Thomas Cook India inaugurates new franchise outlet in Indore
Mumbai, February 2023: Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., India’s leading omnichannel travel services company, inaugurated a new Gold Circle Partner (franchise) outlet in Vijay Nagar, Indore to capitalize on the strong and growing travel opportunity from the region. Indore has witnessed a 40% uptick in travel demand and this expansion augments Thomas Cook India’s distribution and reach in Madhya Pradesh with 2 consumer access centers: 2 owned branches and 2 Gold Circle Partner (franchise) outlets. In addition to serving the financial hub of Indore, the outlet will also serve as a hub for nearby residential and business areas of Scheme 54, Scheme 78, Basant Vihar Colony, Mahalaxmi Nagar, Nipania, and Dewas.
In the new age of travel, customers are understandably seeking the guidance and reassurance of holiday experts and Thomas Cook India’s internal survey reiterates the same, with a significant 77% of respondents stating that they require guidance from a holiday expert. To help customers with their travel plans and requirements, Thomas Cook India has opened a Gold Circle Partner (franchise) outlet in Indore.
Thomas Cook’s strategic omnichannel model offers extensive touchpoints to customers: India’s largest retail holiday network of 135 outlets and B2B distribution (across its owned stores, Partner franchise outlets, and Preferred Sales Agents) coupled with the Company’s website, call centers, Holiday app, and Virtual Holiday store.
With the upcoming spring and summer holidays, consumers from Indore/Madhya Pradesh are displaying a strong travel desire for both domestic and international destinations. Favorite Indian locales include Goa, Andamans, Kashmir, Leh Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, and the North East. Spiritual tourism has been witnessing an uptick and favorites include Char Dham and Amarnath Yatra. Closer-to-home international destinations like Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Maldives, and Mauritius are driving demand. Additionally, long/mid-haul favorites include Switzerland, France, Austria, Finland, the UK, Turkiye, Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, and the USA (for visa-holding customers). New emerging destinations include Vietnam, Cambodia, Baku, and Almaty. The month of March is witnessing a strong uptick in Cherry blossom season in Japan and South Korea.
Key segments driving growth from Indore include families, couples, millennials/young professionals, seniors, local trade associations, regional community groups, and business travelers. Adventure/outdoor experiences, spiritual and spa/wellness are the top preferred holiday options for consumers from Indore. Thomas Cook’s Digital First focus has resulted in a significant drop of approx. ten years in the average age of its holiday customers. Therefore, with a strategic aim to target Gen Z customers who seek experiential activities, authentic local culture, and value pricing, the Company offers attractive rates, unbeatable deals, and a host of engaging experiences.
Thomas Cook’s Gold Circle Partner outlet at Vijay Nagar, Indore offers consumers end-to-end travel solutions with a wide range of travel and travel-related services, including International & Domestic Holidays (Group Tours, Personalised holidays, Cruises, etc.), Value Added Services like Travel Insurance; Visa Services, etc.
Mr. Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Limited said, “Indore is a growing market for us at Thomas Cook India, and we are seeing a 40% surge in strong travel demand from the region for the upcoming summer holidays. We are hence delighted to announce the opening of our Gold Circle Partner franchise outlet at Vijay Nagar, Indore, a prime commercial hub, for better customer accessibility. We intend to accelerate demand while supporting our customers across segments including families, couples, millennials/young professionals, business travelers, local trade associations and more.”
He added, “Our Gold Circle Partner, Mr. Manish Maheshwari brings over 25 years of travel and tourism expertise. His extensive network will strengthen Thomas Cook India’s presence in this growing market.
We extend a warm welcome to our Indore-based customers. We have just launched exciting offers and discounts for the summer vacation season and our travel experts at our new outlet look forward to assisting customers from Indore & around – to plan their much-awaited holidays for 2023.”