I recorded the “WTF is Travel?” episode on 9 September 2026 with Rajesh Magow of MakeMyTrip and Puneet Chhatwal of IHCL (Taj). We examined India’s tourism landscape from scratch, comparing the two dominant holiday‑booking platforms and discussing the future of hotels, AI, and policy.
India has become a great country to travel from, but not yet the best country to travel to.
MakeMyTrip's hotel partnerships work, and why booking direct with a hotel still isn't cheaper than booking through an app.
AI and travel: why ChatGPT can't just scrape its way into the travel funnel, where voice bookings are taking tier‑three India, and whether robots can replace hotel staff.
What went wrong in Goa (mass versus luxury tourism) and where the next thirty Goas should be.
Key quantitative take‑aways from the conversation: India receives roughly 10 million foreign tourists per year and the guests aim for 100 million. Tourism accounts for about 0.5 % of India’s GDP, and each rupee spent generates roughly ₹3 in economic activity. I referenced these numbers in my September 2026 LinkedIn post linkedin september 2026 posts.