Trending Topics in Travel Research in India for 2026
As India’s travel ecosystem rapidly evolves, travel research has emerged as a critical area of academic and industry inquiry. Changing consumer aspirations, digital-first planning, post-pandemic travel psychology, and government-led tourism initiatives are reshaping how Indians travel, where they go, and why they choose certain experiences over others.
From air travel preferences and mobile travel apps to religious tourism like the Char Dhaam Yatra and the rising debate of homestays versus hotels, researchers are increasingly focusing on travel intention, experience quality, sustainability, and emotional drivers such as revenge travel. In 2026, travel academic research in India reflects a deeper interest in behavioural patterns, technology adoption, and socio-cultural influences—making it a highly relevant field for students, scholars, and policy researchers alike.
1. Rise in Air Travel among Indian Travellers
With expanding airport infrastructure and affordable carriers, air travel has become accessible to a wider section of Indian society. Travel research in this area explores how passengers choose airlines, perceive safety, manage costs, and evaluate in-flight experiences.
Researchers in travel domain can study key dimensions including price sensitivity, flight punctuality, baggage policies, comfort, and brand loyalty; especially among first-time flyers from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
Example Survey Questions:
- What factors most influence your choice of airline when booking a flight?
- How frequently do you travel by air in a year?
- Do flight delays or cancellations affect your future airline preference?
ThinkSurvey Tip:
Run a national level data collection studying various cohorts of Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 cities. Study air travel satisfaction among domestic flyers across metro and non-metro airports, capturing perceptions of service quality and trust in low-cost carriers.
2. Online vs Offline Travel Booking Preference
Mobile travel applications like MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, IRCTC, and Airbnb have transformed travel planning in India. This travel research topic focuses on technology acceptance, usability, trust, and purchase intention related to mobile-based travel platforms.
Researchers often examine how app features, such as – dynamic pricing, reviews, multilingual support, and digital payments, impact booking decisions.
Example Survey Questions:
- How often do you use mobile apps for booking travel or accommodation?
- What features make you trust a travel app?
- Would you switch to online booking mode if it offers better discounts compared to offline booking?
Live Example:
This research team from IIM Shillong collected data for their research using survey software solution, to study intention to use mobile travel app. Travel app adoption studies can be effectively conducted using online panels segmented by age, digital literacy, and city tier.
3. Rise in Religious Travel Packages in India
Religious tourism is one of the strongest pillars of Indian travel behaviour. Whether it is Chaar Dhaam Yatra in Uttarakhand, Puri Tour in Odisha, Temple Visits in Tamil Nadu, or Dwarka Darshan in Gujarat; the rise in demand for family/group tours to religious places offers a rich context for travel research focusing on motivation, infrastructure satisfaction, safety perception, and spiritual fulfilment.
This topic on travel research is especially relevant for studies in tourism management, sociology, and public policy.
Example Survey Questions:
- What motivates you to undertake a religious journey like the Char Dhaam Yatra?
- How satisfied are you with travel facilities and accommodation during the yatra?
- Does government infrastructure development influence your decision to travel?
Research Tip:
Researchers in travel domain can run nationwide survey data collection to study elderly pilgrims’ travel challenges, motivations or barriers in travel intentions among GenZs towards religious travel.
4. Homestays vs Hotels: Changing Accommodation Preferences
With the rise of platforms like Airbnb and the growing interest in local experiences, Indian travellers are increasingly choosing homestays over traditional hotels. This travel research topic explores preferences based on cost, privacy, cultural immersion, and perceived safety.
The comparison is particularly relevant among millennials, solo travellers, and long-stay tourists
Example Survey Questions:
- Do you prefer homestays or hotels when travelling within India?
- What influences your accommodation choice the most—price, comfort, or local experience?
- Would you stay at a homestay in a rural or remote destination?
ThinkSurvey Tip:
Segmenting respondents by travel purpose (leisure, pilgrimage, workation) can yield deeper insights into accommodation choice behaviour.
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5. Beach Destinations vs Hill Stations
India offers diverse travel geographies – from Goa and Karnataka’s beaches to Himachal and Uttarakhand’s hill stations. Travel research in this area examines destination preference, seasonal travel patterns, climate perception, and stress relief motivations. This topic is especially useful for studying emotional drivers and destination branding.
Example Survey Questions:
- Do you prefer beach destinations or hill stations for leisure travel?
- What emotions do you associate with your preferred destination type?
- How does weather influence your travel decisions?
Live Example:
This researcher from MAHE, Manipal; surveyed 300+ participants who visited Uttarakhand hilly areas using ThinkSurvey data collection services and published a research paper on an investigation of travel consumers, in a reputed journal.
6. Travel Intention and the Rise of Revenge Travel
Post-pandemic, India has witnessed a surge in revenge travel, a phenomenon where individuals travel more frequently to compensate for lost travel opportunities. This emerging travel research topic focuses on pent-up demand, emotional release, and impulsive travel decisions.
Example Survey Questions:
- Do you feel a stronger urge to travel compared to pre-2020?
- Have you taken unplanned trips in the last 12 months?
- Is travel a form of stress relief or emotional recovery for you?
ThinkSurvey Tip:
Psychology-driven travel intention studies benefit from emotion-based scales and behavioural segmentation.
How to Select the Right Topic for Travel Research
Choosing the right travel research topic requires balancing relevance, feasibility, and originality.
Start with a literature review on tourism behaviour, travel intention, digital travel platforms, or destination marketing using academic journals and conference papers.
Next, identify research gaps, such as – underexplored traveller segments (elderly, solo female travellers, rural tourists) or emerging trends like revenge travel and sustainable tourism.
Evaluate feasibility by assessing your access to respondents, timeline, and research tools.
Seek feedback from supervisors or peers to refine your research questions and ensure alignment with current tourism debates.
Finally, select a topic that genuinely interests you—because strong research is sustained by curiosity and commitment.
How ThinkSurvey Supports Travel Research and Data Collection in India
Many travel researchers face common challenges:
“I know what I want to study, but I don’t know how to reach travellers.”
“I have my questionnaire ready, but I can’t collect reliable responses.”
At ThinkSurvey, we simplify travel research data collection across India.
- Nationwide Audience Panel: Indian travellers from metros, Tier 2 & Tier 3 cities
- Diverse Demographics: Students, working professionals, families, and retirees
- Research Expertise: Team experienced in tourism, marketing, and behavioural studies
- Scalable Samples: From 50 to 5,000+ responses
- Timely Delivery: Data collection aligned with academic deadlines
- Dedicated Support: End-to-end guidance from survey design to final dataset
