Outlook Business Desk
Indians are redefining leisure journeys and weekend getaways, according to Zoomcar’s Travel Trends 2025 report. It highlights changing patterns in India’s road travel, driven by short trips, preference for larger vehicles, and a thriving car-host economy.
In 2025, India’s road travel saw a clear shift. Short trips under two days rose to 71%, showing a preference for quick weekend getaways, while longer journeys also grew by 28% as remote workers embraced ‘workations’, blending leisure with work across destinations.
Bookings during festive weekends like Holi, Republic Day, and Gandhi Jayanti saw a 125% jump, highlighting how holiday seasons significantly boost demand for self-drive car rentals across India.
Travellers aged 18–25 (Gen Z) made up 31% of the trips in 2025, up from 22% in 2024. This group favours solo journeys, flexible plans, and offbeat locations over conventional tourist spots.
Data shows that SUV bookings rose from 30% to 36% year-on-year, while hatchback demand fell from 57% to 51%. Additionally, bookings for 6–7 seater vehicles climbed from 16% to 18%, indicating an increasing preference for group and family travel.
Self-drive rentals are expanding beyond metro areas, with Tier 2 bookings rising 30% and Tier 3 by 14% in 2025. Jaipur (+40%), Indore (+35%), Siliguri (+29%), and Madurai (+25%) led the growth, showing a growing demand for independent travel.
The report also highlights that convenience-focused features are becoming increasingly popular on the platform. Home delivery bookings grew 33% in the first five months of 2025 compared to 2024, while customer satisfaction also rose, with 80% of the trips rated four stars or higher, up from 76% in 2023.
The report highlighted that Zoomcar’s total bookings increased from 388,000 in FY24 to 427,000 in FY25, showing a 10% growth as more Indians embrace self-drive car rentals for flexibility and convenience.
Abhilash Kasliwal, business head at Zoomcar, said the trends showed self-drive travel had “moved from niche to lifestyle”, now appealing to solo travellers and families alike, while giving hosts a reliable source of passive income.