Increase in Inter-State Travel by 27% During Lok Sabha Elections: Election Tourism on the Rise

Travel platforms like ixigo and AbhiBus have observed significant shifts in travel patterns during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. As the world’s largest democracy, India offers a unique form of election tourism, attracting citizens who are deeply committed to democratic participation.

Rohit Sharma, COO of AbhiBus (ixigo bus business), highlighted the fascinating phenomenon of election tourism, emphasizing the citizens’ dedication to democratic engagement. The analysis of bus travel trends during the recent elections revealed a remarkable surge in intra-state travel across states like Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.

AbhiBus’s data indicated a substantial increase in bus travel demand during the election season, with Tamil Nadu experiencing a 27% rise, Odisha 10%, Bihar 16%, Rajasthan 26%, and Uttar Pradesh 24%. Moreover, there was notable inter-state travel, with a 21% increase in bus travel from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu, suggesting cross-border voter mobilization.

Additionally, ixigo’s analysis of one-way average airfares for various routes showed a year-on-year increase in prices. For instance, the airfare from New Delhi to Ahmedabad in 2024 was Rs 4,735, marking a 22% increase from the previous year. Similarly, routes like Hyderabad to Vishakhapatnam, New Delhi to Lucknow, and Pune to Nagpur also saw significant price hikes.

Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, India’s inbound tourism sector has witnessed a resurgence, with foreign tourist arrivals increasing by 64% in 2023 compared to the previous year. However, the sector still lags 15.5% below pre-pandemic levels recorded in 2019, according to the Ministry of Tourism.