Travel Bookings

Weddings, MICE make room for a record year-end hotel, travel bookings

India's 45 lakh weddings, festive travel, and corporate events are set to drive record hotel rates and occupancies, capping another strong year for the hospitality industry

MMT makes a case for advance bookings with month-long value campaign

Advance bookings will automatically lead to price adjustments in the year end, says CEO Rajesh Magow

Pilgrimage sees 20% jump in high-value bookings as devotees upgrade stays

While most pilgrimage accommodation bookings (71 per cent) are for rooms priced below ₹4,500 per night, premiumisation is gaining clear momentum, according to a MakeMyTrip report

Marriott International, Flipkart stitch together dual-loyalty plan

Marriott International and Flipkart launch a dual-loyalty program for Indian consumers, allowing members to earn and exchange points, enhancing both brands' presence in India's growing travel sector

Hotels target frequent air travellers to attract customers amid travel boom

Such initiatives highlight the rise in providing seamless travel experiences to travellers, as per hospitality industry executives

China extends visa-free entry to 74 countries to draw more tourists

Foreign tourists are trickling back to China after the country loosened its visa policy to unprecedented levels. Citizens from 74 countries can now enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, a big jump from previous regulations. The government has been steadily expanding visa-free entry in a bid to boost tourism, the economy and its soft power. More than 20 million foreign visitors entered without a visa in 2024 almost one-third of the total and more than double from the previous year, according to the National Immigration Administration. This really helps people to travel because it is such a hassle to apply for a visa and go through the process, Georgi Shavadze, a Georgian living in Austria, said on a recent visit to the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. While most tourist sites are still packed with far more domestic tourists than foreigners, travel companies and tour guides are now bracing for a bigger influx in anticipation of summer holiday goers coming to China. I'm practical

Bookings to Turkiye, Azerbaijan and China remain blocked: Ixigo CEO

Bookings to Turkiye, Azerbaijan, and China remain suspended amid geopolitical tensions as Ixigo projects double-digit revenue growth and stronger user spending

EaseMyTrip slams MakeMyTrip over alleged Chinese ties; MMT refutes claim

EaseMyTrip co-founder Nishant Pitti accuses MakeMyTrip of Chinese links posing security risks MakeMyTrip refutes the claims, calls itself a proud Indian company complying with laws

Seeing distinctive travel trends in India: Booking.com's Laura Houldsworth

"In India, we're witnessing distinctive travel trends, including spiritual and religious tourism" said Laura Houldsworth, MD & VP, APAC, Booking.com

MakeMyTrip introduces part payment option to book international flights

MakeMyTrip introduces part payment option for international flight bookings where travellers may only need to pay 10-40 per cent upfront and the remainder to be paid within 45 days of booking

Unmarried couples no longer welcome, OYO changes check-in policy

Travel booking major OYO has launched a new check-in policy for partner hotels, starting from Meerut, introducing guidelines effective this year whereby unmarried couples will no longer be welcome to check in. Under the revised policy, all couples will be asked to present valid proof of relationship at the time of check-in, including for bookings made online. OYO has empowered its partner hotels' discretion to decline couple bookings based on their judgment, aligning with local social sensibility, the company said. OYO has given the directive to its partner hotels in Meerut to ensure this with immediate effect. Based on ground feedback, the company may expand this to more cities, people familiar with the policy change said. "OYO has received feedback in the past from civil society groups especially in Meerut urging action to address this issue. Additionally, residents from few other cities have petitioned for disallowing unmarried couples to check-in at OYO hotels," they said. Pawa

Travel bookings up as fans rush in frenzy for Coldplay, Diljit concerts

Upcoming concerts of British band Coldplay in Mumbai and Indian singer Diljit Dosanjh in Chandigarh and other cities triggered a travel rush by fans, leading to over 300 per cent surge in flight bookings, online travel agency ixigo said in a report on Wednesday. The Grammy award-winning band Coldplay is scheduled to perform at Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium during January 18-21 as part of its 'Music of the Spheres' world tour. Punjabi singing sensation Diljit Dosanjh will perform at a live concert in Chandigarh in December this year as part of his DIL-UMINATI India tour. The country is witnessing a surge in travel bookings as fans flock to see these two live performances, said the ixigo report, adding that the platform has observed a sharp rise in flight, train, and bus bookings and searches to key concert cities. Mumbai has experienced a staggering 350 per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase in flight bookings, said the report. Chandigarh, one of the destinations for the DIL-UMINATI Indi

Homestays showing lot of promise with compounding growth: MakeMyTrip CEO

Magow talks about the travel boom in the country and the company's new avenues to drive growth

Planning a trip? Top 10 travel credit cards to make it more rewarding

Travel credit cards are a special category of credit cards that offer a range of advantages, from reward points and loyalty programs to travel memberships, stay vouchers and welcome perks

Money can't be accepted once booking annulled

The Rajasthan State Commission highlighted that the Board had received payment before it had sent the reminders, and it had no proof of having served a cancellation notice

Avoid too-good-to-be-true offers when doing travel booking online

While on a trip, don't conduct sensitive transactions over public Wi-Fi

MakeMyTrip logs highest-ever quarterly gross bookings at $1.75 billion

Demand for leisure travel and tourism improved on the back of peak seasonality, according to the company

OYO elevates two senior execs in service experience and revenue functions

The firm recently had also revamped its flagship patron-facing app, CO-OYO, allowing users to now run their own promotional offers ahead of the peak festive travel season this year

Festive demands up airfares by 20-30% on key routes across country

The hike in airfare prices is a result of the increased cost of aviation turbine fuel, according to ixigo's data

Hotels, tour operators shed Covid baggage as Diwali promises to sparkle

Group tours at 65-70% of pre-pandemic levels; Southeast Asia, Egypt, and Turkey seeing maximum demand