OTT Shows Boost Travel to Northeast India in 2025
Northeast India Gains Popularity Through OTT Platforms
New Delhi, Dec 27: The rise of popular OTT series in India is not just enhancing viewership but also significantly promoting travel to the North East, as evidenced by a report from ixigo. Flight bookings to cities such as Imphal, Dimapur, and Agartala have seen remarkable growth this year.
Shows like The Family Man (Season 3), Paatal Lok (Season 2), and Delhi Crime (Season 3) have highlighted the North East's stunning landscapes and rich cultures, igniting interest in these lesser-known travel spots, according to the report.
This increased visibility on screen has translated into a tangible rise in travel demand for 2025, with ixigo reporting substantial year-on-year growth in flight bookings to major northeastern cities including Dimapur, Agartala, Guwahati, Imphal, and Itanagar.
As per ixigo’s ‘The Great Indian Travel Index 2025’, there was a significant surge in flight bookings to key cities in the North East, showcasing the region's growing appeal.
In addition to domestic travel, Japan and South Korea emerged as the top international destinations for Indian travelers in 2025, as reported by the travel booking platform.
Moreover, the spiritual travel trend among Gen Z has surged, particularly due to the Maha Kumbh, which led to a dramatic increase in bookings for Prayagraj across various transport modes.
This event resulted in a nearly 20-fold increase in bus bookings to Prayagraj year-on-year, with the most expensive domestic flight booked on ixigo in 2025 being a Mumbai-Prayagraj ticket priced at Rs 92,644 during the Kumbh.
Indian travelers have broadened their horizons in 2025, showing a clear preference for new international destinations. East and Southeast Asia have become particularly popular, with Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand leading the way, reflecting a growing interest in culturally rich travel experiences.
Traditional favorites like Sri Lanka and Indonesia continue to be popular, while the Middle East and other emerging destinations such as Oman, Kenya, Kazakhstan, the UAE, Uzbekistan, and Qatar are also gaining traction, indicating a rising interest in unique global travel experiences.
Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO, and Rajnish Kumar, Group Co-CEO of ixigo, commented, “The Great Indian Travel Index 2025 highlighted the vast and diverse travel demand across the nation. Faith-based travel has become a significant factor, with Varanasi alone attracting nearly 147 million visitors in 2025. Additionally, increasing disposable incomes and improved connectivity are expanding the travel landscape beyond traditional travelers.”
“We are also witnessing a growing influence of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in shaping India’s travel narrative. Cities like Rishikesh, Indore, Nagpur, Bhopal, Lucknow, and Assam are driving strong demand for flights, trains, and buses, with some metro-to-emerging city bus routes experiencing nearly 80 percent year-on-year growth. These trends illustrate how travel in India is deeply intertwined with culture, beliefs, and aspirations, transcending age groups, regions, and modes of transport,” they added.