Solo Travel Rises Among Indians : Niyo Travel Report 2025

The year 2025 marked a significant shift in the way Indians travel internationally, with the new global Indian traveller emerging as young, digital-first, and experience-driven. As per Niyo’s Travel Report 2025, India’s pioneering travel fintech platform that has transformed cross-border payments and travel banking for over two million outbound Indian travellers, New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai together accounted for nearly two-thirds of all international trips.

Niyo’s data revealed that the typical 2025 traveller is independent and tech-savvy. 63.8% of trips were solo, while couples accounted for 19.93%, families 12.26%, and groups 4.01%. These travellers meticulously plan visas, optimise forex rates, and choose experiences, reflecting a blend of spontaneity and foresight.

Short-haul Asia and emerging Central Asia destinations dominated bookings. Top international destinations included Thailand (23.08%), UAE (21.57%), Georgia (9.65%), Malaysia (8.89%), Philippines (8.8%), Vietnam (5.87%), Uzbekistan (5.6%), Kazakhstan (7.38%), UK (5.38%), and Singapore (3.78%). 

Emerging countries by flight growth were Thailand, UAE, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, while visa bookings also grew strongly for Dubai, Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia

The peak travel month shifted from October to September, with 41% of trips planned in September 2025. Visa applications mirrored this shift, with over 53.4% submitted in September, up from 46.6% in October 2024. This indicates a growing trend of price-conscious and planning-savvy travellers.

Travellers continued to prioritise safety, with 11,979 travel insurance policies purchased in 2025, up 43% from 2024. Most policies fell in the ₹50,000–₹1,00,000 range, and top destinations for insured travellers included Thailand, UAE, France, Malaysia, Singapore, UK, Italy, Germany and Switzerland

Vinay Bagri, Co-founder and CEO of Niyo, said, “The new global Indian traveller is young, ambitious, and unapologetically independent. They plan with confidence, book smart, and prioritise visas, insurance, and cost efficiency while travelling abroad. At Niyo, we are committed to being the travel stack behind every Indian passport story, helping travellers save, secure, and simplify their journeys.”

Spending behaviour abroad also evolved. Card usage in 2025: Shopping (47.28%), Dining (20.69%), Transport (19.93%), Accommodation (9.09%), and Experiences (3.01%). Niyo users collectively saved ₹153 crore through smarter forex management and travel benefits, with premium members contributing ₹1.44 crore in savings alone.