American hospitality chain Marriott International is betting on a surge in outbound Indian travellers despite temporary disruptions from the West Asia war and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for austerity, with this growth likely to reshape customer loyalty programmes that reward customers with points and perks for repeat stays.
The company said loyalty-conscious Indian travellers are increasingly driving demand across Southeast and East Asia, and now expect far more from hotel loyalty programmes than simple earn-and-burn on room nights, including upgrades and experiences beyond stays.
“We’re seeing Indian travellers explode into Southeast Asia — not just Thailand — but in every destination, from Bali to Japan to South Korea, this summer,” said John Toomey, chief commercial officer for Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China) for Marriott International. He attributed part of the growth to rising air connectivity, led by IndiGo and Air India.
The hospitality chain expects travel demand to remain strong through the summer months, with a significant jump in June and July compared to the same time last year. “Even if some travellers (from India) cut back on overseas trips, we would still benefit from through our India hotel network,” he said, referring to Modi’s appeal last week to defer foreign travel and avoid gold purchases, among other measures, to conserve foreign exchange amid the Gulf crisis.
India’s travel boom is also reshaping how global hotel chains approach customer loyalty and engagement. Toomey said there is now a structural shift from “travel loyalty” to “everyday commerce loyalty” among hotel brands. Hotel chains like his are redesigning loyalty programmes around experiences, dining and partnerships, as younger travellers move beyond rewards such as free room nights and basic room upgrades.
This week, Marriott launched its Loyalty Trends Report 2026, which found that India and Indonesia showed the highest engagement with hotel loyalty programmes in Asia Pacific, excluding China. Consumer behaviour is increasingly being driven by travel priorities, everyday value and market-specific preferences, he said.
In the past year, the hotel company has partnered with food delivery apps such as , allowing members to earn points on orders and redeem them on stays at Marriott hotels, while also expanding tie-ups across fintech ecosystems, e-commerce and sports experiences. The chain has been investing in these entertainment-led experiences including those with spends on watching the ICC Cricket World Cup, Formula One and music festivals.
“Gen Z and millennials are not looking for standard things. They’re looking for something different,” he said.
The shift comes as competition intensifies among hotel chains, including IHG Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt and Indian operators to build larger ecosystems around travel, dining and entertainment. For instance, Marriott’s competitor The Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL), which runs Taj and Ginger hotels, has tied up with HSBC bank and others for added loyalty benefits, alongside Tata-owned erstwhile Vistara (now Air India) airline.
‘s global loyalty programme Marriott Bonvoy now has about 283 million members worldwide and is approaching 300 million, Toomey said. He added that it remains the world’s largest hotel loyalty programme by membership. While he did not disclose India-specific numbers, he said Marriott currently runs one of the largest hotel loyalty programme by members here in India as well.
Last week, Chalet Hotels managing director and chief executive Shwetank Singh said the Marriott Bonvoy platform remained among the strongest in the market. “We have this programme to prop us up during lean periods and for international travellers coming in and this is a very strong programme compared to some of the others,” Singh said.
Chalet Hotels owns the JW Marriott Sahar in Mumbai.
According to Marriott’s loyalty report, India and Indonesia are among the markets where experiential rewards are seeing particularly strong traction. “Most people burn their points when they’re on holiday with family or loved ones,” Toomey said, adding that resort destinations continue to account for a significant share of loyalty redemptions.
According to the report, 41% of the Indians surveyed said their topmost reason to stay active in hotel loyalty programs is getting access to unique or exclusive experiences. It added that 69% of Indians redeem points on big-ticket items such as sports, entertainment, concerts, and India is leading this in the Asia Pacific excluding Greater China average.
The company has also shifted its marketing towards a more digital-heavy approach.
“Today our media mix is also 70% digital and 30% traditional. Earlier we were 50:50,” he said. Marriott now has over 210 hotels in India across luxury and mid-market segments. It has also entered the midscale market through its partnership with The Fern Hotels & Resorts to launch Series by Marriott in India last year. Toomey said this partnership has significantly widened Marriott’s presence across smaller Indian cities. “Before that deal, we had hotels in about 40 cities. We quickly went to over 80 or 90 cities and that’s given a massive reach,” he said.