Online travel agency MakeMyTrip and ICICI Bank have partnered to launch a premium co-branded travel credit card.
This comes within a month of the launch of EaseMyTrip’s co-branded debit card with Bank of Baroda and SBI Card’s co-branded credit card with Singapore Airlines. The adoption of travel credit cards in India is increasing, in line with the growing credit card market in India.
Last month, consulting services firm PwC said in a report that the number of credit cards in India is expected to reach 200 million by the 2028-29 fiscal year – an annual growth rate of 15%. It added that over the past five years, there has been a 100% increase in the number of credit cards issued, and the momentum is expected to continue. Transaction volumes on credit cards have increased by 22% during this period, and transaction values by 28%.
Travel credit cards have been leading in terms of growth in credit card adoption, fintech platform ZET said in a report earlier this year. It stated that the demand for travel credit cards increased 27% in 2023 from the year before. Major credit card player in India, SBI Card, had recorded a 23% increase in its travel, entertainment and restaurant category as of December 2023.
The MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank co-branded credit card aims to distinguish itself by offering “unlimited rewards that never expire.” According to a statement by the bank, the card will offer rewards in the form of MakeMyTrip currency myCash, and 1 myCash would be worth INR 1 in spendable money.
Among other features are complementary MMTBLACK Gold membership, which would allow members to get discounts on hotel, spa services, and flights. The card will be issued with Mastercard and RuPay payment gateways.
Marriott to Debut Edition Brand in India
Marriott International is set to debut its Edition brand in India. The hotel chain has signed an agreement with Prestige Falcon Realty Ventures to open The Mumbai Edition. The hotel is expected to open in 2028, marking the debut.
Rajeev Menon, president – Asia Pacific excluding China at Marriott International, said that the move to debut Edition in India demonstrates the continued demand for luxury accommodations in India. He added that it also highlights the hotel chain’s strategy to strengthen the presence of its luxury portfolio in India.
Edition brand is a collection of individualized hotels that offer a luxury lifestyle experience. In 2016, Skift had said about the brand, “This is one of the only hospitality brands anywhere that has managed to successfully blend the luxury and lifestyle segments together. Each hotel is a unique and highly nuanced experience wholly local to its neighborhood.”
Marriott is expanding its brand portfolio in India. In January this year, it launched the Moxy brand, with a hotel in Bengaluru. In an interview with Skift’s Peden Doma Bhutia, Menon had said that India is one of the most important markets for Marriott in Asia.
EaseMyTrip Resumes Bookings for Maldives After ‘Improved Ties’
Indian online travel company EaseMyTrip has resumed flight bookings to the Maldives. The company had suspended services in January following a diplomatic spat between the two nations.
EaseMyTrip has cited “improved bilateral ties” between both the governments and positive discussions with the Maldives tourism ministry as the reason for resumption of booking services, reported my colleague Peden Doma Bhutia.
“Basis positive developments in mending India-Maldives bilateral ties, by both governments, we are resuming bookings to the Maldives,” said Nishant Pitti, co-founder and CEO of EaseMyTrip.
Earlier this year, diplomatic tensions had emerged between India and Maldives after disparaging remarks allegedly made by Maldivian politicians about India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This incident led to the social media campaign #BoycottMaldives, which saw significant cancellations of trips from India to the island nation.
Travel-Related Searches Increased by 17%, Says Justdial
Indian search engine Justdial has said that between January and August this year, travel-related searches across India increased by 17% as compared to the same period last year. It noted a significant interest in international destinations for leisure and exploration needs.
The search activity was higher in non-metro cities as compared to metro cities, it said. Travel-related searches in these cities increased 129% in 2023, and then 126% in 2024, indicating a sustained demand. The top international destinations that witnessed a spike in search were Israel, Gulf countries, Europe, Australia, Japan, the Schengen countries, and Turkey.
Indians are also looking at professionals and comprehensive travel solutions for their travel plans, with travel agents, tour packages, and visa assistance being significantly searched categories.
Music Tourism Surges Ahead of Coldplay, Diljit Dosanjh Concerts
Travel bookings for music concerts in India are surging as Coldplay and Diljit Dosanjh concerts are set to happen in the country, reported online travel company Ixigo. The OTA said that flight bookings for Mumbai around the three concert dates of Coldplay in January 2025 have increased by 350% year-on-year. Meanwhile, Chandigarh, where Diljit Dosanjh will have a concert in December, is witnessing a 300% surge in flight bookings.
“This increased demand is also affecting airfares for major concert dates, with one-way non-stop flights from Bangalore to Delhi, typically priced around Rs 6,500, now reaching Rs 16,000 on October 26. Likewise, a one-way flight from Mumbai to Delhi, which usually costs around Rs 5,700 in October, will now cost travellers Rs 12,000 on October 26,” said Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO, Ixigo.
Meanwhile, Ixigo has introduced a price lock feature for its flights booking service to allow travelers to lock airfares for up to 2 days and book later upon confirming their travel plans. The feature is currently available for domestic flights.
IndiGo Launches Pune-Bhopal Route
Budget airline IndiGo has announced a new domestic flight route connecting Bhopal and Pune. The flights on this route are scheduled to commence on October 27, and they will operate daily.
Apart from this, the airline will also increase its flight frequencies on the Pune-Indore, Pune-Chennai, and Pune-Rajpur routes later this month. The new route and increase in frequencies have been announced ahead of the Diwali festive season.
