IRCTC Tourism

What IRCTC Tourism does

IRCTC Tourism is the consumer-facing tourism portal operated by Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC), a Public Sector Undertaking under India's Ministry of Railways. The platform (irctctourism.com) and accompanying iOS/Android applications (4.1 Play Store rating) provide an integrated booking experience spanning domestic and international tour packages, hotels, flights, buses, railway retiring rooms, station lounges, charter services, cruise/ferry bookings, adventure treks, helicopter tourism (Heli Yatra), and specialty tourist trains including the luxury Maharajas' Express, Golden Chariot, Buddhist Circuit Train, and Bharat Gaurav. Headquartered in New Delhi with ~103 employees, the division serves individual travelers (B2C) across pilgrimage, leisure, workation, and wellness segments, with primary customers being Indian families and pilgrims seeking organized, all-inclusive packages to destinations across India and select international markets in Southeast Asia, South Asia, East Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

The platform is architecturally a multi-modal travel marketplace aggregating supply from hotel chains (OYO, Fab Hotels, Ginger Hotels, Sterling Holidays, plus state tourism boards like KTDC and MP Tourism), airline inventory, and railway-side assets (retiring rooms, lounges, dedicated tourist trains). Pricing is unit-based per package with broad range — from Rs. 4,675 per person for budget workation products to Rs. 1,37,500+ for premium international itineraries — supported by part-payment (25–30% initial) and EMI options through partner banks. Distribution is omnichannel: website, mobile app, IRCTC counters at railway stations across India, registered travel agents, and partner airline integrations. Marketing leverages a content blog, social channels, and the Incredible India partnership.

Revenue is generated through one-time tour package sales, transaction-fee commissions on hotel bookings, retiring-room bookings, and premium pricing on specialty tourist trains. As a wholly government-owned entity, the business has no external equity funding and is not separately disclosed for revenue, but operates within the IRCTC parent ecosystem that provides brand, distribution, and regulatory access to Indian Railways infrastructure — the core source of competitive differentiation.

Name

IRCTC Tourism

Legal name

Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited

Website

https://irctctourism.com

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

IRCTC Tourism, a Government of India PSU portal under IRCTC, sells domestic and international tour packages, hotel/flight/bus bookings, luxury tourist trains, and workation and wellness packages to individual Indian travelers across multi-channel online and railway-counter distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel and Tourism Services

NAICS

Travel Agencies (561510), Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAKAHAE

Hindu Pilgrimage (Tirtha Yatra) Travel Agencies

Travel & Hospitality/Travel Agencies, Tour Operators & OTAs/Religious & Pilgrimage Travel Agencies

SECONDARYTHAKAHAK

Pilgrimage Packages (Air-Inclusive) Tour Operators

Travel & Hospitality/Travel Agencies, Tour Operators & OTAs/Religious & Pilgrimage Travel Agencies

SECONDARYTHAKABAD

Adventure & Active Travel Agencies

Travel & Hospitality/Travel Agencies, Tour Operators & OTAs/Traditional/Retail Travel Agencies

Keywords

• Tour package services
• Pilgrimage tourism
• Hotel booking platform
• Tourist train services
• Travel booking platform

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tour Package Sales: IRCTC Tourism generates primary revenue through sale of domestic and international tour packages that include rail/air travel, accommodation, meals, and sightseeing. Packages range from budget-friendly pilgrimage tours to luxury tourist train experiences.
2. Hotel Booking Commission: Commission earned from hotel bookings through IRCTC's hotel portal (hotel.irctctourism.com) with partnerships with various hotel chains and properties across India
3. Retiring Room Bookings: Revenue from booking retiring rooms at railway stations across India for travelers needing rest during transit
4. Special Tourist Trains: Premium pricing for specialized tourist trains including Bharat Gaurav, Buddhist Train, Golden Chariot, and Maharajas' Express offering luxury rail experiences

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IRCTC Tourism operates an integrated online travel platform that sells domestic and international tour packages, hotel reservations, flight, bus, and train tickets, plus specialty tourist train services. The portfolio includes curated pilgrimage tours, luxury trains (Maharajas' Express, Golden Chariot, Bharat Gaurav), workation and wellness packages, retiring rooms, lounges, helicopter services, cruise/ferry, and charter trains, all accessible via website and mobile apps and backed by Indian Railways infrastructure.

