MakeMyTrip adds guided tours in 60+ cities as Independence Day travel demand rises
Independence Day weekend is lifting India travel and hotel demand, driven by last-minute short trips. Cleartrip reports stronger hotel and transport bookings, while MakeMyTrip has partnered with the Tourism Ministry to offer pre-bookable local guided tours in over 60 cities.
Read the source at Business Standard · CompaniesChannel facts
| IHG bookings higher by | 16-20% year-on-year |
|---|---|
| FAITH expects hotel bookings to rise | 15-20% |
| Hotel bookings rose | 21% week-on-week |
| Delhi bus bookings increased 53% and hotel bookings rose | 9% |
- 72% of Cleartrip bookings made in four days before Independence Day
- Gen Z travellers aged 25-34 accounted for 23% of bus bookings and 32% of air bookings
What it means for online and offline
The government-backed tours rollout creates a scalable attraction-supply layer, making destination-content and experience-platform partnerships strategically attractive.
Signals to track
- Share of hotel and transport bookings adding a guided-tour product.
- Booking growth in tier-2 and tier-3 destinations versus major leisure markets after the holiday period.
- Tour cancellation rates, customer ratings and operator fulfillment quality.
- Whether competitors such as Yatra, Cleartrip, ixigo and hotel chains launch comparable activity bundles.
- Sustained hotel booking growth after the Independence Day weekend and upcoming festive travel periods.
Likely next moves
The desk's read of what comes next — analysis, not reported by the source.
- Bundle guided tours with hotel, rail, flight and airport-transfer bookings at checkout.
- Use Tourism Ministry inventory and destination data to promote lesser-known cities and off-peak itineraries.
- Introduce dynamic discounts, loyalty rewards and family/group packages to lift activity attach rates.
- Compete for local operator supply, reviews and real-time availability before rival OTAs expand their experiences catalogs.
The counter-case
The demand spike may be a short-lived Independence Day calendar effect rather than evidence that guided tours will become a durable, high-margin omni-channel growth driver. Adding tours in 60+ cities also creates execution risk: inconsistent guide quality, fragmented local supply, cancellations, safety issues, and weak unit economics could damage MakeMyTrip's brand more than the ancillary revenue helps. The Tourism Ministry partnership may provide credibility and inventory access, but it does not guarantee consumer adoption or repeat usage.