Cities, hills, beaches at risk: Why your vacation won't feel the same

Learn how climate change is reshaping when, where, and how Indians travel.

It was the perfect plan.

Visit the landscapes of Kashmir and experience one of India’s most popular holiday destinations. That is what 26-year-old Neha Reddy decided to do at the beginning of 2024 when she embarked on a solo trip to experience what she hoped would be her first snowfall.

“That's what I was expecting. I had researched, and I found that it is the time for snowfall,” she said. “The places I went to were not even places where you wouldn’t expect snowfall. These are the places known for skiing, so essentially, snowfall is mandatory.”

Reddy was disappointed.

She did not find what she was looking for and admitted she had completed the trip only because she had paid for it: “It was really a bummer.”

Turns out, she is not the only one who has travelled in recent years and come back with discontent as a souvenir.

Climate change is rewriting the rules of when, where, and how Indians travel.

India’s tourism sector is one of the largest and most geographically diverse in the world, drawing travellers to snow-covered Himalayan passes, lush coastal backwaters, ancient desert fortresses, and dense wildlife reserves. Add to that the unique appeal of major cities, where culture and history marry the modern world every day.

Estimates from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) indicate that travel and tourism contributed roughly 9% to India’s GDP in 2024. In the same year, Indian domestic travellers spent $185.6 billion on tourism; 22.2% more than in 2019, helping the tourism sector’s contribution to GDP grow by 19.9% compared to pre-pandemic levels.

But this vast industry is also heavily reliant on the climate and is therefore facing hostile conditions as the planet continues to warm.

“In recent years, climate change has shifted from being a distant environmental concern to a direct disruptor of travel experiences,” said Prof Barun Kumar Thakur, Faculty of Environmental Economics at FLAME University in Pune.

Climate change is reshaping travel patterns, shortening traditional peak seasons, and intensifying pressure on fragile ecosystems already facing over-tourism.

Mountains to Coastlines: A Country Under Siege

India provides its people with unique holiday destinations, from hill stations to coastal towns to sprawling cities. And all these destinations are facing climate impacts in their own way.

In the Himalayas, the primary threat is glacial retreat and the increasingly erratic weather it produces. Glaciers across the Hindu Kush–Himalayan region are retreating rapidly due to rising temperatures.

Data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Ministry of Earth Sciences have projections suggesting temperature rises of up to 4–5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century under high-emissions scenarios.

Mahima Dutta, a lawyer, experienced a preview firsthand during her trip to Ladakh in June 2025. Her husband, who had visited the region in 2021, had advised her to pack for the chilly weather ahead. She visited Ladakh with a bundle of jackets and sweaters, but the couple struggled to sport any of them in the warm temperatures that greeted them.

“We wore jackets only to protect ourselves from the sun,” she recalled. “And it was so tough to roam around in the day.”

Dutta also recalled speaking to locals in Nubra Valley and hearing about how temperatures are increasing significantly each year.

“They [locals] even said that snow rarely lasts longer in Ladakh, making the region lose out on cooler temperatures.”

How a changing climate ruins your vacation is not confined to places sitting at high altitudes. The effects are felt on India’s coasts, where the threats are different but equally serious.

Coastal and island destinations are among the most impacted, as their appeal is closely tied to weather and natural ecosystems, said Vikram Puri, founder and managing director of Archer Hospitality, a luxury hospitality group based in several locations, including Goa.

“In Goa, summers are becoming harsher and starting earlier, almost from mid-March, which directly impacts outdoor experiences and shortens the traditional peak leisure window,” said Puri. “As a result, travellers are adjusting their plans, shifting dates, shortening stays, or opting for periods that were earlier considered off-season.”

Rohit Pandey, a 40-year-old Mumbai resident, has been a frequent traveller to Goa for years, and has watched his preferred destination transform.

“It’s much hotter now than it used to be,” Pandey said. “Back then, we would visit and find the weather to be nice and windy. Now it’s become so hot that most people prefer to stay indoors during the day and only go out to experience the nightlife.”

