ixigo Sees Massive Surge in Travel Bookings During Maha Kumbh Mela
Mumbai: ixigo, India’s leading online travel agency, has recorded a significant surge in travel bookings to Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh Mela, with:
- 5.4x YoY growth in flight bookings
- 4x YoY rise in train bookings
- 20x YoY surge in bus bookings
The data highlights a strong demand for travel to the world’s largest spiritual gathering, with Gen Z and solo travelers driving the historic travel boom.
Key insights:
- 26% of bus bookings were made by travelers aged 20-25
- 50% of bus passengers were under 30
- Solo travelers dominated train bookings, making up 60% of total bookings
Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO, ixigo, stated, “The Maha Kumbh Mela has spotlighted the rise of spiritual tourism in India, with young travelers embracing cultural and religious journeys.”
Booking data and trends from ixigo Group for Maha Kumbh 2025
ixigo Flights
● Flight bookings to Prayagraj surged 5.4x YoY
● Nearby airports (Lucknow & Varanasi) have seen a 69% YoY growth
● Top origin cities: Mumbai, Bengaluru, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai, Goa, and Bhubaneswar
ixigo Trains & ConfirmTkt
● Train bookings to Prayagraj surged 4x YoY
● Solo travellers made up 60% of total train bookings, surpassing group bookings
● Top origin cities: New Delhi, Mumbai, Kanpur, Meerut, Varanasi, and Lucknow
AbhiBus
● Bus bookings to Prayagraj surged 20x YoY
● Young travellers, aged 20-25, accounted for 26% of the total bus bookings
● Top origin cities: New Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Nagpur, Bengaluru, Jaipur, Ranchi, and Ayodhya
● During Kumbh, the number of Gen Z bus travelers increased 20-fold compared to the previous financial year.
● 50% of the bus passengers traveling to Prayagraj were under 30 years old.
● The most expensive bus seat ever sold was in February 2025 for the Vijayawada-Varanasi route at INR 14,860 for a seat.
AIRFARES OF PRAYAGRAJ, LUCKNOW, VARANASI DURING AND POST-MAHA KUMBH MELA
| Origin City | Destination City | Average fare for travel on 01 Feb – 06 Feb 2025 *Advance Purchase of 0-7 days | Average fare for travel on 27 Feb – 04 Mar 2025 Advance Purchase of 0-7 days | Percentage Decrease in Air Fares Post Kumbh |
| New Delhi | Prayagraj | 15763 | 4360 | ⇩ 72% |
| Mumbai | Prayagraj | 18343 | 6037 | ⇩ 67% |
| Kolkata | Prayagraj | 14051 | 5398 | ⇩ 62% |
| Bengaluru | Prayagraj | 27330 | 7200 | ⇩ 73% |
| New Delhi | Lucknow | 7905 | 4141 | ⇩ 47% |
| Mumbai | Lucknow | 16901 | 7928 | ⇩ 53% |
| Bengaluru | Lucknow | 18589 | 7356 | ⇩ 60% |
| New Delhi | Varanasi | 9570 | 5868 | ⇩ 39% |
| Mumbai | Varanasi | 17847 | 7940 | ⇩ 55% |
| Kolkata | Varanasi | 10130 | 6926 | ⇩ 32% |
| Bengaluru | Varanasi | 18200 | 6307 | ⇩ 65% |
