MakeMyTrip echoes popular sentiment in ad; pushes domestic travel

The year 2021 has started on a high note, with the COVID vaccine being approved. This is definitely good news for many Indian travellers, who are looking forward to a vacation in a long time in the coming months.

India, a land of dazzling diversity of culture, climate, food, natural beauty and more, is among every traveller’s dream destinations. From pristine beaches spread across a vast coastline to the magnificent mountain ranges to the enchanting rivers to the historical monuments and more, the country is loaded with amazing hidden gems for the travellers to explore. Then there are lesser-known destinations that promise to leave the travellers mesmerised and also stir a sense of enthusiasm.

Leading travel aggregator MakeMyTrip’s Republic Day campaign highlights this richness and splendour of the many unknown attractions in India. The celebration nudges travellers to explore the lesser-known domestic attractions.

With travellers turning to domestic destinations this year as international borders remain out of bounds for a few more months, MakeMyTrip is encouraging people to add unseen, offbeat destinations to their travel bucket list this year. Conceptualised by Mumbai/Delhi-based agency Glitch, the film encourages travellers to rediscover India.

The brand has partnered with popular voices and trendsetters, who are representing and rooting for their respective home states and union territories. These include Ajinkya Rahane (Maharashtra), Pankaj Tripathi (Bihar), Sunil Chetri (Karnataka), Guru Randhawa (Punjab), Virender Sehwag (Haryana), Suresh Raina (Uttar Pradesh), Mary Kom (Manipur), Saina Nehwal (Telangana), Ashwin Ravichandran (Tamil Nadu), among others.

During the course of the campaign, the travel influencers will take over MakeMyTrip’s Instagram handle to spotlight the unexplored destinations from their respective regions. They will be seen engaging with travel Instagrammers through reels, videos, polls, etc.

They will also invite users to participate in a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to become MakeMyTrip’s travel ambassador by sending in their travel stories as they explore the ‘Hidden Gems of India’. Four winners, or four travel ambassadors, will be chosen to represent the north, south, east and west zones. The campaign will go live in the coming days.

Speaking about the campaign, Sunil Suresh, group chief marketing officer at MakeMyTrip, said in a press release, “When we travel within India, we don’t just return with new memories, but often with awe, pride and a sense of gratitude for the unique, diverse and incredible travel experiences that India, as a travel wonderland, has to offer.”

“That’s the emotion we hope to bring alive through #MyIndia, where we will create conversations on the best that India has to offer. Through this new campaign, we hope to be a champion for the travel industry and nudge travellers to explore the country’s best kept travel secrets.”

The portal’s travel booking patterns have seen a month-on-month increase since the festive and winter holiday season. It clearly shows that domestic travel is picking up pace.

In the coming months, destinations, including Shillong, Khajjar, Hampi, Alleppey, Chitrakoot, Kutch, Thar and the Andaman islands, will find more takers, as travellers venture out to explore lesser-known destinations across the country, as per the company’s record.