This document is a summer training project report by Aditya Ranjan on outbound sales at Thomas Cook (India) Pvt. Ltd., submitted for the PGDM in International Business program. It details the internship experience, the analysis of Indian outbound tourism, and provides insights on consumer behavior, market trends, and recommendations for marketing strategies. The report encompasses various aspects of tourism, including the historical context, definitions, and the importance of practical knowledge in management education.

1. A
SUMMER TRAINING PROJECT REPORT
ON
“Outbound Sales of Thomas Cook (India) Pvt. Ltd.”
“SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULLFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT OF
POST GRADUATE DIPLOMMA IN MANAGEMENT (PGDM) –
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS”
TRAINING SUPERVISOR: SUBMITTED BY:
Dr. Ramesh C. Devrath ADITYA RANJAN
(Asst. Professor) PGDM – III Semester
Roll No. - 1134002
SESSION: 2013-2015
Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management
(An Organisation of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India)
Govindpuri
Gwalior – 474011 (Madhya Pradesh) India

2. DECLARATION
I, ADITYA RANJAN Roll No.- 1134002 a student of PGDM III Semester of Indian
Institute of Tourism and Travel Management, Govindpuri, Gwalior, hereby declare that the
summer training project report titled “ Driving Outbound Sales ” is my original work and the
same has not been submitted for the award of any other diploma or degree.
Date : ADITYA RANJAN

3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
To take training is a part of our Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) Program.
Training is quit valuable and important aspect to provide practical knowledge to the student
of management studies.
It was very useful and experience which I got under the guidance of my project guide Mrs.
Shurbhi Bansal at during my training in “Thomas Cook India Limited” Vatika First India
Place, M.G. Road Gurgaon.
I was able to prepare this training report with the co-operation of various people. My sincere
thanks to entire team of ‘Thomas Cook India Ltd.’ for providing the knowledge of their
respective divisions.
First of all I am very much thankful to In Charge Director and Professor Lt. Dr. Saurabh
Dixit of our P.G.D.M- International Business. Our Asst.Professor Dr. Ramesh C. Devrath
who has given me an opportunity and she has helped me very much in preparing the report
by her guidance.
Thanking you
ADITYA RANJAN
PGDM- IB III SEMESTER

4. PREFACE
An Industrial, Business or service organization by taking up a project study is most
important part of our PGDM course & is must as per the syllabus prescribed by Indian
Institute of Tourism and Travel Management. PGDM course is of administrative and
managerial activity of industrial, Business or service organization. The main objective of this
project study is to help the student to develop ability to practical technique to solve real life
problem related to industrial Business or Service organization.
According to the rules, I have taken my summer training in Thomas Cook India Limited. Our
mentors, professors and seniors, some manager’s gives the knowledge and guidance of
this company to us.
The summer training programmed for student of PGDM training is for two months in the
time of summer vacation theoretically knowledge and class room discussion is not sufficient
for the student but training given them practical and day to day working of industry.
In this project report I had tried to analyze the needs of the customers and suggest them
the most suitable tourism solution. As well as I also analyzed the brand awareness among
the people.

5. Table of content
S.No. Description Page no.
1. Introduction 11-37
 An introduction to tourism 12
 Indian Outbound Tourism 24
 Reasons For Visiting The Countries 32
 Indian Outbound Tourism Potential 36
2. Market Share: Private Players
38
3. Thomas Cook India Limited
44
4. Research Methodology 62-69
 Aim and Objective of the Study 63
 Primary Findings 65
5. Recommendations 70
6. Conclusion 71
7. Internship and Learning’s 72
8. Bibliography 78

6. Objective of the Internship
Management as a profession can’t be taught merely in the four walls of classrooms. Only
theoretical knowledge is not sufficient to build competitive managers. Practical knowledge
of the business environment is equally important.
In today business world, tourism sector is running towards its booming stage. This industry
still has many things to come up to, so many changes and opportunities will be given by
insurance industry. So I choose tourism industry for my training session in P.G.D.M –
International Business program.
I choose Thomas Cook India Limited as, it is one of those private tourism players who
entered the market as an initiator and has its own place among all its competitors:
 To develop necessary skills, knowledge and attitude required in the
corporate/management.
 To recognize capabilities and shoulder responsibilities as a professional.
 To have a feel of the problem faced by the organization and develop creative
solutions.
 To gain deep understanding in specific functional areas.
 To recognizes the linkages among different functions of a business and develop
realistic.
 To have professional exposure.
As a Trainee Thomas Cook India Limited give me very practical knowledge about leisure
travel outbound tourism and how to work in organization, how manage work, how to
maintain relations with top level management as well as colleges and bottom level
management. So, this experience will helpful in future. I am pleased by taken training at
India’s one of the best tourism company.

