Category Archives: Agents

Delhi features as a top source market for Thomas Cook India. Lockdown fatigue and pent-up demand is resulting in strong travel desire from Delhites – Thomas Cook India has been witnessing a robust 60% month-on-month increase since re-opening in June 2021. A surge in demand for the upcoming Festive & Winter Season, Expo 2020 Dubai and honeymoon travel due to marriage season in North is powering travel growth from Delhi. Thomas Cook India reports that the demand is back to 65% of pre-pandemic levels overall: domestic travel at an impressive 290%; international at 55% (acquisition data Sept 2021 vs Sept 2019). Maldives, Switzerland, France, Russia, Spain, Egypt are the top destinations, while Expo 2020 Dubai is seeing a brisk demand currently. Additionally, Delhi is also witnessing a strong demand for overseas education travel and Thomas Cook India has delivered well on student travel to USA and Canada with quarantine packages. Delhi NCR Travel Trends: Thomas Cook India’s survey has revealed insightful consumer behaviours & travel trends for Delhi 62% prefer international destinations; favourites include Maldives, Dubai, Switzerland, France 78% prefer Domestic holidays; Kashmir, Leh-Ladakh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand; with North East and Andamans now seeing strong demand *(*data not equal to 100% as multiple choice options were provided to customers) Top Experiences: Delhites enjoy outdoor adventure trips like Biking in Ladakh, Rafting in Uttaranchal ,Kashmir, Rajasthan, South India; mountain destinations and experiences like ATV rides/a picnic lunch in an apple orchard; Andamans and beach destinations with water sports like sea karting, snorkeling, etc. Winter holidays with festivities of Christmas markets in Switzerland & France or Russia’s Lapland & Northern Lights, Nile cruises, hot air ballooning in Cappadocia (Turkey) and Expo …

Switzerland Tourism will conduct a webinar on Thursday, 28 October, 2021, focusing on three unique touristic offerings – BLS Interlaken, Schilthorn and the Lake Geneva Region. This captivating webinar will highlight the scenic cruises on the Lake Thun and Brienz with BLS Interlaken, Schilthorn, the famous ‘James Bond Mountain’ and the French-speaking Lake Geneva Region along its popular attractions. To register, contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

Objecting to gross misstatements and inadequate disclosures contained in the Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) issued by Oravel Stays (Oyo), FHRAI has made an official submission to SEBI to suspend its IPO process. Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, Vice President, FHRAI, says, “The investigation by the Competition Commission of India is a serious one. To our understanding, there has not been a single instance where a company being investigated for anti-competitive practices by the Director General of the CCI has been permitted to initiate an IPO.”

Travel Agents Federation of India – Gujarat Chapter has written to the Ahmedabad Airport Director regarding an announcement made for Ahmedabad runway repair from 3 January 2022 to 31 May 2022 from 9am to 6pm excluding public holidays and Sundays. The latter states, ‘We propose that this repair and maintenance work if possible should be executed in night hours from 10pm to 5am starting from March 2022 with a short completion period. We seek your immediate support to make these changes happen and save the tourism industry from losing its current pace.’  

IndiaTourism New Delhi office recently conducted a two-day vaccination camp at The Park, New Delhi with both Covishield as well as Covaxin vaccines being offered. It invited everyone from the travel fraternity to participate in this drive to ensure full vaccination.

Hoping to cash in on the growth potential of spiritual getaways in India, VITS Kamats Group has launched 70-room VITS The Somnath Gateway in the temple town of Somnath. Located in close proximity to the Somnath temple, it offers a peaceful abode for pilgrims with all the necessary devotional settings.

Thomas Cook (India) has now opened a new foreign exchange branch in Margao, Goa. The branch was inaugurated by Ambreesh Rastogi and Jayesh Joshi, Associate Vice Presidents of the company’s Foreign Exchange business. Thomas Cook India’s internal data has identified Goa as a high opportune source market, and the new foreign exchange branch, is hence aimed at maximising this growth potential. Thomas Cook India’s foreign exchange distribution/reach in Goa now extends to 2 owned branches with presence in both North and South Goa. Thomas Cook India’s new outlet in Goa will empower consumers with end-to-end forex solutions along with a range of travel and travel related services, which include: Prepaid Forex Cards: Multi-currency Borderless Prepaid Card in partnership with MasterCard – with 9 global currencies Thomas Cook One Currency Card – India’s first prepaid card with Zero cross currency conversion fees Education forex for the overseas student segment of Ghaziabad, with discounted air fares, excess baggage, insurance, and foreign exchange student products Remittances (both inward and outward), with its “Send Money Abroad” scheme covering over 120 countries Diverse range of products-services: 26 global currencies, draft & wire service to universities in 120 countries, Forex App, online forex store Deepesh Varma, Senior Vice President – Foreign Exchange, Thomas Cook (India) Limited said, “Our internal data highlights that Goa is a key source market with strong growth potential. Our selection of the prime location of Margao is hence aimed at catalysing growth by bringing our range of forex products-services right to the doorstep of our Goa consumers. In our unerring focus on customer delight, we have launched our promise of doorstep delivery within 4 hours- to benefit Goa’s diversity of segments including students, business …

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia has stated that tour operators should not merely act as a booking medium and rely solely on commissions. He did, however, propose that they should provide value improvements for travellers in order to boost their earnings. “Make packages for whatever circuit you want, and force hotels to offer packages with Value Addition Services (VAS), because today’s tourists want a hassle-free experience with only one point of contact for everything, from ticketing to taxi arrangements to hotel bookings to sightseeing, and everything needs to be done through one window, which should be through you.”

A delegation of TAAI Gujarat Chapter met Naved Desai, Ahmedabad Airport Manager. In the meeting, they suggested to have advance token system of Rapid test for those who wanted to travel to Dubai. They also asked to share airport resurfacing plan to some professional agency to avoid frequent runway closure, which badly affect travel schedule. The TAAI delegation also suggested to form one advisory committee with a representative of travel trade also. Desai gave assurance to action on most of the requests and informed of major expansion of Ahmedabad Airport in phased manner.

Signalling a clear intent to capitalise on the strong and growing opportunity presented by the India market, Thomas Cook (India), and its Group Company, SOTC Travel, have signed a 3 year agreement with Air Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) operator in the Middle East and North Africa. The partnership will deliver on a range of customisable air-inclusive holidays via a technology platform built by Thomas Cook India and SOTC. The exciting and extensive holiday portfolio will be curated by Thomas Cook and SOTC, with air inventory and exclusive fares being provided by Air Arabia. The partnership expands Thomas Cook India and SOTC reach with access to Air Arabia’s customer base in India and provides marketing investment to accelerate demand by targeting a range of India’s travel segments – across families, couples, millennials, groups of friends, seniors; also B-leisure customers. Air Arabia operates from 12 Indian cities (metros like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and viable Tier 2-3 markets like Ahmedabad, Calicut, Coimbatore, Goa, Jaipur, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram; Nagpur from Nov 2021) giving India’s travellers an opportunity to holiday across its extensive network of over 170 international favourites – spanning the Middle East, CIS countries, Africa, Europe and Asia, via easy access of its gateway – Sharjah. Indian consumers benefit via attractively priced bundled holiday products (air + land) that leverage the respective strengths of the industry leaders – Thomas Cook India, SOTC and Air Arabia. The partnership brings travellers the added advantage of a suite of ready-to-book holidays and customisable itineraries – all bookable via a simple and seamless online platform, conceptualised and built by Thomas Cook India & SOTC. Additionally, Thomas Cook & SOTC will also …