Meta and MakeMyTrip target India’s travel creators with Creator Circle

54

TL;DR:

MakeMyTrip and Meta have launched Creator Circle, a programme that rewards travel creators based on engagement and campaign impact instead of follower count. It signals a shift in travel marketing toward measurable creator performance, especially as Instagram Reels shapes how Indian users discover destinations and plan trips.

Article:

MakeMyTrip has launched Creator Circle with Meta, a performance-based travel creator programme that rewards creators for engagement and campaign impact rather than follower count. The move comes as travel discovery increasingly shifts to Instagram Reels, creator posts and short-form video, where users often move from inspiration to itinerary planning within the same digital journey.

The programme is open to creators with 10,000-plus followers who meet MakeMyTrip’s brand criteria. Participants will get access to travel briefs, Meta-led learning resources, creator workshops, trend insights and MakeMyTrip’s travel search and audience behaviour data. The platform says earnings will be linked to content performance metrics such as views, likes, comments and shares.

For MakeMyTrip, the bigger shift is from reach-led influencer marketing to outcome-led creator marketing. Raj Rishi Singh, Chief Operating Officer, Flights, Corporate, GCC and Marketing, MakeMyTrip, said, “Engagement is the new mantra of advertising,” adding that Creator Circle helps the company reach travellers “through voices they believe in.”

Meta’s Shweta Bajpai said creators now “drive decisions” by shaping destinations, itineraries and bookings. She added that micro and nano creators often reach niche audiences that broader campaigns miss, making follower size a weaker proxy for impact.

The timing is significant. One of the world’s largest multinational market research and consulting firms study commissioned by Meta found that 92% of Indian users prefer Instagram Reels over other video formats, underlining why travel brands are investing in creator-led discovery.

MakeMyTrip also hosted a Creator Awareness Event with Meta for over 100 travel and lifestyle creators, focused on content best practices and programme mechanics. The takeaway is clear: travel marketing is moving closer to measurable influence, where creators who can convert attention into intent may gain ground over accounts that only deliver scale.