7. About this Report
The study, completed in May-June 2014, was a combination of desk research, interviews
with the travel professionals and interviews and focus groups with consumers. It looked not
just at Indians’ travel behaviour, trends and propensity to travel, but also delved more
deeply into international destination’s image as a holiday destination in India, the
awareness and perceptions about individual countries, possible barriers to travel and
reactions towards the Thomas Cook India Limited.
This report, intended for partial fulfillment of the requirement of Post Graduate Diploma in
Management (PGDM)- International Business Program. The findings of the study and
provides comprehensive analysis and recommendations for the future marketing and
promotional strategies for promoting and designing tour packages in India.
The report is divided into three parts, as follows:
• Part 1 – Indian Outbound Travel Market (Secondary Research);
• Part 2 – Demography of Outbound tourists in India (Primary Research);
• Part 3 – Conclusions and Recommendations.

8. Review of Literature
Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. (TCIL) is the leading integrated travel and travel related financial
services company in the country offering a broad spectrum of services that include Foreign
Exchange, Corporate Travel, MICE, Leisure Travel, Insurance, Visa & Passport services
and E-Business. The company set up its first office in India in 1881.
TCIL’s footprint currently extends to over 235 locations (including 15 airport counters) in 99
cities across India, Mauritius & Sri Lanka and is supported by a strong partner network of
114 Gold Circle Partners and 165 Preferred Sales Agents in over 136 cities across India.
According to UNWTO, Tourism embraces nearly all aspects of our society. Apart from its
importance to economic changes, human socio-cultural activities and environmental
development, tourism is related to other academic subjects such as geography, economics,
history, languages, psychology, marketing, business and law, etc. Therefore, it is necessary
to integrate a number of subjects to study tourism.
For example, subjects such as history and geography help us understand more about the
development of the historical and geographical resources of a tourist destination. Besides,
subjects like marketing and business help us understand the promotion and marketing of
tourism products.
Tourism is a complex field of study because it includes a variety of disciplines which are
either directly or indirectly related to the understanding of tourism. The study of information
technology enhances our understanding of the importance of the global distribution system
and its effect on tourism business.
The study of religion and culture provides information on the cultural resources of a
destination and opportunities to develop it as a cultural destination. Tourism is so vast, so
complex, and so multifaceted that there is a wide range of subjects related to tourism.
Outbound tourism recorded a steady performance in 2013 with 9% growth in terms of the
number of trips, compared with 8% growth in 2012. An increase in disposable incomes
helped to drive this growth. The depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar led to an
expectation that outbound tourism might suffer in 2013; however, even though growth was
not exceptionally high, increased incomes drove more consumers towards cheap
international trips. Countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and other Southeast
Asian nations were extremely popular in 2013 as outbound destinations
Outbound tourism is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8% in terms of the number of trips and
at a CAGR of 12% at constant 2013 prices. Growth is expected to be driven by an increase
in disposable incomes of Indians and by the increasing number of trips that consumers are

