Tag Archives: SOTC Travel

Data from Thomas Cook (India), India’s leading omnichannel travel services company and its Group Company, SOTC Travel, reveals that the Indian appetite for experience-driven travel is witnessing significant growth. The exceptional solar activity (solar maximum) occurring once every 11-15 years offers an increased chance to view the Northern Lights and has heightened interest for Aurora Borealis experiences between September 2024 – April 2025. To maximise on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Thomas Cook and SOTC have designed a diverse range of Arctic tours, including top locales like Santa Claus Village – Rovaniemi, Saariselka-Lapland (Finland); Tromso, Kirkenes (Norway); Kiruna (Sweden) and Murmansk (Russia). Thomas Cook and SOTC’s Northern Lights tours offer awe-inspiring views of the Aurora Borealis on an exciting husky dog, reindeer and snowmobile safaris. Additionally, authentic local experiences have been woven into the programmes: ice-floating, king crab fishing safaris; engaging and dining with the local Sami people; snowmobiling, visit to a reindeer farm, husky sledding, sea kayaking, fissure snorkelling in the fjords and whale watching. The Companies’ have incorporated exceptional local accommodation options: from Artic tree house stays, snow lodges, glass igloos, bubble stays, ice hotels to lighthouses. In addition to a range of Northern Lights group tours (escorted by an experienced tour manager), Thomas Cook and SOTC’s experts have curated a delightful portfolio of personalised programmes – based on unique customer preferences/passions. Rajeev Kale, President, Country Head, Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India), said, “With the 2024-2025 solar maximum season offering a rare chance of witnessing spectacular northern light displays, we have launched exciting and immersive Arctic Tours to drive demand. Immersive experiences that we’ve created include Aurora Borealis safaris, eclectic accommodation in igloos, glass hotels and Arctic tree houses/lodges; …

At the second edition of ITB India, Vishal Suri, Managing Director, SOTC Travel, delivered an insightful keynote on India’s rapidly evolving travel landscape. With India’s economy and demographic shifts setting the stage for unprecedented growth, Suri painted a vivid picture of how the country’s travel sector is poised for expansion, underpinned by strong domestic demand, a youthful population, and a growing middle class. Suri began by highlighting India’s economic ascent, positioning it as a global powerhouse. Currently, the country boasts a $3.95 trillion economy and is expected to become the third-largest economy by 2027 -28, growing at a steady rate of 8%. This robust growth is fueled by a diverse economic base, including IT, services, agriculture, and manufacturing. According to Suri, this economic diversity and stability create a fertile ground for travel and tourism to flourish. A major driver of this boom is India’s young, tech-savvy population. With 52% of India’s 1.4 billion people under the age of 50, and 27% under 30, Suri emphasised how this “Gen Alpha” is already contributing to the nation’s growing consumer market. These young consumers, being digital natives, are increasingly embracing technology to plan and book travel, shifting from a traditional “saver” mentality to a more “spending” and experience-driven mindset. Suri also touched on the significant shift in consumer behavior, especially post-pandemic. “Pre-pandemic, travel was more about escaping life; post-pandemic, it is about experiencing life,” he noted. This psychological shift has led to a surge in local, experiential travel, with people looking for more meaningful, culturally immersive experiences rather than merely ticking off destinations. The demand for authentic stays, such as Airbnbs and homestays, has increased, reflecting a deeper desire to connect with local …

Travel is back on the Indian consumer radar with over 84 per cent of people surveyed indicating an increased intent to travel in the next six months as against 45 per cent of respondents in pre-pandemic times, a survey by Thomas Cook (India) said SOTC Travel.

Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel surveyed over 4000 customers across India’s Tier I-III cities in a recent survey to identify emerging consumer behaviours and trends that will drive travel preferences in the COVID era. The survey revealed that as many as 66% respondents are willing to spend additional towards personal health & safety, while 19% cite uncertainty as a concern. Safety seems to be a key parameter for at least 70% respondents.

In a survey by Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel, 77% respondents continued to express strong preference for interaction with an expert for guidance/ reassurance – 27% opting to purchase holidays through retail outlets; 17% for home service; 33% preferred a contactless experience of a virtual store/video chat. On the other hand, 23% respondents opted for bookings via website/app. Over 4000 customers were surveyed across India’s Tier 1 – 3 cities to identify emerging consumer behaviours and trends that will drive travel preferences in the COVID era.

Thomas Cook India & SOTC Travel have announced a two-pronged strategy: ‘TravShield’ and ‘Holiday First and Pay When You Return’ to cover every aspect of physical and financial safety. While the former is a comprehensive safe travel commitment to safe guard customers, the latter provides customers the flexibility and benefits of paying only once they return from their holiday.

Vishal Suri, Managing Director, SOTC Travel, shared that it was an electrifying experience to watch ICC World Cup, India v/s Pakistan match at Old Trafford in Manchester. “Both inside the venue, and outside the stadium, the experience was electrifying.” If you want the same experience, make your Dream 11 team with VisitBritain Cricket Carnival Season-1 and win many prizes, including ticket for two at Old Trafford, Manchester for the hospitality lounge when India tours England later this year. Register on http://bit.ly/VisitBritainCricketCarnival or contact Vartik Sethi on vartik.sethi@ddppl.com or +91 83684 28139.

According to a joint survey report by Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel, consumers have expressed an interest in a personal touch to their travel booking experience, with 58% opting to purchase holidays through retail outlets or home service (38% retail and 20% home visits). This was followed by 40% opting for online channels (website/App) and 12% stating preference for video chat. Over 2500 consumers across India participated in the survey.

A survey conducted by SOTC Travel to understand the M!CE plans of key corporates in India reveals that 39% of the respondents said their M!CE budgets would remain unaltered. This spells well for the M!CE sector which is directly influenced by the business health of corporates. The survey also suggests that 32% of the respondents pegged August to September as the right time to restart discussions and operations on M!CE, more than half (or 55%) felt the right time for this would be between October and December.

The winners of the 2018 PATA Grand and Gold Awards were felicitated at PATA Travel Mart 2018 on September 14 at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre in Langkawi, Malaysia.  PATA Gold Award 2018 for Women Empowerment Initiative went to Peak DMC, India, for empowering women through inclusive work and PATA Gold Award 2018 for Heritage was bagged by Sahapedia for India Heritage Walk Festival. SOTC Travel won the award for Marketing Media – Travel Advertisement Broadcast Media while Yalla Kerala campaign of Kerala Tourism, bagged the PATA Gold Award for Marketing Media – Travel Advertisement Print Media. Cox & Kings India won the award for Marketing Media – Travel Brochure, an experiantial showcase of Indian journeys. The Ultimate Travelling Camp (TUTC) won the PATA Gold Award for Marketing Media – Travel Video. Mario Hardy, CEO, PATA, said, “I would like to congratulate the 2018 PATA Grand and Gold Award winners as well as all of this year’s participants for their submissions. This year’s winners exemplify the true values of the association in working towards a more responsible travel and tourism industry in the Asia Pacific region.” Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), said, “This year’s PATA Gold Award winners present us with yet another wide array of remarkable accomplishments in different branches of the tourism industry. MGTO is honoured to help facilitate this PATA awards programme in inspiring tourism stakeholders throughout the Asia Pacific region.” This year’s awards attracted 200 entries from 87 organisations and individuals worldwide.