Marriott bets on outbound Indian travel surge, rewires loyalty into experiences

This shift comes as competition intensifies among hotel chains, including IHG Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt and Indian operators, to create larger ecosystems around travel, dining and entertainment. For example, Marriott’s rival The Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL), which operates the Taj and Ginger hotels, has tied up with HSBC bank and others to offer loyalty benefits, as well as the former Tata-owned airline Vistara (now Air India).