9. expected to make annually. This is expected, as already in 2013, Indians started travelling
more frequently than their usual once a year trip, as was the norm prior to the review
period; however, this was not the case in 2012-2013, and this change is expected to be
even more pronounced over the forecast period.
International outbound leisure travel trips by India’s residents are estimated at 7.9 million in
2014, and are forecasted to grow by an average of 13.0% per year to reach 16.5 million
trips by 2020. Total outbound trips will grow much faster than total household growth
(13.0% versus 1.1%) over the forecast period resulting in a ratio of outbound trips to
households that is projected to reach 5.8% in 2020 from 3.0% in 2014.
Indian households earning above US$10,000 per annum constitute about 96% of all
outbound international leisure trips (2014) and at the same time make up only 8.9% of all
households. Dividing these percentages (96% by 8.9%) yields a concentration ratio of 10.8
which presents a very skewed picture of the distribution of outbound travel by households.
Among the 14 Asia/Pacific markets India has the highest concentration ratio followed by
Indonesia at 4.2 (i.e. the concentration of outbound travel in India is more than twice as
concentrated as Indonesia). As mentioned above, China follows Indonesia with a ratio of
3.6. Projecting forward to 2020, the higher levels of outbound travel growth will come from
Indian households earning above US$7,500 (16% of households are in this category and
they account for 99.7% of all outbound travel).
In terms of aspirational destinations, the New York-USA combination ranks first with 9.7%
of mindshare. Singapore is next at 8.8%, followed by the London-UK combination at 6.5%,
Malaysia at 4.8%, Australia at 4.3% and Japan at 4.1%. These six destinations account for
37.1% of total aspirational mindshare. Interestingly, only the Indians selected Malaysia
(4.8%) as a top 20 aspirational destination.
Singapore and Malaysia have the shortest flight times from India (5-6 hours) which bodes
well for the two countries going forward as they stand to benefit the most from any growth in
outbound Indian travel. One thing to note is that four of the top 20 aspirational destinations
selected by Indians are actually domestic. In fact of the top 50 destinations, 21 of them are
domestic and account for 17% of aspirational mindshare. This suggests that there is still a
lot of pent up demand for domestic travel in India which competes with international travel

10. for the overall household travel budget and may explain in part why the propensity to
consume international outbound travel rises much more slowly after the US$10,000
inflection point compared to China (which shares the same inflection point).
With over 28 million passport holders in the country who are potential travellers, the source
market for outbound travel is wide and complex because of its size and variety. According
to the primary research among the travel trade, the main source regions are west and north
(including central India) together accounting for about 65% of all outbound travel, followed
by south (25%) and east (10%).
According to Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), 40% of all outbound trips by Indians
are for business purposes, while leisure, visiting friends and relatives (VFR) and other
reasons each account for 20% of outbound trips from India.
According to the travel trade, international leisure travellers belong to the 25-65 years age
group, a larger proportion being males (65%) than females (35%). They are well educated
and belong to the upper socio-economic strata of society. Majority are married (75%) and
have children living in the household. Two-thirds of leisure travellers tend to holiday abroad
with family
In the short-term, a large proportion of potential visitors to Europe are likely to be first-time
visitors, although the majority will have travelled abroad at least once. Families and couples
are likely to be the key customer segments travelling on holiday. Some travel from groups
of friends and affinity group travellers can also be anticipated.
In terms of travel destination selection, the top five factors that influence destination
selection for Indians are safety and security; variety of things to see and do; overall image
of holiday destination; good tourist facilities; and infrastructure; and the ease of obtaining
visas. The travel trade confirms that travellers will often change their mind about a travel
destination if obtaining visas is a complex or time-consuming process.

11. INTRODUCTION

12. Since the beginning of time humans have traveled. Food, water, safety or acquisitions of
resources (trade) were the early travel motivations. But the idea of travel for pleasure or
exploration soon emerged. Travel has always depended upon technology to provide the
means or mode of travel. The earliest travelers walked or rode domesticated animals. The
invention of the wheel and the sail provided new modes of transportation. Each
improvement in technology increased individuals' opportunities to travel. As roads were
improved and governments stabilized, interest in travel increased for education,
sightseeing, and religious purposes. One of the earliest travel guides was written by
Pausanias, a Greek, which was a 10 volume Guide to Greece, for Roman tourists in 170
A.D.
Tourism is a collection of activities, services and industries that delivers a travel experience,
including transportation, accommodations, eating and drinking establishments, retail shops,
entertainment businesses, activity facilities and other hospitality services provided for
individuals or groups traveling away from home. The World Tourism Organization (WTO)
claims that tourism is currently the world’s largest industry with annual revenues of over $3
trillion dollars. Tourism provides over six million jobs in the United States, making it the
country's largest employer.
Definition of Tourism
Mathieson and Wall (1982) created a good working definition of tourism as,
"The temporary movement of people to destinations outside their normal places of work and
residence, the activities undertaken during their stay in those destinations, and the facilities
created to cater to their needs."
According to Macintosh and Goeldner (1986) tourism is,
"The sum of the phenomena and relationships arising from the interaction of tourists,
business suppliers, host governments and host communities in the process of attracting
and hosting these tourists and other visitors."
According to United Nation World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO),
“Tourism is a social, cultural and economic phenomenon which entails the movement of
people to countries or places outside their usual environment for personal or
business/professional purposes.”

