Moustache Group of Hotels has launched its latest backpacker hostel in Gangtok, marking the brand’s official entry into the Northeast and further strengthening its position in India’s youth-travel segment.
Moreover, the new property supports the company’s broader expansion strategy to add more than 40 hostels by FY 2028 across Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, in addition to its current portfolio of 18 properties.
The Northeast continues to witness rising tourism momentum, driven by enhanced connectivity and increasing global visibility. Furthermore, industry data indicates that the region welcomed 12.781 million domestic tourists and 0.244 million foreign visitors in 2024, while air traffic reached 11.2 million passengers. These developments have reinforced the region’s emergence as a high-potential market for experiential, social, and community-oriented accommodations.
Explaining the rationale behind the Gangtok launch, Abhishek Khandelwal, Founder and Director of the Moustache Group of Hotels, said, “Gangtok is one of the most visited destinations in the Northeast, with over 1.6 million domestic travelers arriving in 2023. For Moustache, Gangtok offered the right launchpad for this region because it brings culture, community, and adventure into one place. We see a thriving traveler base here, and this hostel is built to serve that energy.”
Additionally, outlining the company’s regional pipeline, Founder and Director Deepak Agarwal said, “The Northeast is core to our long-term strategy. We are actively exploring Shillong and Cherrapunji in Meghalaya, Pelling and Yuksom in Sikkim, Tawang in Assam, Dimapur in Nagaland, and Ziro in Arunachal as our next potential destinations. These locations have a growing backpacker culture, which makes them a natural fit for Moustache Hostels. Our hostel vertical will continue to lead this push since it is designed to be accessible, social, and traveler-first.”
Moustache Group currently operates across three verticals—Luxuria by Moustache, Moustache Select, and Moustache Hostels. Furthermore, the company aims to surpass 100 properties by 2028, with projected revenues expected to exceed Rs 200 crore.
