Latest news with #ThomasCook(India)Limited
Business Upturn
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Upturn
Thomas Cook India partners with Muthoot Group to expand reach of Borderless and Study Buddy forex cards
By Aditya Bhagchandani Published on May 31, 2025, 14:10 IST In a strategic move to widen its distribution network and tap into India's growing demand for international travel and education, Thomas Cook (India) Limited has announced a partnership with Muthoot Forex, the foreign exchange arm of Muthoot Group. The alliance aims to enhance accessibility to Thomas Cook's prepaid forex card offerings—Borderless Travel and Study Buddy Cards—across the country, especially in Tier 2 to Tier 4 cities. As part of this agreement, Thomas Cook will leverage Muthoot Group's extensive nationwide network, which includes over 7,000 branches and 43 fully operational forex outlets. The initiative is expected to significantly broaden the cards' footprint and simplify access for travellers and students preparing for international journeys. Product overview: The Borderless Travel Card supports 12 global currencies and can be used at over 70 million merchant outlets in more than 200 countries. It offers features like complimentary airport lounge access, SIM cards, insurance coverage, and emergency cash assistance. The Study Buddy Card, designed specifically for students heading abroad, comes with an ISIC card, global SIM, zero markup on base currency, ATM withdrawals, and exclusive student-focused benefits. Commenting on the development, Deepesh Varma, EVP – Foreign Exchange, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., stated, 'This partnership is a strategic initiative to deepen our reach in emerging markets. It brings together Thomas Cook's legacy in travel and forex with Muthoot Group's extensive physical footprint, allowing us to serve more Indian customers with convenient and secure forex card solutions.' With this collaboration, Thomas Cook India aims to reinforce its omnichannel approach and expand its presence across the country, offering seamless financial and travel services tailored for both leisure and student travellers. Aditya Bhagchandani serves as the Senior Editor and Writer at Business Upturn, where he leads coverage across the Business, Finance, Corporate, and Stock Market segments. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to journalistic integrity, he not only contributes insightful articles but also oversees editorial direction for the reporting team.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Event-led, experiential travel leads Indians' holiday preferences: Thomas Cook-SOTC report
The India Holiday Report 2025 reveals a surge in experiential travel among Indian tourists, fueled by increased disposable incomes and aspirational values. Travellers are prioritizing unique experiences like polar cruises and gastronomy tours, with a willingness to spend more and take longer holidays. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Experiential and event-led travel such as polar, icebreaker cruises, music concerts, global sporting events, wildlife safaris, gastronomy and vineyard trails, stargazing camps and phenomenon travel are at the forefront of Indian travellers' preferences, as per the India Holiday Report 2025, released Wednesday by Thomas Cook (India) Limited and group company SOTC Travel The report, based on a survey conducted across digital platforms covering over 2500 respondents (a combination of past Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel customers, as well as non-customers) over a duration of one month, reflects a significant shift driven by rising disposable incomes and the growing aspirational value of travel, including experiential 85% of Indians planning to increase their frequency of holidays and a significant number intending to boost budgets by up to 50%—the report paints a picture of a booming travel per the report, travellers are showing a clear inclination towards longer holidays – both domestic and international. Today's new-age Indian traveller is also keen on spiritual travel , hidden-gems and distinctive accommodation like igloos, treehouses, chalets-chateaus.60% respondents indicated that social media, OTT platforms and movies are increasingly shaping their travel decisions, and 44% respondents are more likely to visit countries offering simplified visa processes like e-visa or visa-on-arrival options such as Thailand, Malaysia, UAE and Sri Lanka. 39% Indian travellers prefer to actively seek promotions, highlighting the strong influence of discounts/special offers on their purchasing campaigns and deals from tour operators and tourism boards are driving travel interest. 85% of respondents plan to increase their holidays from 2 per year to 4-6 trips annually, and approximately 84% of respondents plan to increase their travel spends by 20-50% in 2025, with over 18% intending to boost budgets by a significant 50% . Internationally, Europe continues to top the list (50%) led by Switzerland, France, Austria and Germany. Central Asia's Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan (32%) signal growing interest for unique short hauls with easy access and Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., said the Indian traveller story is no longer just about destinations—it's a reflection of evolving lifestyles and rising aspirations."Our Holiday Report 2025 clearly signals the emergence of a bold, experience-first traveller mind-set. Indians are not only travelling more, but also increasing spends - choosing depth, discovery and emotion over traditional sightseeing tours. While multigenerational family segments continue to lead, we are seeing strong emergence of new travel subsets like frolleagues and solo travellers," he Nandakumar, President and Country Head - Holidays and Corporate Tours - SOTC Travel, said the report reflects evolving travel formats, with Indians moving away from rushed itineraries in favour of comfort-first, immersive experiences."Slow travel is seeing an uptick, with river and ocean cruises and sustainable rail journeys offering unique opportunities for exploration. Additionally, spiritual/pilgrimage tourism is on the rise – with our 'darshans' portfolio coupled with adventure tourism is gaining popularity – interestingly from young India's millennials and GenZ," he added.