13. Based on the UNWTO definition on tourism, tourism could be categorized as:
 Domestic Tourism
Domestic tourism involves trips made by local residents within their own countries.
Example: An Indian, who lives in Patna, takes a business trip to Delhi.
 International Tourism
International Tourism involves trips between 2 countries. To a certain country, visits
by residents of that country to another country are her outbound tourism; visits to
that country by residents of another country are her inbound tourism.
Example: Trips between India and Japan. India as the point of origin/point of
destination:
1. Visits made by India residents to Japan are India’s outbound tourism.
2. Visits made by Japanese to India are India’s inbound tourism.
Definitions of “Tourist”
The International Conference on Travel and Tourism Statistics convened by the World
Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in Ottawa, Canada in 1991 reviewed, updated, and
expanded on the work of earlier international groups. The Ottawa Conference made some
fundamental recommendations on definitions of tourism, travelers, and tourists. The United
Nations Statistical Commission adopted UNWTO’s recommendations on tourism statistics
on March 1993.
1. Tourists: Visitors who spend at least one night in the country visited.
2. Crew members: Foreign air or ship crews docked or in lay over and who used the
accommodation establishments of the country visited.
3. Excursionists: Visitors who do not spend at least one night in the country visited
although they might visit the country during one day or more and return to their ship
or train to sleep.
4. Cruise passengers: Normally included in excursionists. Separate classification of
these visitors is nevertheless preferable.
5. Day visitors: Visitors who come and leave the same day.

14. 6. Crews: Crews who are not residents of the country visited and who stay in the
country for the day.
7. Members of armed forces: When they travel from their country of origin to the duty
station and vice versa.
8. Transit passengers: Who do not leave the transit area of the airport or the port in
certain countries, transit may involve a stay of one day or more. In this case they
should be included in the visitor statistics.
9. Purpose of visit: Main purposes of visit as defined by the Rome Conference (1963).
 Travellers
Any person who is taking a trip within or outside his/her own country of residence
irrespective of the purpose of travel, means of transport used, even though he/she
may be travelling on foot.
 Tourist
A tourist is a person who travels to destinations outside his/her residence and
working place, and stays for at least 24 hours, for the purpose of leisure or business.
 Excursionist
An excursionist is a person who temporarily visits a destination and stays for less
than 24 hours, for the purpose of leisure or business, but not for transit.
Examples:
1. A Canadian resident takes a short trip to the USA without staying overnight.
2. A Hong Kong resident goes to Shenzhen shopping without staying overnight.
Visitors
 International visitor
Any person who travels to a country other than that in which he/she has his/her
usual residence but outside his/her usual environment for a period not exceeding
twelve months and whose main purpose of visit is other than the exercise of an
activity remunerated from within the country visited.

15.  Domestic visitor
Any person residing in a country, who travels to a place within the country but
outside his/her usual environment for a period of not exceeding twelve months and
whose main purpose of visit is other than the exercise of an activity remunerated
from within the place visited.
Tourist (overnight visitor)
 International tourists
A visitor who visits another country and stays at least one night in a collective or
private accommodation in the country visited.
 Domestic tourists
A visitor who stays at least one night in a collective or private accommodation in the
place visited within his/her own country.
Excursionist (same-day visitor or day tripper)
 International excursionist
A visitor who does not spend the night in a collective or private accommodation in
the country visited.
 Domestic excursionist
A visitor who does not spend the night in a collective or private accommodation in
the place visited within his/her own country.

16. History of Tourism
Roman Empire Period
During the Roman Empire period (from about 27 BC to AD 476), travel developed for
military, trade and political reasons, as well as for communication of messages from the
central government to its distant territories. Travel was also necessary for the artisans and
architects “imported” to design and construct the great palaces and tombs. In ancient
Greece, people traveled to Olympic Games. Both the participants and spectators required
accommodations and food services. Wealthy Romans, in ancient times, traveled to seaside
resorts in Greece and Egypt for sightseeing purpose.
Middle Age Period
During the Middle Age (from about AD 500 to 1400), there was a growth of travel for
religious reasons. It had become an organized phenomenon for pilgrims to visit their “holy
land”, such as Muslims to Mecca, and Christians to Jerusalem and Rome.In the 16th
century, the growth in England’s trade and commerce led to the rise of a new type of
tourists - those traveled to broaden their own experience and knowledge.
17th Century
In the 17th century, the sons and daughters of the British aristocracy traveled throughout
Europe (such as Italy, Germany and France) for periods of time, usually 2 or 3 years, to
improve their knowledge. This was known as the Grand Tour, which became a necessary
part of the training of future administrators and political leaders.
Industrial Revolution Period
The Industrial Revolution (from about AD 1750 to 1850) in Europe created the base for
mass tourism. This period turned most people away from basic agriculture into the town /
factory and urban way of life. As a result, there was a rapid growth of the wealth and
education level of the middle class, as well as an increase of leisure time and a demand for
holiday tourism activities. At that time, travel for health became important when the rich and
fashionable Europeans began to visit the spa towns (such as Bath in England and Baden -
Baden in Germany) and seaside resorts in England (such as Scarborough, Margate and
Brighton).

