TravTalk India Online Magazine
Jasmeet Singh, Chief Commercial Officer – Holidays & Experiences, MakeMyTrip, talking to TRAVTALK, outlines how the brand is blending innovation & personalisation, while underlining the importance of offline agents in curating culturally-rich experiences.
Nisha Verma
Travel preferences are evolving fast, feels Jasmeet Singh, Chief Commercial Officer – Holidays & Experiences, MakeMyTrip. “Today’s travellers seek flexibility, personalisation and assurance in a seamless manner across every stage of their holiday journey. That is where technology and innovation serve as our biggest enablers.”.
Experience evolution
Highlighting the changing demographic of holidays and experiences, Singh adds, “We have built a robust, automation-led platform that connects Indian travellers to instantly bookable, high-quality experiences across global destinations, with transparent last-mile details and culturally relevant content. Complementing this is our dynamic, do-it-yourself holiday engine that empowers users to customise every element of their trip in real time. It highlights the cost-effective dates, adapts to traveller behaviour and offers smart nudges to support better decision-making.” He adds, “Over the next two years, we foresee deepening of our destination portfolio, both within India and overseas, by expanding direct partnerships to deliver even more localised, experience-rich holidays. The goal is to lead the transformation of holiday planning from a static transaction to a smart, personalised journey.”
Big on tech
Singh believes that delivering personalisation at scale is one of the most transformative opportunities in holiday planning. “Our goal is to offer choices that are more relevant, timely and easy to act upon. That is precisely where our data-driven, modular platform architecture is pivotal. We have built deep funnel-level personalisation that adapts to traveller cohorts — families, couples, groups or theme-based seekers like spiritual travellers. It also accounts for region of origin, advance booking behaviour and preferred travel style. Customised landing pages, dynamic filters and assistive search suggestions ensure that discovery is tailored from the first click.”
Elaborating further, he says, “We have also adopted an API-first approach to integrate with global platforms, such as Viator, Euro Rail and GlobalTix, bringing a vast array of curated, instantly bookable experiences into our platform. Tools like the Visa Protection Plan and Visa Calculator empower outbound travellers to make confident decisions despite global uncertainties. Meanwhile, our AI-powered chatbot acts as a real-time digital concierge and supports users across the journey, clarifying package details and resolving queries instantly, whether for a domestic escape or an international tour.”
Beyond the usual
Agreeing that experiential travel has come of age, Singh says travellers are actively seeking places that offer cultural depth, spiritual meaning or unique local character. “This rise in demand presents a powerful opportunity to spotlight India’s lesser-explored towns and cities through curated, experience-led formats. To serve this intent, we have introduced multiple differentiated offerings like ‘Live Like a Local’ — a series of day-long experiences crafted around food, art, folklore and heritage across leisure destinations.”
MakeMyTrip’s offline network includes over 180 franchise stores across 100+ cities, supported by a team of more than 1,500 holiday experts
Delving into B2B
Singh claims that offline travel agents continue to play a vital role in helping travellers — especially from smaller cities — navigate the complexities of holiday planning. “These are often high-involvement, trust-driven decisions, where agents serve as a valuable source of advice, reassurance and end-to-end support. While digital solutions are transforming many aspects of travel, the offline ecosystem remains relevant. Our myPartner platform has strengthened this network by providing agents with access to real-time inventory, pricing and curated holiday products.”
The road ahead
Talking about their plans, Singh reveals, “We are pursuing growth across all fronts, domestic, outbound and new service formats. In the domestic market, an increasing number of travellers are planning holidays around a distinct theme, be it spiritual escapes, romantic getaways, or honeymoon stays in unique, offbeat locations.”
MakeMyTrip’s outbound business spans over 60 countries and continues to evolve. “Short-haul travel leads, especially with itineraries built around culinary discovery, hidden gems and Indian-friendly formats. Long-haul travel, too, is gaining traction,” Singh concludes.
