Patna: Instead of celebrating the New Year indoors, a large number of people from Bihar have chosen to travel across India and abroad this season. According to estimates from the travel industry, more than 31,000 people are travelling out of the state during the New Year holidays.
With a combination of government holidays, children’s winter vacations and harsh winter conditions in Bihar, most travellers are heading out with their families. Hill stations such as Manali and Shimla remain the top choice for newly married couples, while officials and working professionals are also largely travelling with their families.
However, New Year travel plans were briefly disrupted due to the recent Indigo crisis, which impacted the travel industry just days before the holiday season. During the crisis, a sudden spate of flight cancellations and sharp hikes in airfares caused inconvenience to passengers, forcing many to reschedule or cancel their trips. Routes such as Patna–Delhi, Patna–Mumbai and Patna–Bengaluru were among the worst affected, with travellers either facing cancellations or being compelled to buy overpriced tickets.
A trader said his original plan to travel with friends was cancelled due to the Indigo crisis. “My flight was cancelled at that time and although the airline offered rescheduling, I chose to cancel the ticket,” he said. Pandey added that when he rebooked his travel closer to the New Year, he got tickets at a lower price than before. “That’s when we finalised our plan to go to Goa. I am travelling with six friends and we will be staying there for around five days,” he said, calling Goa the most suitable destination for a group trip.
Tour and travel agents say the situation has now stabilised following government intervention. Travel agent Anish Singh said that fare capping by the central government helped normalise ticket prices across airlines. “Even next-day tickets from Patna to Mumbai or Bengaluru are now available in the ₹7,000 to ₹8,000 range. This has benefited travellers, and it is currently a good time to travel,” he said.
According to Singh, popular New Year destinations this season include Bali, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Dubai and Goa, while domestic tourism is also witnessing strong demand. “There is a huge rush of pilgrims to Puri’s Jagannath Temple. Compared to last year, more people are travelling this New Year, and I have already received over 40 bookings,” he added.
Another travel agent said the demand this year has surpassed last year’s New Year travel trend. “Andaman is currently the most preferred destination within India. Almost all hotels there are full, and I had to cancel nearly 20 bookings due to the non-availability of rooms,” he said. He attributed the rush to cold weather in Bihar, government holidays and the pleasant climate in Andaman.
He added that after Andaman, Manali has seen the highest number of bookings, while Goa continues to remain an evergreen destination. “Goa attracts tourists in every season,” he said.
For international travel, Thailand, Dubai and Malaysia have emerged as the top choices this year. Khemka noted that honeymoon couples are largely opting for Shimla and Manali, while families are travelling together due to school holidays. “I have received over 100 bookings so far for the New Year. This is peak season globally, which is why several destinations are facing hotel shortages,” he said.
Industry experts explained that during the Indigo crisis, flight availability issues, operational challenges and a sudden surge in demand led to cancellations and rescheduling, pushing airfares up sharply. This made travel difficult for many passengers. However, after the government imposed airfare caps, airlines were forced to bring prices under control, easing the situation and helping New Year travel regain momentum.