17. 19th to 20th Centuries
In the 19th and 20th centuries, the social and technological changes have had an immense
impact on tourism. Great advances in science and technology made possible the invention
of rapid, safe and relatively cheap forms of transport: the railways were invented in the 19th
century and the passenger aircraft in the 20th century. World War II (AD 1939-1945) was
also the impetus for dramatic improvements in communication and air transportation, which
made travel much easier today than in earlier times.
1980s
The 1980s were called the boom years. Business and leisure travel expanded very rapidly.
The baby-boomers were coming of age and had the money to spend. These travellers were
looking for a variety of travel products from exciting vacation options such as adventure
travel, ecotourism and luxurious travel. There was not only a significant expansion in the
travel market but also in tourist destinations. The fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany in 1989
signified the doom of communism in Europe. Countries such as Russia and the Czech
Republic became new tourist destinations both for vacation and business travellers.
1990s
The Aviation Industry was facing high operational costs, including wage, oil prices, handling
fee of Central Reservation System (CRS), landing charge of the air crafts and advertising
fee etc. During this decade, CRS also marched towards more sophisticated technology. It
became possible for agents to book a huge inventory of travel products, such as hotels, car
rentals, cruises, rail passes, and theatre tickets from the CRS. The introduction of
“ticketless traveling” (electronic ticket) brings benefits to the airlines by cutting the amount
of paperwork and cost of tickets. At the same time, passengers do not have to worry about
carrying or losing tickets. Although, electronic ticketing does not bypass the travel agents as
intermediaries, it makes it easier for the airline to deal directly with consumers. The
advance in technology also allows the airlines and other travel suppliers to sell directly to
travellers through the Internet and interactive kiosks at airports. The kiosks at the airport
usually sell hotel accommodation, transfer tickets such as bus tickets between airport and
downtown areas and coach tickets from one city to another. Travellers can now log on to
the Internet easily reach for travel information, book a simple ticket or hotel room through
their personal computer at home. There are thousands of new destinations, tour products
and discounted airfares for travellers to choose from.

18. Forms of Tourism
Leisure / Holiday Tourism
Leisure/Holiday tourism can be divided into 2 forms:
1. Relaxation
2. Sightseeing
The destinations for relaxation tourism can be attractive scenery or sun, sea and sand.
Examples of these tourist destinations are the coasts, beaches, countryside and
mountainous regions.
Sightseeing tourism includes the tourists who may travel around sightseeing and staying
in different places. The main reasons for sightseeing tourism are a desire for self-education
and for self-esteem. This kind of tourists takes a lot of photographs. Urban centers are their
common destinations, for example, Bangkok, Taipei, Seoul, etc.
Business Tourism
The business travelers may travel for various purposes, for example, trade, meeting,
convention and exhibition. Business people buy similar products as do other tourists. They
would also spend money on entertainment and recreation while they are at their
destinations.
The characteristics of business tourism are:
1. Business tourists frequently travel to destinations not usually seen as tourist
destinations. Cities such as London, Frankfurt, New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong are
important destinations for the business travelers.
2. Business travel is relatively price-inelastic; business people cannot be encouraged to
travel more frequently by the offer of lower prices, nor will an increase in price
discourage them from traveling.
3. Business travel is not greatly affected by seasonal factors such as variation in
climate or holidays.
4. Business tourists take relatively short but frequent trips to major business
destinations.
5. Business tourists may require different services, such as communication facilities or
secretarial service.

