Marriott Bonvoy brings festive airport activation to Mumbai arrivals

Marriott Bonvoy marked the Christmas season with a festive activation at Mumbai International Airport, Terminal 2, designed to engage passengers arriving during the peak holiday travel period. The initiative transformed a routine arrival moment into a curated experience centred on gifting and seasonal atmosphere, reinforcing the brand’s approach to hospitality beyond hotel properties.

The activation took place in the arrivals area, where a dedicated airline conveyor belt was reimagined as part of the experience. As passengers collected their luggage, they were surprised to see personalised Christmas hampers moving along the conveyor belt. Each hamper was tagged with the traveller’s seat number, ensuring accurate delivery while adding a personal and considered detail to the experience.

Brand ushers were present to guide passengers through the activation, helping to manage the flow of arrivals and ensure clarity around the gifting process. The space was further animated by a live Christmas choir performing seasonal music, alongside a Santa meet-and-greet that added to the festive environment. Together, these elements converted a functional transit zone into a moment of pause and engagement for travellers.

The airport activation aligned with Marriott Bonvoy’s broader brand positioning around celebrating journeys, not only destinations. By selecting an everyday travel touchpoint such as the baggage reclaim area, the brand demonstrated how hospitality-led thinking can be extended into moments that are typically transactional. The initiative highlighted how experiential marketing within high-footfall transport hubs can create meaningful brand interactions when executed with relevance and sensitivity to context.

Actor and digital content creator Namrata Seth, who experienced the activation on arrival, shared her response to the initiative. She said, “I was completely delighted by the surprise that awaited me at the airport. Watching beautifully curated Christmas hampers arrive on the conveyor belt felt joyful and festive in the most unexpected way. Marriott Bonvoy truly transformed a routine arrival into a celebratory moment, bringing in the spirit of Christmas the moment you land from your travels.”

The airport experience also connected with Marriott Bonvoy’s wider seasonal offering in India. As part of the festive period, the brand introduced the ‘Celebrate Christmas with Marriott Bonvoy collection’, which features a range of handcrafted Christmas products. These include festive cakes, cookies, hampers and interactive do-it-yourself treats, developed by Marriott’s culinary teams across participating hotels in India.

The collection has been designed for gifting and sharing, extending the same sense of care and attention seen in the airport activation into homes and private celebrations. It is available across participating Marriott hotels in India throughout the festive season, allowing consumers to engage with the brand beyond travel-related contexts.

Through this activation at Mumbai International Airport, Marriott Bonvoy demonstrated how brands can use experiential marketing to connect with audiences at transitional moments. By integrating personalisation, live performance and gifting into a busy arrivals environment, the brand reinforced its focus on creating consistent, journey-led experiences that resonate with modern travellers.