Tag Archives: Karan Anand

‘Tour to Feast’, powered by Cox & Kings has been launched to introduce travellers to unique handcrafted delicious journeys across India’s most popular culinary destinations, with a slice of history. Each of these journeys is designed and accompanied by hand-picked experts who will take travellers through the evolution of the indigenous cuisines of each region. To begin with, ‘Tour to Feast’ will offer journeys across the most popular culinary destinations in India like Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Varanasi, Jaipur, Agra and Goa. Travellers can choose from an array of customised culinary holidays. Speaking at the launch, Debolin Sen, Head, Tour to Feast said, “Our distinctly crafted tours take travellers beyond just restaurant tastings, give a taste of a region’s culture through its cuisine. Whether you want to taste food through bazaars, food walks or home dining experiences, cook like a local or just curious to know about the origins of the most celebrated cuisines, we have all that covered under Tour to Feast which promises to offer authentic culinary experiences like no one else.” Karan Anand, Head, Relationships, Cox & Kings said, “We see a substantial increase in the number of tourists integrating culinary tours as part of their travel experiences. In India, each state has unique flavours, delectable cuisines and such amazing stories of bygone eras and their influence on food – the richness of these experiences needs to be presented in a very unique way and through a niche offering like Tour to Feast.”    

Cox & Kings India is now promoting Qatar as the group’s new preferred destination. The marketing and promotion campaign comes as part of a strategic partnership with Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) aimed at boosting the destination’s profile to attract luxury, business and independent travellers to visit Qatar. Rashed AlQurese, Chief Marketing and Promotion Officer, QNTC, commented, “We are pleased to be partnering with Cox & Kings group for the destination’s first-ever integrated campaign in India. Qatar is an easily accessible destination within a few hours from most Indian cities making it an attractive destination for travellers looking for short city getaways or a convenient stopover when heading further West.” In Qatar, Cox & Kings group is offering visits to tourism hotspots and activities that explore both the traditional and contemporary sides of the destination. Karan Anand, Head-Relationships, Cox & Kings said, “Qatar is an easily accessible destination within a few hours from most Indian cities. Every week, there are 176 flights connecting Indian cities to Doha offered by Qatar Airways as well as IndiGo, Jet Airways and Air India Express. Since January this year, Qatar has welcomed more than 335,922 Indian visitors till October, representing a 25 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.” Every week, there are 176 flights connecting Indian cities to Doha offered by Qatar Airways as well as Indigo, Jet Airways and Air India Express. Since January this year, Qatar has welcomed more than 335,922 Indian visitors till October, representing a 25 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

Cox & Kings has roped in Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma as the company’s brand ambassador. The actress will be seen promoting the company’s unique travel offerings in a new TV campaign to be released soon. Karan Anand, Head, Relationships, Cox & Kings, said, “Anushka is known for her versatility, experimentation and unusual personality. She perfectly represents a generation that is energetic, unapologetic and fun-loving, which makes her the right fit to showcase Cox & Kings’ innovative holiday offerings.” Speaking about her experience Anushka Sharma said, “I am glad to be associated with the world’s oldest travel company Cox & Kings. I love to travel and personally think that travelling opens us up to new incredible experiences and changes the way we look at the world. Whether you are travelling solo, with your partner or friends, Cox & Kings has a holiday experience for every type of traveller.” This is the first ever association of Cox & Kings with a Bollywood superstar. Anushka will be promoting the brand across print, television and digital platforms. With this announcement, Cox & Kings will introduce Europe Summer 2019 packages starting at Rs 69,750 and winter departures to Far East, Australia, New Zealand and exotic destinations starting at Rs 58,980 only.

