Articles tagged “makemytrip”

Surprising factors have delayed the coronation of MakeMyTrip Group as India's queen of domestic online travel. Paytm came out of nowhere to grab share, Oyo upended budget hotel distribution, Ixigo tried to make price comparison chic, and Booking.com outmaneuvered Expedia for premium hotel bookings. From this scrappy mix, online travel will find new lessons.

MakeMyTrip's management deserves credit for ending a period of decelerating growth and for reducing operating losses over several quarters. But many investors are impatient for an era of profits.

Does Expedia or Booking have the energy to launch their booking apps in four local Indian dialects? Maybe not, but MakeMyTrip does, and that local effort matters.

Emerging markets will shape the future of the travel industry but each region requires a unique strategy. MakeMyTrip and Despegar, online travel leaders in India and Latin America, provide distinct insights into how to succeed their respective home markets.

Six Flags' new loyalty program is as much about collecting visitor data as it is about rewarding visitors for their habits.

Investors are understandably focused on MakeMyTrip's ongoing operating losses. But in good news, the company is narrowing the size of those losses while maintaining its growth rates.

The decision by MakeMyTrip, India's largest online travel agency, to start selling Oyo budget lodging is significant. The move recognizes that the heavily funded Oyo is no longer a rival marketplace and is instead primarily a supplier. Asset-light hotel chains need to wake up to Oyo's rise.

India has many homegrown online travel players, but only a couple will thrive. MakeMyTrip will be one of the survivors, but it may take until 2022 for it to achieve profitability. Expect it to make more acquisitions and investments to consolidate market share.

The online travel market in India is ripe with opportunity. But competition is brutal. In response, MakeMyTrip has recently debuted loyalty programs and technological upgrades to entice well-heeled customers to choose it over the discounters.

Travelport's distribution deal with India's largest online travel agency suggests that it can punch above its weight. But Travelport still faces a struggle against its much larger competitors.