India has become Skyscanner's largest market by users, with searches from the country up 22% year over year against a global growth rate of 17%, Neel Ghose, travel trends and destinations expert at Skyscanner India, told Skift.

The more consequential shift for sellers of travel is in the booking mix. Three years ago, roughly 80% of Skyscanner's India redirects went to domestic trips and 20% to international. Today the split is 52% domestic and 48% international — nearly even, and a structural change in where Indian demand converts.

Ghose said the rebalancing reflects Skyscanner's deliberate push to reach first-time international travelers, alongside a broader shift in how Indians approach travel.

"There's more intent to travel, but people want to spend better," Ghose told journalists in Delhi while presenting Skyscanner's Travel Trends 2027 report.

What does the shorter booking window mean for revenue?

Indian travelers remain heavily last-minute. The average booking window in India is 28 days, roughly half that of several other major markets. Average trip length has fallen to 3.1 days, as travelers opt for shorter, more frequent breaks.

That combination is squeezing ancillary revenue. Interest in flight and hotel room upgrades has declined. Shorter stays also cut expected spend on tours and activities at each destination.

Where is the demand going?

Currency is steering destination choice. About two-thirds of Indian travelers surveyed said they would switch destinations for better value against the rupee. That value-seeking behavior is driving interest in Bishkek, Baku, and Tashkent, alongside Japan and Vietnam.

For DMOs and outbound sellers, the message is blunt: Indian travelers won't book a destination just because it is being marketed to them. They want to see the value first.

Is AI taking over the booking funnel?

Confidence in AI-assisted planning is high — 87% of those surveyed said they are comfortable using it to help plan and book trips. But Skyscanner cautioned that accuracy remains a concern, and the company said it does not yet have enough data to conclude that travelers are routinely handing over the booking itself.

The near-term implication for distribution: AI is influencing research and planning behavior at scale in Skyscanner's biggest user market, while the transaction still sits with established booking channels. How quickly that changes will depend on whether accuracy concerns ease enough for Indian travelers to trust AI with the payment step.