Thomas Cook (India) Limited - India's leading omnichannel travel services company and its Group Company, SOTC Travel's Women's Travel Trend Report 2025 indicates a strong 35% growth in demand from India's women travellers - this is across segments of Gen Z, millennials, girl gang/BFF (best friends forever) travel, solo travellers and more.
India's new-age women travellers are independent and eager to step out of their comfort zone and explore the world. They are increasingly seeking enriching journeys that blend adventure, immersive experiences and personal growth - ranging from outdoor escapades, self-drive journeys, luxury cruises, cultural immersions, wellness retreats, culinary explorations and shopping experiences. What is noteworthy, is that Thomas Cook and SOTC's data reveals significant interest from India's women - not just from metros, but also mini-metros and regional India's tier 2-3 cities.
Leading Trends and top experiences:
- Outdoor and adventure experiences are seeing a surge of 37% from India's women travellers paragliding (Bir Billing); trekking (Ladakh); white/black water rafting (Rishikesh/New Zealand); waterfall abseiling, kiteboarding, diving, coral flyer zipline (Sabah-Malaysia); chasing the Northern lights on husky safaris (Scandinavia), fissure snorkeling (the Fjords); jeep safaris (Jaisalmer/Thekkady), mangrove kayaking (Kerala/Abu Dhabi); hiking/sledding/snowboarding (Switzerland) and ATV quad bike tours (Morocco), snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef (Australia); shark-cage diving, Cape point biking & bungee jumping (Cape Town), scenic self-drive tours (New Zealand /Australia); Muay Thai kick boxing (Thailand)
- Beauty, Spa & wellness: With a 28% growth in demand for wellness tourism women travellers are investing in self-care holidays to rejuvenate/ take a break. Top experiences include Jimjilbang spas/saunas, K-beauty and wellness (South Korea), onsen & hot springs (Japan/New Zealand), hammams (Türkiye), ayurveda resorts (Kerala), detox retreat, spa & wellness programs (Thailand)
- Event & Milestone based celebrations: Milestone moments such as 'friendversaries' are driving travel demand, with over 35% of women choosing to travel and celebrate with their girl gangs and kitty groups etc. Beyond personal milestones, event-based travel is witnessing strong growth, with women increasingly planning trips around global festivals and concerts. Top-billed music concerts featuring global artists in destinations like London, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Los Angeles and Berlin; cultural festivals such as La Tomatina (Spain), Oktoberfest (Germany), Rio Carnival (Brazil)
- Culture & Culinary experiences: Over 17% women are keen to engage in culinary experiences like, cooking with a local chef (Thailand/Malaysia), traditional cooking classes (Morocco), culinary course at the famed Le Cordon Bleu (France), vineyard tours and wine tasting (Australia/California/France), private sushimaking course (Japan), dining on a private island/sandbank (Queensland), Bustronome (gourmet dining onboard a double decker bus) in Paris/London, pub crawls/clubbing (Ibiza); chocolate, cheese & fondue experience amidst alpine views at Glacier 3000, Bo-Kaap walk with locals (Cape Town); gin and cuisine trails on a Vespa (Singapore)
- High demand for premium and luxury experiences: Over 25% of women travellers opt for private fine dining/Michelin star restaurant (Dubai/Singapore/France), high-end shopping experiences with limotransfers and a personal shopper to McArthurGlen designer outlets and Bicester Villages in UK/Europe and vintage plane rides; private sundowner-dinner sailings with curated local elements and flavors (Australia/New Zealand); stay at uber-luxe resorts (Switzerland/France/Maldives)
- Cruise Holidays: With over 23% of women travelers choosing cruise vacations, there is strong interest in domestic routes, Southeast Asia and the Middle East (Resort World Cruises, Costa Cruises, MSC Cruises, and Cordelia). Premium cruise to destinations such as the Scandinavian Fjords, Polar regions (ice-breaker cruises) Caribbean, Mediterranean, Singapore, Thailand and Abu Dhabi are also gaining popularity for milestone celebrations
Top destinations:
- Domestic and Indian subcontinent: Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, North East, Goa, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Andamans, Kerala, Karnataka, Bhutan and Sri Lanka
- International favourites: Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Türkiye, Dubai-Abu Dhabi
- International emerging: Vietnam-Cambodia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Sabah (Malaysia), Iceland, Scandinavia
- Average age of women travellers: 25-34 years for bachelorettes; 25-65 years for milestone celebrations
- Increase in travel spends: 15-20% YoY
- Travel budget: Rs. 1-1.5 lakh (domestic); Rs. 1-2 lakh (mid-short haul); Rs. 4-5 Lakh (long-haul) Vs Rs. 80,000-1 lakh (domestic); Rs.95,000-1.5 lakh (mid-short haul); Rs.3-4 lakh (long-haul) last year
- Extended duration of stay: 4-6 nights (domestic); 5-8 nights (mid-short haul); 8-15 nights (long-haul) Vs 3-4 nights (domestic); 4-6 nights (mid-short haul); 7-12 nights (long-haul) vs last year
Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head - Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Limited said, "Women today are redefining travel-seeking experiences that go beyond traditional sightseeing to embrace adventure, culture and personal growth. At Thomas Cook India, we are delighted with the rapidly evolving travel aspirations of women travellers and have co-curated a diverse range of itineraries that balance safety, comfort and exciting explorations. From solo journeys to exclusive women-only group tours, our goal is to empower women to travel with confidence while indulging in unique, immersive experiences."
S.D. Nandakumar, President & Country Head - Holidays & Corporate Tours, SOTC Travel Limited said, "At SOTC Travel, India's women travellers are one of our strong traveller segment, driven by GenZ, millennials, solo adventurers and girl gang/BFF travel groups. What's even more exciting is the growing interest stemming from regional India-our tier 2-3 source markets are witnessing a surge in women eager to explore the world on their own terms. Leveraging these insights, our strategic focus is on curating experiences that align with these evolving aspirations. We are committed to empowering women across India to embark on enriching journeys that inspire, connect and transform, making travel accessible and enriching for women across the country."
Shares of Thomas Cook (India) Limited was last trading in BSE at Rs. 138.70 as compared to the previous close of Rs. 133.40. The total number of shares traded during the day was 100243 in over 2196 trades.
The stock hit an intraday high of Rs. 140.00 and intraday low of 135.00. The net turnover during the day was Rs. 13844188.00. |