Setting off a new trend of self-drive holidays, Self-Drive 365 powered by Cox & Kings, aims to encourage travellers to discover and be a one-stop road trip planner while offering a wide array of road-trips within India and across the globe. The new segment will ensure a 24*7 support crew that will never throw a spanner in the works of a road-trip be it in any part of the world. The brand allows customisation basis experiences, terrains and several enticing activities. Be it a winding hill-climb, arrow-straight highways, tunnel of trees or beach-hugging coastal roads, each route is fun for a different reason. Speaking at the launch, Debolin Sen, Business Head, Self-Drive 365 said, “With a highly experienced expert panel, round-the-clock assistance, hassle-free paperwork and series of thematic routes, Self-Drive 365 is set to be the pioneer of self-drive tours in the country”. Karan Anand, Head, Relationships, Cox & Kings said, “In line with the emergence of experiential travel, the market for self-drives is growing. Through this unique offering, we wish to ensure, our travellers don’t miss the important part of local exploration.” ‘The USA – The Great Pacific Drive’, ‘Spain – Spanish Tango’, Ireland – The Wild Atlantic Drive’ are few of the international drives whereas the ‘Heart of the Himalayas’, ‘Into the Tiger’s Lair’ and ‘East Coast Life’ are some that lets the enthusiasts explore India by road.

Sports tourism is witnessing 10-12 per cent growth as Indians are showing more enthusiasm for visiting a country to attend sports event, according to industry experts. “Globally, sports tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry. According to estimates, global sports tourism was worth USD 7 billion in 2017. While it is a mature industry overseas, in India it is in infancy (stage),” says Karan Anand, Head of Relationships, Cox and Kings. The first love for Indians is cricket and they travel to watch the game, whether in India or overseas, he added. “There has also been a shift in the interest for other sporting events like the Soccer World Cup or the Olympics. We see 10-12 per cent growth in arrivals to these destinations, when a major sporting event takes place,” he said. Indians travel to Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and England to watch cricket matches. However, over the last 10 years, there is a growing interest to watch the Olympics, the Soccer World Cup and Grand Prix Formula One motor events. The Olympics or Soccer World Cup are highlights for Indians and they love the atmosphere associated with the games, Anand said, adding that there are people who travel to specific sporting events during the Olympics or a few of them only travel for the opening ceremony. He said this segment is primarily dominated by men who come together to watch the sporting event. Source: PTI

Cox & Kings has collaborated with VisitBritain to promote Great Britain in India. The joint marketing collaboration will publicise Great Britain through advertisements and contests in the Indian market. The campaign focuses on the varied offerings of Great Britain including its signature Rail Journeys, delectable cuisine and experiential tours. To popularise the campaign further and garner participation across digital platforms, a unique contest with hashtags #LoveToTravel and #ExploreFourCorners were launched. Cox & Kings along with VisitBritain rolled out the #LoveToTravel contest to encourage travellers to share their travel experience on social media. Special prizes including a free trip to Great Britain were announced for those with the most innovative travel video and pitch. Karan Anand, Head, Relationships, Cox & Kings said, “Indians love Great Britain for its picturesque countryside and most alluring experiences. We bring to our clientele a wide range of travel experiences that largely remain undiscovered. The campaign has successfully attracted the attention of the discerning travellers in India. We are glad to promote Great Britain not only as a summer destination but a year-round one.” VisitBritain’s Interim Director APMEA Tricia Warwick, said “VisitBritain is excited to continue our global partnership with Cox & Kings and further raise Britain’s profile as a great place to visit for Indian tourists.”  

Cox & Kings has opened its first Holiday Club store in Mumbai to cater to the increasing demand for holiday products. The centre, located at Dadar, is the fourth Holiday Club store in India with the other three in New Delhi. The stores aim to attract a diverse set of customers through innovative offers and customised solutions, and offer a range of domestic and international holiday packages. In keeping with recent travel trends, the company has forayed into niche segments such as Enable Travel for the physically challenged, Trip 360 for adventure enthusiasts and Getaway Goddess for the women-only travel segment. Karan Anand, Head, Relationships, Cox & Kings said, “Central Mumbai is now the hub of retail activity and our Holiday Club store is perfectly positioned to engage with customers on a one-on-one basis, as they seek personal engagement in making sure they have a memorable holiday.” The Holiday Club stores will complement the existing points of sales that Cox & Kings has in Mumbai.  

