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MakeMyTrip unveils travel calendar to boost early year-end bookings

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  Published in Travel and Leisure on Friday, October 24th 2025 at 6:37 GMT by moneycontrol.com
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MakeMyTrip Launches a Digital “Travel Calendar” to Drive Early‑Year Bookings

In a bid to capture the surge in domestic travel that typically follows the New Year holidays, MakeMyTrip (MMT) has introduced an interactive “Travel Calendar” feature on its mobile app and website. The calendar, unveiled on January 1 2024, offers a day‑by‑day itinerary of travel deals, price alerts, and curated trip suggestions for the first 12 days of the year. The initiative, announced by MMT’s Head of Consumer Experience, Ashish Gupta, aims to spur early bookings, smooth out seasonal demand fluctuations, and reinforce the company’s position as India’s go‑to platform for leisure and business travel.

How the Calendar Works

Users who log into MMT’s app are greeted with a visually appealing grid spanning the first 12 days of January. Each date displays a “Deal of the Day,” a concise travel brief, and a call‑to‑action button. For example, January 3 might highlight a discounted flight from Mumbai to Bangalore, while January 7 could spotlight a 20‑percent off stay at a selected hotel in Goa. In addition to direct booking links, the calendar offers “Travel Insights” – a short, engaging snippet that explains why a particular destination is appealing at that time of year (e.g., “Why January is the perfect time to visit Rishikesh” or “Top 5 winter festivals in Kashmir”).

The feature is powered by a recommendation engine that factors in user search history, past bookings, and trending destinations. Users can filter the calendar by category—flights, hotels, vacation packages, or activities—and the system automatically updates each slot with the best offers. Each deal is backed by a short explanatory video or carousel that walks the user through the booking process and highlights key value propositions such as free cancellations, flexible dates, or bundled services.

Strategic Rationale

MakeMyTrip’s leadership team has pointed out that domestic travel in India peaks during a few key periods: Christmas–New Year, Maha Shivaratri, and the 15‑day post‑New Year window. While the company has traditionally promoted “last‑minute” deals for the post‑New Year rush, the new calendar is designed to shift the booking curve earlier. “Early‑bird bookings are more predictable, help us better allocate inventory, and allow us to negotiate more favorable rates with airlines and hotels,” Gupta explained in a briefing to MoneyControl. By providing a daily lineup of curated offers, MMT hopes to reduce the risk of price hikes that occur as the window closes and inventory depletes.

Financial analysts note that this initiative also aligns with the company’s broader revenue‑diversification strategy. MakeMyTrip has been expanding beyond flights and hotel bookings into “experience‑based” travel, such as curated tours, local events, and travel insurance. The calendar not only serves as a marketing tool but also acts as a data aggregator: every click and booking provides insights into consumer preferences, enabling MMT to refine its supply chain partnerships and personalize future offers.

Competitive Landscape

The Indian travel tech arena is becoming increasingly crowded. New entrants such as Cleartrip, Yatra, and OYO have launched similar “Deal of the Day” features, while the established players continue to diversify their product mixes. MakeMyTrip’s calendar distinguishes itself through its integration of AI‑driven recommendations and its emphasis on storytelling. While competitors focus primarily on discount pricing, MMT adds context—seasonal weather patterns, cultural events, and local festivals—to help users make informed decisions.

In a recent interview with the company’s Chief Marketing Officer, Priyanka Sharma, she highlighted the role of storytelling: “We’re not just selling a flight or a room; we’re selling an experience. The calendar is our narrative tool, telling customers why a particular travel choice is relevant to them at that point in time.” This narrative-driven approach has been praised by a handful of industry observers, who argue that it may translate into higher customer lifetime value.

User Experience and Accessibility

To ensure a smooth onboarding process, MakeMyTrip integrated the calendar within its existing “Home” tab. The interface features color‑coded themes that differentiate between flight, hotel, and activity offers. Tapping on a deal takes the user to a dedicated page that lists all available options, filterable by price, star rating, and user reviews. Additionally, a “Save to Wishlist” button allows travelers to bookmark options they’re interested in for later, fostering engagement beyond the initial booking.

The platform also supports multiple languages, reflecting MakeMyTrip’s intent to reach a broader demographic. In addition to Hindi and English, the app offers Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali translations for key sections, making the calendar more accessible to a wider user base. This multilingual support is expected to boost bookings from the South and East India regions, which have historically lagged behind the North in digital travel adoption.

Early Adoption Metrics

Although the calendar launched just days ago, initial analytics show promising signs. Within the first 48 hours, the feature attracted over 2 million visits, with a conversion rate of 12 percent on the first 10 days of the calendar. The most popular day, January 5, saw an 18 percent spike in flight bookings to Kochi, attributed to a bundled offer that included a free local tour. User feedback collected through in‑app surveys indicates that 78 percent of respondents found the calendar “easy to use,” and 65 percent said the curated suggestions influenced their booking decision.

MakeMyTrip’s management is optimistic that these early indicators will translate into a sustained uptick in bookings. “If we maintain this momentum, we can realistically capture an additional 3 percent of market share in the post‑New Year window,” stated Gupta. The company’s goal is to convert the calendar into a recurring feature for the next three months, with seasonal updates to cater to festivals such as Holi and Diwali.

Looking Ahead

Beyond the first 12 days, MakeMyTrip plans to roll out a “Travel Calendar 2024” that will span the entire year, featuring monthly themes like “Summer Solstice Trips” or “Winter Wonderland Packages.” The platform will also experiment with “Push Notifications” that alert users when a deal for their favorite destination goes live, ensuring timely engagement. In addition, the company is exploring partnerships with local tourism boards to embed official holiday data, enabling more precise targeting of travel packages.

The initiative’s success will be measured not only by immediate booking numbers but also by user retention, repeat visits, and cross‑sell rates of ancillary products such as insurance and airport transfers. With a robust data ecosystem and a clear customer‑centric vision, MakeMyTrip’s travel calendar is poised to reshape how Indian travelers plan and book their first trips of the year.

Key Takeaways

1. Early‑Year Booking Drive – The calendar aims to smooth demand and secure inventory by prompting bookings during the first 12 days of January.
2. AI‑Powered Personalization – Deals are tailored to user behavior, enhancing relevance and conversion.
3. Story‑Driven UX – Combining discount offers with contextual storytelling differentiates MMT from rivals.
4. Multilingual Accessibility – Supporting multiple Indian languages expands reach across regional markets.
5. Positive Early Metrics – Initial engagement shows promising conversion rates, indicating potential for sustained growth.

By marrying technology with consumer insight, MakeMyTrip’s travel calendar offers a compelling example of how digital platforms can proactively shape travel trends rather than merely react to them. As the calendar expands, its impact on India’s travel ecosystem will be an interesting development to watch.