From summit selfies to stadium seats: Father’s Day travel trends shaping family outings | News

This Father’s Day, Indian families are increasingly trading conventional gifts for shared experiences and meaningful travel. Instead of celebrating with material gifts, travelers are opting for vacations where they can spend quality time together, pursue common interests and create lasting memories.
Insights from Thomas Cook India Ltd. and SOTC Travel, Father’s Day travel is evolving into a celebration of experiences – whether it’s conquering a mountain trail together, taking an epic road trip, attending a sporting event, enjoying a nature adventure or simply relaxing over a long weekend.

1. Peak bonding: fathers and children go out
Adventure travel continues to resonate strongly with dads who love the outdoors. Families are increasingly opting for trekking holidays that combine physical activity, scenic landscapes and uninterrupted time together.
Popular experiences include trekking through the Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand, exploring the alpine meadows of Kashmir, walks along the coffee trails in Coorg and walking with living roots in Meghalaya. Internationally, travelers choose scenic hiking experiences in Switzerland, New Zealand’s South Island, Japan’s rural trails and South Korea’s national parks. Beyond the trek itself, the appeal lies in shared milestones – from reaching a summit together to capturing memorable father-child moments against spectacular mountain backdrops.

2. The great revival of the Indian road trip
Road trips remain one of the most popular Father’s Day travel formats, driven by flexibility, spontaneity and nostalgia. Many fathers enjoy getting behind the wheel, which makes a holiday with your own car an ideal celebration.
Popular experiences include driving through the dramatic mountain passes of Ladakh, exploring the heritage circuit of Rajasthan, cruising the coastal roads of Karnataka and discovering hidden villages in the Western Ghats. Internationally, scenic drives through New Zealand, Australia’s Great Ocean Road, Switzerland’s Alpine routes and Portugal’s coastal landscapes are gaining popularity. Families are increasingly planning trips around local food discoveries, scenic pit stops and unusual attractions, making the trip itself the highlight.

3. Sporting experiences are central
A growing number of families are planning trips around sporting passions. Instead of simply watching a game at home, travelers are turning sporting events into unforgettable family experiences.
There is strong traveler interest in cricket matches in major Indian cities, Formula 1 races in Singapore and Abu Dhabi, tennis tournaments in Australia and France, football matches across Spain and sporting experiences in Britain and Europe. For many fathers, attending a live sporting event with their children becomes a bucket list experience that combines travel, entertainment and shared passion.

4. Wildlife Safaris: Creating family stories in the wild
Wildlife experiences are emerging as one of the most attractive travel trends for Father’s Day. Families choose safaris that offer excitement, discovery and opportunities to break away from the screen and reconnect with nature.
Destinations like Ranthambore, Kabini, Jim Corbett, Gir and Kaziranga remain favourites. Internationally, there is also increasing interest in wildlife encounters in Kenya, Sri Lanka, Australia, Mauritius and New Zealand. Experiences range from tiger tracking and jeep safaris to whale watching, dolphin cruises, bird watching expeditions and wildlife photography sessions, creating memorable stories that families will talk about long after the holiday is over.

5. Multi-generational holidays: three generations, one party
Father’s Day is increasingly becoming a family celebration, with grandparents, parents and children traveling together. Destinations such as Kerala, Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan continue to attract multi-generational groups as they offer experiences for every age group – from houseboat stays and heritage walks to cultural performances, nature excursions and local culinary experiences. Europe, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Mauritius, Japan and Switzerland remain popular choices for multi-generational families thanks to their accessibility, safety, family-friendly attractions and varied experiences.
To increase comfort and flexibility, many families choose Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel’s Private Van Tours, which offer personalized sightseeing, dedicated transportation and the convenience of traveling together at their own pace, making celebrations seamless and memorable for every generation.

6. Wellness for Dads: The Rise of Slow Travel
Many families recognize that the best gift for fathers is simply time to relax. This has led to a growing interest in wellness-focused escapes and luxury staycations.
Popular experiences include Ayurveda retreats in Kerala, luxury wellness resorts in the Himalayas, vineyard stays, forest retreats and spa-focused holidays in Goa. International destinations such as Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Thailand and Bali are witnessing an increasing demand for wellness holidays, spa retreats and slow travel experiences. Instead of busy routes, travelers opt for more meaningful trips that focus on relaxation, well-being and quality time with the family.

7. Fast international escapes with high experience value
Short-haul international destinations continue to attract families looking for a memorable Father’s Day getaway without the need for extended leave.
Travelers are increasingly choosing experiences such as night safaris and family attractions in Singapore, island hopping in Thailand, beach holidays in Malaysia, cultural discoveries in South Korea and Japan, wellness holidays in Sri Lanka and luxury experiences in Abu Dhabi and Mauritius. These destinations offer the perfect mix of convenience, adventure and family-friendly experiences within a short travel window.

8. Passion Travel: Vacations built around Dad’s interests
One of the strongest emerging trends is passion travel, with families designing entire vacations around their father’s hobbies and interests.
Whether it’s a photography expedition in Ladakh, a golf holiday in Thailand, vineyard experiences in France and Portugal, culinary routes through Japan, Spain and Malaysia, whiskey and food experiences in Scotland, cycling holidays in New Zealand, nature photography in Sri Lanka or historic train journeys through Switzerland: travelers are increasingly personalizing trips to celebrate what fathers enjoy most.

The bigger trend: experiences over gifts
Father’s Day travel reflects a broader shift in consumer behavior, where experiences, emotional connections and shared memories are taking precedence over traditional gifts. Families are increasingly seeing travel as a meaningful way to celebrate fathers, creating moments that last far longer than one day and strengthening bonds through shared journeys and unforgettable experiences.