Indian summer travel defies 30-40% airfare hikes as buses, short-haul outbound surge

MakeMyTrip and ixigo report resilient summer demand despite 30-40% YoY airfare inflation. Travelers pivot to intercity cabs and buses (+38% YoY) and hill stations like Coorg, Shimla, Ooty. Short-haul outbound bookings spike: Vietnam +130%, Sri Lanka +68%, Singapore +32%, Thailand +22%. Govt weighs Rs 10,000 cr jet fuel fund.

— Filed Fri, 5 Jun, 2026, 06:34 IST · Source ET Small Business · Updated

Indian summer travel demand stays strong despite 30-40% airfare hikes. MakeMyTrip and ixigo report shifts to intercity cabs, buses and short-haul destinations like Vietnam, Sri Lanka; domestic hill stations Coorg, Shimla, Ooty see 38% bus-booking growth.