19. 6. Business travelers expect, and generally receive, a higher standard of service. Much
business travel is first-class or business-class, and thus receives higher levels of
service from the suppliers, including the travel agencies.
Cultural Tourism
Cultural tourism is related to the transmission of knowledge and ideas of the destination
area or host community. As tourists are curious about different kinds of experiences and
cultures in various parts of the world, they travel to learn and experience the culture of a
tourist destination. This becomes the prime motivational force for their travel. This kind of
tourist likes to visit museums and attend musical, theatrical or folklore performances.
Eco-tourism
Tourists of this kind enjoy traveling to natural areas. They will minimize their impact on the
environment as well as protect the natural resources during their travel. Therefore, eco-
tourism is characterized as a force for conservation and preservation of nature. For eco-
tourism, the managing authority of wildlife areas (e.g. national parks) will spend most of the
income from tourists (e.g. entrance fees and donations, etc.) on the conservation work in
the area. In some areas, the authority may offer tour guides to educate tourists and modify
their behavior so that they will cause less impact on the environment.
Education Tourism
Students travel to overseas learning or training centers, such as universities, for short or
vacation courses. There is an increasing number of local study tours ranging from half-a-
day to a week. Study tour on board a cruise ship in Hong Kong.
Religious Pilgrimage
People are motivated by their religious beliefs. The demand for this kind of tourism is quite
stable. The destinations of religious pilgrimages usually have a long tradition, such as
Muslims to Mecca and Christians to Jerusalem.
Health Tourism
Since the development of spas (mineral springs) in the 18th century, there have been
visitors to centers of medical treatment. The spas in the mainland of China and Japan are
still popular attractions in some tour programs.

20. Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR)
Some tourists travel abroad because they want to visit their friends and relatives. It is
sometimes said that those visiting their friends or relatives (VFR) are not really tourists at all
in the conceptual sense. They do not usually buy accommodation or much food or drink or
other services at the destination; but they do consume food and beverages from the
supermarkets used by their hosts, and household consumption of other services (e.g.
electricity, water) is increased during their stay. Some of the VFR tourists' destinations may
not be tourist attractions, but they are the population centers where friends or relatives live.
Tourists are therefore visiting “non-tourist” areas. In Hong Kong, the popular VFR
destinations are the mainland of China, Canada, U.S.A. and Australia.
Sports Tourism
Many tourists travel for sports. They may:
1. Participate in sports, such as skiing or mountaineering.
2. Watch sports, such as attending the Olympic Games or World Cup Soccer. For
example, the International Rugby-Sevens Competition in Hong Kong attracts both
sport players and spectators.

21. The Leisure and Tourism Industry
What is leisure? One dictionary definition states that leisure is ‘time free from the demands
of work or duty when you can rest or enjoy hobbies or sports.
Leisure travel was associated with the Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom – the
first European country to promote leisure time to the increasing industrial population.
Initially, this applied to the owners of the machinery of production, the economic oligarchy,
the factory owners and the traders. These comprised the new middle class. Cox & Kings
was the first official travel company to be formed in 1758.
The British origin of this new industry is reflected in many place names. In Nice, France,
one of the first and best-established holiday resorts on the French Riviera, the long
esplanade along the seafront is known to this day as the Promenade des Anglais; in many
other historic resorts in continental Europe, old, well-established palace hotels have names
like the Hotel Bristol, Hotel Carlton, or Hotel Majestic – reflecting the dominance of English
customers.
The leisure industry is divided into five key components :
1. Sport and physical recreation
Sport is a form of physical activity that usually has some element of competition and
is usually governed by a set of rules. Physical recreation is participating in any
physical activity that refreshes the body and mind. Some sports can be a physical
recreation when the competition is not present, such as cycling, horse riding and
sailing. Both sport and physical recreation may be aimed at improving health and
fitness.
Sport can be:
• Active or participative, e.g. playing rugby or badminton
• Passive or spectator, e.g. watching a football match.
2. Arts and entertainment
Arts and entertainment refers to things that take place outside your home which
‘entertain you’. Again this can include things that you watch, e.g. a musical at
theatre, or things that you can actively take part in, e.g. bingo, youth theatre, dance
troops, orchestras, bands, choirs, karaoke, and reading groups.

