A TheYouthTalks Intelligence Brief | India’s Top 100 Gen Z Brands 2026

For decades, travel and hospitality brands competed on familiar promises.

More destinations.

Better prices.

Comfortable stays.

Convenient bookings.

The assumption was simple: travellers chose brands that made journeys easier.

Gen Z is quietly redefining what travel means.

Our survey of more than 5,000 Indian college students suggests that young consumers are no longer choosing travel brands simply because they help them reach a destination. They are choosing brands that make exploration feel more accessible, spontaneous and memorable.

Travel is no longer just about getting somewhere.

It has become a way of experiencing freedom.

The Big Finding: Being Booked Isn’t the Same as Being Loved

Cleartrip emerged as one of the most widely used travel platforms in our research, reflecting its accessibility and familiarity among young consumers.

Yet when students were asked an unprompted question—“Which travel or hospitality brand do you genuinely love?”—the category looked very different.

MakeMyTrip emerged as the strongest emotional brand, while Zostel demonstrated one of the highest abilities to transform travellers into passionate advocates.

The distinction matters.

Convenience creates transactions.

Experiences create loyalty.

Many brands help consumers book journeys.

Only a few become part of the stories they remember afterwards.

In travel, memories compound faster than bookings.

Travel Has Entered the Experience Economy

At TheYouthTalks, we measure this shift through our Love Score—the relationship between brand usage and unprompted consumer preference.

Within travel and hospitality, the score reveals something traditional booking data cannot explain.

Some brands help people travel.

Others become part of the experience itself.

Zostel stands out by converting modest usage into exceptional emotional preference, while Cleartrip highlights a different challenge: broad adoption without comparable emotional attachment.

The lesson is becoming increasingly clear.

Transactions move people.

Experiences move emotions.

Great Journeys Begin Long Before the Trip

Travel marketing often celebrates breathtaking destinations.

Gen Z begins somewhere much simpler.

Location and accessibility emerged as the strongest purchase driver, followed by affordability and the quality of the experience itself.

Together, these factors account for the overwhelming majority of travel decisions.

Young consumers are remarkably practical.

They want destinations that are easy to reach, experiences that feel worth the investment and memories that justify both their time and money.

Adventure still matters.

But convenience is increasingly becoming the gateway to adventure.

The strongest travel brands understand that every unforgettable journey begins with removing friction.

Every Great Trip Begins With a Recommendation

Travel has always been social.

For Gen Z, it has become collaborative.

Nine in ten respondents said they influence where friends and family travel, while virtually every respondent could immediately name a favourite travel brand.

This creates one of the most powerful recommendation economies in the consumer world.

People rarely recommend booking platforms.

They recommend experiences.

Brands such as MakeMyTrip, Goibibo and OYO increasingly benefit because consumers do more than complete transactions.

They share itineraries.

Recommend stays.

Forward discount links.

Relive memories.

In travel, every satisfied customer becomes the beginning of someone else’s journey.

Every Brand Plays a Different Role

Viewed through both usage and emotional preference, three strategic positions emerge.

Champions such as MakeMyTrip, Goibibo and OYO successfully transform bookings into lasting emotional loyalty.

Workhorses, including Cleartrip, IRCTC Tourism and FabHotels, enjoy broad awareness but have opportunities to deepen emotional engagement beyond convenience alone.

Meanwhile, Niche Darlings like Zostel, Sterling Holidays, Marriott International and Club Mahindra Holidays demonstrate that memorable experiences can generate extraordinary advocacy even without dominating market share.

The next generation of leaders will not simply make travel easier.

They will make travel unforgettable.

Three Strategic Lessons for Travel & Hospitality Leaders

1. Convenience Creates Bookings. Memories Create Loyalty.

Consumers may choose a platform because it is easy.

They return because it becomes part of experiences worth remembering.

2. Every Journey Is an Emotional Product.

Travel brands are not simply selling transportation or accommodation.

They are helping create some of the most meaningful memories in a young person’s life.

3. Recommendations Are the New Travel Agent.

The strongest marketing no longer comes from advertising campaigns.

It comes from friends sharing places they cannot stop talking about.

Monday Morning Memo for Travel & Hospitality Leaders

Before launching your next destination campaign or booking feature, ask three questions.

Are we making travel cheaper—or making it more meaningful?

What memory will travellers associate with our brand long after the trip ends?

If customers recommended us tomorrow, what story would they tell?

The answers may matter far more than your next promotional offer.

TheYouthTalks Verdict

India’s travel and hospitality industry is entering the experience economy.

The next generation of category leaders will not be defined solely by lower prices, larger inventories or faster booking engines.

They will be remembered for making travel feel more accessible, more personal and more unforgettable.

Gen Z increasingly rewards brands that remove barriers while creating experiences worth sharing with others.

Because in the future of travel, consumers won’t simply remember where they went.

They will remember the brands that helped them discover who they became along the way.

 

Download the Complete Gen Z Adored Brands Report

This article highlights just one chapter of a much larger story. The full TheYouthTalks Gen Z Adored Brands Report analyses how more than 5,000 young Indians perceive and emotionally connect with brands across multiple industries—from automobiles and smartphones to fashion, food, finance, entertainment and beyond. If you’re a marketer, founder, researcher or business leader looking to understand what truly drives the next generation of consumers, download the complete report and explore the insights shaping the future of brand building in India.

Access your complimentary copy at TheYouthTalks Gen Z Adored Brands: https://theyouthtalks.com/genz-adored-brands/