Skift Take
The surge in bookings signifies growing consumer enthusiasm for festive travel plans as the industry continues its recovery.
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Travel platform EaseMyTrip anticipates a robust quarter during the festive season, with a big increase in Christmas week bookings – a year-on-year surge of 20% to 30%.
Prashant Pitti, co-founder of EaseMyTrip, expressed optimism during his interview with CNBC-TV18. During the winter vacation season, 3.5 million arrivals in India are expected, per EaseMyTrip insights.
Profitability Focus in the Fiscal Year: Pitti emphasized the company's commitment to “growing at double the pace of the market, with a focus on profitability while expanding the gross merchandise volume (GMV)”. Pitti said the company's gross merchandise volume (GMV) was about INR 8,000 crore last year.
Eyes on Expansion: EaseMyTrip is also reinforcing its non-air business by planning to acquire a 51% stake in three travel companies in India. It also recently collaborated with telecom company Vodafone Idea (Vi) to introduce exclusive travel offers for subscribers, including special deals on flights, hotels, train reservations, bus bookings, and cab services.
Where Indians Are Headed This Festive SeasonAs the year concludes and festive cheer fills the air, Indians are eager to create holiday memories with loved ones. Online travel portal Booking.com shared recent data on Indian travelers' domestic preferences during the festive period.
Top Domestic Destinations (December 2023- January 2024)
Puducherry (up from 3rd in 2022) Puri (up from 7th in 2022) Udaipur (down from 2nd in 2022) Goa (down from 4th in 2022) Jaipur (down from 5th in 2022) Mumbai