Did an OTT hit leave you feeling the pull of northeastern India? You’re not alone. A growing number of travellers are turning that screen-inspired wanderlust into real journeys, as the country's entertainment and travel trends intersect.

According to an ixigo report, popular OTT series are now playing a clear role in nudging travellers towards the Northeast. According to the travel booking platform, destinations such as Imphal, Dimapur and Agartala saw a sharp rise in flight bookings over the year, coinciding with the release of popular shows that featured the region prominently. These series include: The Family Man (Season 3), Paatal Lok (Season 2) and Delhi Crime (Season 3).

The OTT hits have brought the northeast’s landscapes and cultural depth to mainstream audiences, triggering interest in places that have traditionally remained off the tourist radar, PTI reported. This interest translated into travel demand in 2025. Ixigo reported strong year-on-year growth in flight bookings to several northeastern cities, including Dimapur, Agartala, Guwahati, Imphal and Itanagar. The trend was also highlighted in ixigo’s The Great Indian Travel Index 2025, which noted a significant surge in bookings to key cities across the region, reinforcing the growing influence of screen exposure on travel choices.

The report also revealed broader shifts in Indian travel behaviour during the year. Internationally, Japan and South Korea emerged as the most-booked destinations for Indian travellers on ixigo in 2025. A wider preference for East and Southeast Asia was evident, with Vietnam and Thailand gaining popularity alongside steady demand for Sri Lanka and Indonesia. At the same time, destinations beyond Asia, including Oman, Kenya, Kazakhstan, the UAE, Uzbekistan and Qatar, also saw rising interest, reflecting an appetite for newer and less conventional global destinations. Domestically, spiritual tourism recorded a strong upswing, driven largely by younger travellers. Maha Kumbh-related travel led to a spike in bookings to Prayagraj, with Gen Z bus bookings jumping nearly 20 times year-on-year. The intensity of demand during the Kumbh period was underscored by the most expensive domestic flight booked on ixigo in 2025, a Mumbai–Prayagraj ticket costing Rs 92,644. Commenting on the findings, Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO, and Rajnish Kumar, Group Co-CEO, ixigo, said, "What truly stood out in The Great Indian Travel Index 2025 was the scale and diversity of travel demand across the country.

Faith-led travel emerged as a powerful driver, with destinations like Varanasi alone witnessing nearly 147 million visits in 2025. At the same time, rising disposable incomes and better connectivity are helping expand the travel ecosystem beyond existing travellers". They further noted, "We're also seeing Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities increasingly shape India's travel narrative." Cities like Rishikesh, Indore, Nagpur, Bhopal, Lucknow, and Assam are driving strong demand across flights, trains, and buses, with several metro-to-emerging city bus routes experiencing YoY growth of nearly 80%. "Together, these trends reflect how travel in India is deeply rooted in culture, belief, and aspiration, cutting across age groups, geographies, and travel modes".