- Airbnb: Maharashtra leads event-led tourism in India.
- Large events are increasing travel demand statewide.
- Events also generate an economic multiplier effect.
MAHARASHTRA LEADS AS a destination for event-led tourism in India, driven by concerts, sporting events and cultural festivals, according to an Airbnb report. Large-scale events are increasing travel demand across the state.
The Airbnb report, “Unlocking Maharashtra’s Event Economy: Powering Tourism and Local Communities,” showed that during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 matches in Maharashtra, nights stayed rose 50 percent year over year, while guest check-ins increased nearly 75 percent during match periods.
“Events are increasingly shaping how people travel and Maharashtra is already seeing how this translates into longer stays and more local economic activity,” said Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s country head for India and Southeast Asia. “As the state continues to attract large-scale events, ensuring sufficient flexible accommodation will be key to supporting visitor demand and enabling more communities to participate in and benefit from tourism growth.”
Similarly, Coldplay concerts in Mumbai drove a 100 percent increase in nights booked and a 170 percent rise in guest arrivals, indicating a shift to multi-day travel, the study found. Lollapalooza India 2026 recorded a 50-fold increase in bookings year over year, with the festival weekend accounting for more than 80 percent of Mumbai’s bookings in January.
Travel behavior is shifting, particularly among younger travelers planning trips around events, Airbnb said. Average spending on event-led travel is about $538 per trip, with many allocating 21 to 40 percent of their monthly income to music and cultural experiences.
The report also found an economic multiplier effect from events. Industry estimates suggest that for every $10.50 spent on a concert ticket, an additional $16 to 21 is generated across the tourism economy, including accommodation, transport and local services.
Airbnb said that during peak demand, its platform expands accommodation capacity by enabling stays in local neighborhoods, supporting distributed economic benefits. In 2025, Airbnb guest spending contributed more than $832 million to India’s economy and supported about 222,000 jobs across sectors.
Rahul Sharma, managing director for India at the US-India Business Council, said India’s experiential travel economy is expanding and destinations like Maharashtra—with the scale, connectivity and event pipeline to anchor the event economy—will lead the next phase of tourism growth.
With the right infrastructure and ecosystem, event-led travel can drive tourism growth, increase visitor spending and broaden community participation across Maharashtra, the report said.
Navi Mumbai International Airport will expand domestic flights to 46 destinations in its first summer schedule from March 29 to October 24, following its commercial launch in December 2025.
