MakeMyTrip's AI Assistant Uncovers Voice Search Revolution in Indian Travel
MakeMyTrip, India's premier online travel company, has released insights from Myra, its Gen-AI powered Trip Planning Assistant, highlighting a significant behavioral shift among Indian travelers. The data indicates that voice interactions are fostering a more expressive, contextual, and linguistically inclusive approach to travel discovery, distinct from traditional text-based searches.
Divergence Between Voice and Text Queries in Early Usage
Even in initial usage patterns, a clear contrast emerges between how users type and speak their travel intentions. Text searches typically consist of 3-4 words, compressed and keyword-driven, such as "Goa hotels cheap" or "Delhi Mumbai flight." In contrast, voice queries are markedly different, with nearly 23% exceeding 11 words, compared to just 7% for text. Users naturally articulate details like destination proximity, amenities, budget, group size, and dates in a single spoken interaction. Examples include "Show me affordable hotels in North Goa near the beach with a pool" or "2 adults and one kid, 3 nights from 14th January, budget under ₹15,000 per night."
Voice Outperforms Text in Key Query Categories
Early data reveals that voice is used significantly more than text across several query types. Date-specific queries show the most pronounced difference, being 3.3 times higher on voice, as users prefer saying "26th December to 29th" or "next Friday to Sunday" rather than typing compressed formats. Informational queries, where users seek guidance on processes or services, index 2.7 times higher on voice, suggesting a trend toward conversational assistance beyond transactional searches. Location-specific queries account for 25.1% of all voice searches and are 1.5 times higher than text, with users naturally expressing proximity through phrases like "near beach" or "walking distance from Golden Temple." Similar patterns are observed in languages such as Hindi, Kannada, Bengali, and Tamil.
Voice Enables Linguistically Inclusive Travel Search Across India
One of the most telling early signals is how voice allows users to search in their natural spoken languages. While English dominates text searches, voice interactions are considerably more linguistically diverse, with English representing far lower percentages. This gap suggests that users comfortable in their native languages are gravitating toward voice, overcoming typing barriers for more expressive searches. Code-mixed users, blending Hindi and English, are among the most expressive, averaging 10.5 words per query. For instance, a search like "Manali mein 3 nights ke liye hotel chahiye with mountain view and breakfast" captures nuance and preference in one breath, something text search rarely accommodates.
Rajesh Magow, Co-founder and Group CEO of MakeMyTrip, commented: "What we are beginning to see through Myra is encouraging. Voice is starting to give a new set of users, those most comfortable in their own language, a more natural way to search and plan travel. For someone in Kochi or Coimbatore who thinks in Malayalam or Tamil, being able to simply speak their requirements, rather than type them in English, changes the experience meaningfully. It is still early, but these initial signals point to voice having the potential to make travel planning more inclusive and accessible across India."
Premium Travellers and Multi-Constraint Queries via Voice
Early data also indicates that premium and elite traveler segments use much longer sentences in voice queries on Myra, often combining star category, amenities, group size, and budget into a single spoken request. An example is "5-star villa in North Goa with private pool, 6 bedrooms, for 8 adults under ₹50K per night." While these multi-constraint queries represent a smaller share of total searches, they offer an early indication that voice may be better suited for capturing complex travel intent than keyword-based text search.
Myra's user base is growing, now delivering over 50,000 conversations daily, and these insights underscore a transformative shift in how Indians plan travel, driven by voice technology's ability to enhance inclusivity and expression.
