Travel Rebounds After Muted Q1: July, August See Surge In Bookings, Says MakeMyTrip CEO
As bookings surge in the second half of the year, industry stakeholders are hopeful that the momentum will carry into the festive and holiday season
After a slow start to 2025, travel demand has picked up sharply in July and August, marking a significant rebound for the industry, according to Rajesh Magow, co-founder and CEO of MakeMyTrip.
“We saw the greenshoots of recovery in July, and August is already seeing strong traction, driven by the upcoming cluster of long weekends and festivals,” he said in an exclusive conversation with NDTV Profit.
In the first half of 2025, global travel was severely disrupted by multiple crisis and conflicts, notably in the Middle East, South Asia, and Central Africa.
Following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan shut its airspace to Indian carriers, impacting over 1,200 weekly flights and forcing major route diversions across Asia. In June, escalating tensions between Israel and Iran led to the temporary closure of Qatari airspace, disrupting Gulf and Europe-bound routes and prompting carriers like Emirates and Singapore Airlines to cancel or reroute services.
The US had issued a worldwide travel advisory amid fears of regional escalation. In Africa, fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo forced the closure of Goma International Airport in February, affecting humanitarian aid flights and regional connectivity. Lebanon also witnessed disruptions when Hezbollah protests near Beirut Airport halted flights to Iran. Collectively, these conflicts caused thousands of cancellations and delays, disrupting business and holiday travel globally.
Another major crisis that unlocked fear, anxiety and travel disruptions was the Ahmedabad plane crash on June 12. Aviation industry experts believe that it dipped passenger confidence, with booking volumes for Air India dropping by approximately 20%, and ticket fares falling 8–15% in a bid to stimulate demand.
Despite these setbacks, Magow believes the Indian travel market has remained resilient. Responding to concerns following the recent Air India plane crash, he said: “There may have been some immediate reaction right after the incident, but we’re not seeing anxiety in any sustained way now.” Crisis situations have also led to a trend of travellers hedging their holiday uncertainty with refundable bookings. Only a limited 10% of that lot translated into cancellations, he added.
As bookings surge in the second half of the year, industry stakeholders are hopeful that the momentum will carry into the festive and holiday season, with domestic and international segments both showing signs of strong recovery.