Product overview

IRCTC Tourism is a comprehensive travel platform operated by Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation, offering an integrated ecosystem of travel services. The core platform (irctctourism.com) enables booking of domestic and international tour packages, hotels, flights, trains, and buses. The product portfolio includes specialty tourist trains (Bharat Gaurav, Buddhist Train, Golden Chariot, Maharajas' Express), helicopter services (Heli Yatra), adventure packages (Trek), water transport (Cruise/Ferry), and station amenities (Retiring Rooms, Lounges). Premium niche offerings include Work from Hotel packages (workation), Wellness Retreats, Pilgrimage Tours, and Charter Services. All services are accessible via the main website and mobile applications, with partner integrations for hotel chains (OYO, Fab Hotels, Sterling, Ginger Hotels) and payment gateways (PayTm, RazorPay, HDFC, SBI, PineLabs, AMEX).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bharat Gaurav: Tourist train service showcasing India's heritage and cultural landmarks.
• Buddhist Train
• Maharajas' Express
• Golden Chariot
• Heli Yatra
• Work From Hotel

Products and services

• Domestic Tour Packages All-inclusive domestic holiday packages covering Indian destinations (Agra, Andaman, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Ladakh, Ooty, Rajasthan, and regional tours). Bundles land/air/rail transport, accommodation, meals, and sightseeing for Indian families and groups.
• International Tour Packages Overseas holiday packages covering Europe, Japan, Nepal, Singapore-Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, UAE, and Vietnam. Includes flights, visa support, accommodation, and sightseeing.
• Pilgrimage Tour Packages Religious and pilgrimage tour packages including Chardham, Puri, Rameswaram, Shirdi, Tirupati, Ujjain, Vaishno Devi, Varanasi, Ramayana Tour, Jyotirlinga Yatra, Buddhist Circuit, and South India temple tours. Targets Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims seeking organized darshan experiences.
• Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train Deluxe AC tourist train service operated by IRCTC offering curated rail journeys to prominent Indian destinations including Himalayan tours, North India circuits, and pilgrimage yatras. All-inclusive packages include train travel, accommodation, meals, and sightseeing.
• Buddhist Circuit Train Special tourist train service covering the Buddhist pilgrimage circuit including major Buddhist heritage sites across India for spiritual and cultural tourism.
• Maharajas' Express Luxury heritage train offering premium all-inclusive packages covering major tourist destinations in India with world-class amenities.
• Golden Chariot Luxury tourist train covering destinations in Karnataka and South India, offering premium rail travel experience with heritage and cultural tourism.
• Heli Yatra Helicopter tourism service for aerial travel experiences, particularly to pilgrimage destinations including Vaishno Devi and other hill stations.
• IRCTC Hotels Hotel booking service offering accommodations across India from budget hotels to luxury properties. Partners include Fab Hotels, OYO Rooms, Sterling Holidays, Ginger Hotels, and heritage properties.
• Retiring Rooms Station-side accommodation facilities available at railway stations for travelers requiring short stays between train connections.
• Lounge Services Premium airport and station lounge access services for travelers seeking comfortable waiting areas with amenities.
• IRCTC Air Booking Flight booking service for domestic and international air travel integrated within the IRCTC tourism platform.
• IRCTC Bus Booking Bus ticket booking service for road travel across India, integrated with the IRCTC platform for comprehensive travel planning.
• Cruise/Ferry Services Water-based tourism experiences including ferry services and cruise packages for coastal and island destinations.
• Adventure/Trek Packages Adventure tourism packages including trekking experiences in various locations across India for thrill-seeking travelers.
• Charter Services Private train charter services for groups, families, or corporate travel with customizable itineraries and exclusive train access.
• Work from Hotel Packages Workation packages combining hotel accommodation with remote work facilities including WiFi, meals, secure parking, and travel insurance. Destinations across Kerala, Odisha, and West Bengal. Launched in 2021.
• Wellness Retreat Packages Health and wellness tourism packages featuring Ayurveda, naturopathy, yoga, and spa treatments at designated wellness centers in Kolkata and Bhubaneswar. Launched in 2021.
• Vietnam Tourism Package 9 Nights/10 Days international tour package covering Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Package price starting from Rs. 1,37,500 per person. Launched in 2024.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRCTC partnered with KTDC for work-from-hotel packages in Kerala, utilizing KTDC hotels in leading tourist destinations like Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram, Alleppey, Kumarakom, Cochin, Thekkady, Munnar, and Wayanad
• Sterling HolidayscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHotel partner providing mid-to-luxury accommodation options for IRCTC tour packages across various destinations in India including Odisha and other regions
• OYO RoomsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBudget hotel partner offering affordable accommodation options for economic tour packages in major cities across India
• Ginger HotelsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBudget hotel chain partner for affordable and standardized accommodation in IRCTC tour packages targeting cost-conscious travelers
• Fab HotelsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMid-range hotel partner offering comfortable accommodation options for IRCTC packages in major Indian cities
• MP TourismminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState tourism board partnership for promoting tourism packages in Madhya Pradesh region
• Incredible IndiacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial partnership with Incredible India initiative (Ministry of Tourism, Government of India) for promoting Indian tourism destinations on IRCTC platforms
• Buddhist Train / IRCTC Buddhist CircuitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial Buddhist circuit train service covering major Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India for spiritual tourists
• Golden ChariotcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLuxury tourist train service covering destinations in Karnataka and South India, operated in partnership with Karnataka State Tourism
• Maharajas' ExpresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremium luxury tourist train offering curated rail journeys to destinations across India with all-inclusive luxury experiences