Then, there are India’s cities.

Apart from the annual spells of heavy pollution and water stress, cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, and Bengaluru are becoming increasingly difficult to spend quality time in, especially during peak summer months.

These urban destinations are witnessing a sharp rise in extreme heat days, compounded by the urban heat island effect. The heat island effect occurs when concrete-heavy infrastructure traps heat, raising temperatures significantly above those in surrounding rural areas.

“Rising temperatures and an increase in extreme weather events such as heatwaves have directly impacted travel decisions and destination appeal,” said Ravi Gosain, the president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), a leading body representing India’s travel and tourism industry.

In recent years, heat has become a glaring problem as temperatures continue to rise.

The rising heat is also impacting the heritage sites and structures around India, putting at risk India’s centuries-old structures and rich history.

According to the IMD, 2024 was India’s warmest year on record, with temperatures rising more than 0.6 degrees Celsius above the long-term average, and all trends point to another scorching summer ahead in 2026.

What was once manageable summer warmth is now turning into prolonged and often unsafe heat exposure for travellers. This has a direct impact on how cities are experienced.

Sightseeing windows shrink to early mornings and late evenings, outdoor attractions rarely see crowds, and heat-related discomfort often guides travel decisions.

Abhijit Bose, 59, travelled to Bengaluru last year in early March and recalled facing extreme heat.

“I’ve never experienced such kind of weather there in March,” said Bose. “Even in Mysore, it was extremely hot during the day.

Bose reminisced about his visit to Bengaluru in 1995. Back then, the city was called the ‘Air-conditioned city of India’ due to its consistently serene weather.

“But things have completely changed,” Bose said.

Is the Holiday Season Itself Shifting?

For generations, Indian travel followed a broadly predictable calendar. Hill stations saw crowds in summer, looking to escape the heat. Beach destinations peaked from October to February, with people trying to avoid the monsoon.

That rhythm is now fracturing as the weather grows more unpredictable.

India experienced extreme weather events on 93% of days in the first nine months of 2024, according to a report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth.

The trend got worse in 2025, with extreme weather reported on 99% of days during the same period.

When extreme weather becomes near-constant rather than seasonal, the traditional concept of an ideal travel window becomes a myth. And that is what's happening.

“There is a clear shift in timing. Many travellers are moving away from peak summer months in hotter regions and choosing shoulder seasons like spring and early autumn,” said Sandeep Arora, Director of Brightsun Travel, India.

How has 2026 been so far?

India’s weather in 2026 has swung dramatically between extremes, blurring the line between seasons.

Winter in 2026 ended prematurely, as early as February, with warm conditions setting in and pointing to a shift in regular seasonal patterns.

As March began, people were ready to head to the hills to escape the unseasonal heat. But the weather changed again.

In April alone, parts of the country saw heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and hail.

This recent temperature swing was yet another instance of how climate change continues to impact daily lives and upend holiday plans.

Even brief periods of mild weather are now quickly overtaken by sharp temperature spikes of up to 6–8 degrees Celsius within days. These rapid and contrasting changes, from unseasonal rain to sudden heat surges, highlight a growing climate instability.

Instead of gradual transitions between seasons, India is increasingly experiencing abrupt and unpredictable weather swings, raising questions about whether people, ecosystems, and popular holiday destinations can adapt.

If the situation remains unchanged, future scenarios will see rising costs of travel and accommodation, linked directly to climate disruptions. That will further change how, where and when people travel.

India’s holiday landscape remains one of its unique assets. But the evidence is enough to show that it’s under sustained risk of degrading over the years. The window to respond is narrowing with each passing season.

As for those planning a vacation this year, the wise thing would be to study the destinations and their risks, hopefully pick the right time to visit, pay the amount, and cross your fingers.

This article has valuable insights of Prof. Barun Kumar Thakur, Faculty of Economics, FLAME University.