India’s intercity bus travel market is seeing a big shift from festival-focused demand to year-round planning, according to data from IntrCity SmartBus. Winter travel has become especially important — advance bookings for December–January rose about 33 % compared with last year, and people are booking much earlier, with the average planning time now around 20 days.
Winter trips now make up nearly 55 % of total yearly holiday planning, driven by a pattern of long weekends and longer experience-led journeys. Travellers are choosing buses not just for price, but also for reliability, safety and better overall experience.
According to Manish Rathi, Co-founder and CEO of IntrCity SmartBus, 2025 showed a clear change in how people use intercity buses. Demand is no longer tied only to festival season; people are travelling more often throughout the year and are prioritising comfort and quality.
This trend — with travellers booking earlier, taking longer trips and focusing on experience — is helping position intercity buses as an important part of India’s transport network. It also points to long-term growth potential for organised, digitally enabled bus travel across the country.
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