Karan Anand, Head-Relationships and Supplier Management, Cox & Kings Ltd, was conferred the prestigious Gold Medal for Tourism (Médaille d’Or du Tourisme) by the French Government during a special ceremony hosted at the French Consulate in Mumbai. This is the first-ever Gold Medal given by the French government to an Indian in the tourism industry. Anand was awarded the gold medal by Yves Perrin, Consul General of France in Mumbai, for his pioneering contribution in promoting France in India. Perrin said, “We are pleased to give the gold medal to Mr. Karan Anand for his efforts in strengthening touristic ties between our two countries. As the Consul General of France, I would like thank him for his distinguished work towards the promotion of France as a prime tourist destination.” Sheetal Munshaw, Director – Atout France, added, “We are absolutely elated that Mr. Anand is the first Indian recipient of this prestigious gold medal in tourism conferred by the French Republic. Mr. Anand has been a great friend of France since several years and has actively contributed to the evolution of tourism to France. He has lent his expertise consistently and has over the years willingly extended his unwavering support to showcasing destination France in his capacity as member of the Advisory Board for Atout France. Our association with Cox & Kings has resulted in many innovative promotional programs showcasing the myriad experiences France has to offer. The role of Cox & Kings in introducing new destinations such as Chamonix Mont Blanc, the Grevin Wax Museum in Paris has been instrumental in our showcase of France. In 2016, a joint collaboration resulted in the creation of a first ever gastronomic brochure …

Cox and Kings (C&K) has launched four Holiday Clubs in New Delhi which will offer customers a variety of experiential holiday options. Travellers can select from various holiday divisions of C&K to enable travel, getaway goddess and trip 360. The purpose behind launching these lounges is to mark its presence in areas where there is heavy footfall of consumers. “We launched four lounges in Connaught Place, Rajouri Garden, South Extention and MGF Metropolitan mall. Delhi is one of our key markets and these concept stores will provide the customers with a unique shopping experience,” said Karan Anand, Head Relations, C&K. He further added that these stores will complement the existing points of sales that C&K has in New Delhi with an aim to be present where the customers would most likely shop. The company is going to market these stores along with their trade promotion strategies.

Cox & Kings launched Trip 360º as a one-stop-shop for all adventure travel in India. The company is offering adventure seekers a mix of 200 itineraries which include Diving with Sharks in Maldives to Skiing to the South Pole, Cycling trips in the Northeast India to some of the most remote corners of Laos, Cruising parts of Galapagos Islands and other parts of Central America to trekking the Vinson Massif in Antarctica and Sahyadri Ranges in Maharashtra. It will also launch new routes and trips to offbeat destinations like Myanmar, Papua New Guinea and sections that remain untouched by other tour operators. Rohan Prakash, Business Head, Trip 360º said, “Trip 360º is the first adventure specialist which will operate as both, an aggregator and tour operator. Our selected partners are locals from the area or specialists in their respective fields with an in-depth knowledge of the region and the local environment. We aim to consolidate their expertise with ours and create a platform for travellers to live and achieve their outdoor dream in a safe and healthy environment.” The company would offer tailored itineraries which will vary from soft, medium and hard adventures and would cater to all levels of adventure travellers. “We have handpicked and trained expert guides, leaders and suppliers to offer different adventures of international standards. We will be introducing activities like scuba diving, cycling, diving, biking and trekking and more exciting experiences within and outside India,” adds Prakash. Speaking at the launch, Karan Anand, Head-Relationships, Cox & Kings, said, “With increasing number of travellers shifting focus to experience-oriented vacations, there is an increase in the demand for the adventure travel services. The adventure travel business is …