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Expedia: Global online travel platform offering packages, flights, hotels, and car rentals. Competes with IRCTC Tourism on international holiday packages, especially for Indian outbound travellers, but lacks India's rail-tourism integration.
• Booking.com: Global OTA and meta-search leader with extensive hotel, flight, and attraction inventory. Competes for international and outbound leisure bookings from Indian travellers, but does not specialise in rail-based or pilgrimage tours.

Emerging players

• Viator (Tripadvisor): Global tours, activities, and experiences marketplace. Competes on experiences-led discovery and booking, which intersects with IRCTC Tourism's sightseeing and adventure offerings, but lacks rail-based packaging.

Direct peers

• Yatra Online: Indian OTA offering holiday packages, flights, hotels, and trains. Directly competes with IRCTC Tourism on package bookings and ancillary services, with a private-sector technology and pricing posture.
• Thomas Cook (India): Long-established Indian tour operator with domestic, international, pilgrimage, and MICE offerings. Closest comparable in tour-package mix, including religious circuits, and competes for the same family and pilgrimage customer base.
• SOTC Travel: Indian tour operator with a broad portfolio spanning leisure, pilgrimage, corporate, and customised holidays. Directly comparable in package-led travel and competes with IRCTC Tourism across budget and premium segments.
• Cleartrip: Indian OTA (owned by Flipkart) offering flights, hotels, trains, and activities. Comparable in multi-modal travel booking and competes for the same leisure traveller cohort as IRCTC Tourism.
• Cox & Kings: Historic Indian tour operator with leisure, pilgrimage, and international holiday packages. Comparable in long-haul tour offerings and pilgrimage circuits; currently in resolution, making it a structurally weaker direct peer.
• MakeMyTrip: India's largest OTA, offering domestic and international holiday packages, flights, hotels, and buses. Directly competes with IRCTC Tourism on tour packages and air ticketing, with a stronger digital UX but no rail moat.

Others

• Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC): Government of Kerala undertaking that partners with IRCTC Tourism on work-from-hotel and Kerala tour packages. Functions as both supplier and adjacent state tourism body, occasionally competing for direct bookings on the same destinations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IRCTCofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/irctctourism

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IRCTC Tourism