A holiday that once began with a flight search is increasingly starting with a road trip. With airfares rising, travellers are opting for buses and destinations closer home rather than dropping their plans. For the travel and hospitality industry, the shift is creating opportunities in places accessible by road.

Bus travel gains ground

Travel platform Cleartrip’s data point to the trend. During the summer, bus trips on routes under 300 km rose over 80 per cent, while flights on these routes declined. Buses accounted for more than 34 per cent of combined bus and air trips in this distance band. Bus journeys on routes spanning 300-500 km grew over 68 per cent, while those in the 500-1,000 km band rose 89 per cent.

The shift is not just about cheaper travel. An expanding highway network is making more destinations accessible, turning places once considered too far for a short break into viable options for family holidays and weekend getaways.

“India’s expanding highway network is changing the tourism map. Destinations that were once considered difficult to reach are becoming practical options for family holidays and weekend breaks,” said Anupam Dutta, Chief Marketing Officer of Sterling Holiday Resorts. For Bengaluru travellers, this could mean swapping airport queues for drives to Coorg or Sakleshpur or venturing further into the Nilgiris. Hospitality players are tracking the trend. Rosetta, which operates a property in Sakleshpur, is exploring other destinations within driving distance of Bengaluru.

“There are a couple of opportunities being presented to us in other drive-distance locations from Bengaluru, the Nilgiris, for example,” said Jai Sreedhar, Joint MD and CEO of Rosetta. The appeal extends beyond hill retreats.

Cleartrip said bus travel to destinations grew 78 per cent overall during the summer, with Haridwar, Rishikesh, Tirupati, Ujjain, Goa, Udaipur and Nashik recording triple-digit growth. Jaipur saw the biggest increase in trip volumes. These destinations remained popular during the festive season, when overall bus travel growth reached 141 per cent.

For hotels, the shift could influence not just where people travel but also how they spend. Savings on transport may allow some travellers to maintain or upgrade their accommodation, while others may opt for budget stays to keep overall holiday costs in check. “Across the industry, we expect road-based leisure demand to gain share, particularly during long weekends and holiday periods,” said Sarbendra Sarkar, Founder and MD, Cygnett Hotels & Resorts.

The company expects a mid single digit percentage point shift towards road travel in relevant drive-to markets, though the extent will vary by property and season.

Leisure demand

The bigger opportunity may lie in travel frequency. Two- and three-night breaks are becoming an important part of domestic leisure travel, particularly for urban professionals and families seeking a getaway without extensive planning or taking too much time off work.

For hospitality players, the challenge is to turn easier access into a compelling reason to stay. A shorter drive may bring travellers to a destination; the experience could persuade them to return.

Published on October 20, 2026