Indian women are redefining the travel landscape, not just with smarter spending but by actively leading the planning and decision-making for most family vacations. Recent data reveals that their choices and habits are reshaping the industry, focusing on meaningful experiences, value for money, and greater safety.
Women Shape Travel Decisions
A recent survey by Thrillophilia, an AI-powered multi-day tours platform, highlights a significant shift in Indian households: women now influence or design 72% of India's trips.
This means women are the driving force behind everything from filtering and budgeting to curating the family's travel experience. They book trips earlier-on average, nine days in advance-allowing for stable itineraries and reducing cancellations by 18%.
Women also read more reviews, examine more photos, and circulate plans within family or friends' groups, ensuring thorough research before finalizing any trip. Interestingly, even when women handle every detail, 62% of payments for women-planned couple trips are still made by men.
Smarter Spending, Not Higher Spending
The data also shows that women travellers are not spending more, but spending smarter. Their travel carts feature 28% more premium upgrades: such as boutique stays, spa treatments, wellness walks, and flexible schedules-yet their overall spend is only 6% higher than men's.
The choices reflect a 'smart luxury' aesthetic: thoughtful, indulgent, but never flashy. Safety is also a priority, with women applying more than three times as many safety filters, leading to a 23% drop in trip emergencies and SOS calls.
Evolving Preferences
When travelling domestically, women favour destinations known for slow and value-centric experiences like Rajasthan and Kerala, with Goa being the third most popular.
Internationally, they tend to select a balance of value and luxury in places such as Bali, Dubai-Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
When travelling with children or family, women choose relaxed mornings, one marquee activity, and early dinners-resulting in 7% fewer reschedules and smoother, more predictable trips.
A Growing 'She-Planner' Economy
The most dramatic surge in women-led travel planning is emerging from Tier 2 Indian cities. Destinations like Indore, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, and Jaipur are seeing rapid growth, with Indore alone reporting a 31% year-on-year increase.
Thrillophilia's co-founder, Chitra Gurnani Daga, describes India's leisure travel market as transforming into a "She-Planner economy," driven by women's preference for smarter itineraries, earlier bookings, and safety-first choices.