Indians want to give ‘online travel Shagun’ this wedding season: MakeMyTrip

MakeMyTrip has witnessed an increasing trend of consumers opting to give Shagun in the form of an ‘online gift card’ to their friends, relatives, and colleagues.

“We have seen a direct correlation between the sale of online gift cards with the marriage season,” says, Raj Rishi Singh, chief business officer, MakeMyTrip. “Increasingly, people want to gift experiences, a shift from the past where cash and gold were the only options. We surveyed to understand the needs of the consumers, and two distinct groups emerged. High-flying executives between 45-55 years, keen to gift something memorable to their friends/ relatives. The comparatively younger group, between 30-45 years, want to gift something thoughtful and trendy. Travel Shagun in the form of an online wedding gift card fits the bill for both categories.”

Interestingly, Rs 10,000 card is the most sold denomination, followed by Rs 5000, and Rs. 1000. The card allows couples to book holiday packages, hotels, flight tickets, train tickets, bus tickets, and fun activities. MakeMyTrip has seen a 30% increase in sales of travel Shagun this wedding season (Dec 22-Jan 23) compared to last year (Dec 21-Jan 22). “Undoubtedly, this is our best season yet in terms of sales of online wedding gift cards, but we believe that the peak is still far away. The emergence of the concept of travel Shagun will play a significant role in the times to come.”

The legacy of India’s culture continues even in the modern-day online gifting paradigm. More than 47% of online Wedding Gift Card buyers added Rs 1 to the total as a symbol of Shagun. The pattern prompted MakeMyTrip to start gifting a Shagun of Rs. 101 on every purchase.

With the return of ‘in-person events’, more than 25% of the respondents surveyed expressed a need to give a physical gift at the wedding ceremony. MakeMyTrip followed suit with the launch of a decorated envelope carrying the ‘e-voucher’ in the form of a boarding pass, delivered at no extra cost to the buyer’s doorstep. Almost 10% of the current users prefer this option. The overwhelming majority of 90% prefer the online wedding gift card.

Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, and Pune form the top 5 cities in terms of sales. However, MakeMyTrip has observed increased traction from cities such as Patna and Jaipur, among the top 10 cities.