive and year-end peaks remain intact
The rise of September-October travel does not appear to be replacing India’s traditional peak seasons.
Diwali continues to be an important period for family and group holidays, while Christmas and New Year remain major occasions for international vacations, cruises, premium experiences and celebration-led travel.
Instead, the emerging pattern points to a longer second-half travel season, with multiple demand windows rather than a handful of concentrated peaks.
For travel companies, airlines, hotels and destination operators, this broadening of the calendar could help improve capacity utilisation beyond the conventional peak periods. For consumers, it means more opportunities to spread holidays across the year and choose destinations based on weather, experience and value rather than simply waiting for the next major holiday season.