22. Included in this component of the leisure industry, you will find:
• Theatre – including musicals and plays
• Opera
• Classical music, orchestral and individual recitals – including fireworks concerts
• Popular music – including bands, individuals, compilation tours.
• Dance – including ballet, folk and morris dancing
• Cinema – including IMAX
• Cabaret – including tribute bands
• Stand-up comedy
• Exhibitions and Art galleries
• Others – include festivals, magic shows, ice shows, children’s shows.
3. Countryside recreation
Countryside recreation can take place in National Parks, Areas of Outstanding
Natural Beauty (AONB), on the coastline, or on the moors. A place is visited not just
for its landscape and scenery, which may be mountains, hills, valleys, lakes, sand
dunes or even just fields, but also for the many activities that can take place there,
such as walking, canoeing, potholing, or skiing.
Some charities, like the Ramblers Association, work to promote walking in the
countryside and to improve conditions for all walkers. Walking is generally a free
activity. Other free activities in the countryside include photography, landscape
painting, picnicking, and cycling. These tend to be ‘low’ level activities, suitable for all
age groups. However, the countryside increasingly offers highly active recreational
activities, such as caving, skiing, snowboarding, climbing, mountain biking, and on
the coast, a variety of water sports such as windsurfing and sailing.
4. Home-based leisure
It is not always necessary to leave your home to take part in leisure activities. Home-
based leisure includes:
• Music – including playing and listening
• Television related entertainment
• Crafts
• Home improvements and gardening
• Internet-based leisure
• Reading
• Games – including interactive game

23. 5. Play- and activity-based leisure
Play-based leisure is activities that are mainly associated with children. Examples
range from ‘paint a plate’ to bouncy castles for children. Activity-based leisure is a
fast-growing component of the leisure industry. Many new activities have been
introduced as people are not content to just sunbathe when on holiday or just walk
when visiting the countryside. Examples of activity-based leisure include whitewater
rafting and aerial adventures like forest adventure courses that involve rope bridges
and zip slides for older children, teenagers and adults.
Remember that play- and activity-based leisure activities are available in towns,
cities and seaside resorts, as well as in the countryside. Many types of leisure in this
component are free, such as mother and toddler playgroups, local park playgrounds
for younger children, beach activities such as paddling, swimming, or body boarding
for older children, and tea dances or power-walking for older people.
The leisure and tourism industry is one of the largest and fastest growing sectors in the UK
and the world. In the UK in 2008, the tourism industry employed over 1.45 million people.
The leisure industry is constantly changing and developing as many new and exciting
activities are introduced, such as the Go Ape High Wire Forest Adventure. Similarly the
tourism industry is also constantly changing to keep up with new developments and social
trends. This unit will explore the reasons why UK leisure and tourism organisations need to
adapt to the rapid pace of change.

24. INDIAN OUTBOUND TOURISM

25. Asian Century refers to the dominant role played by Asia in the 21st century, because of
its growing economic clout and global demographic trends. This term has gained credence
following the rapid economic growth of China and India.
Free Independent Travel (FIT) from India is set to make further gains over the next decade,
as more Indians gather further experience and confidence in travelling overseas. India’s
growing luxury market is set to exceed US$10 billion by 2014. From about US$3.66 billion
in 2007, the luxury market has more than doubled to US$7.58 billion in 2012. This will be
boosted by a new class of wealthy who are termed as the ‘closet customers’ who have
joined the traditionally rich segment contributing to higher luxury sales. The rich are not
confined to the primary cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore.
Secondary cities are showing growth. Travel trade continues to focus on this segment.
According to a recently released report, Thailand is the leading India outbound travel
destination accounting for nearly 7% of Indian outbound tourists in 2012. Singapore
welcomed 6% of Indian outbound tourists, while Malaysia, UAE and USA were in third,
fourth and fifth place respectively. Other countries like China, Hong Kong, Switzerland,
United Kingdom, Australia and Canada are contributing significantly and will continue to
gain a significant share of the Indian outbound tourism market. Senior travel trade
representatives predict that countries such as Japan, Sri Lanka and Nepal are amongst the
top emerging markets for outbound tourism.
First time Indian travellers are more comfortable travelling to short-haul destinations such
as South East Asia due to short flight time of 3-5 hours. Indian travellers will then visit
Europe followed by USA and Great Britain primarily to visit friends and relatives (VFR).
USA and Great Britain are aspirational destination for many Indians.
Following this, they may then visit other long haul destinations such as Australia, New
Zealand and South Africa.
1. South East Asia and Middle East – Closer, cheaper and within comfort zone.
2. Europe – Aspirational and multiple countries in one visit.
3. USA/Great Britain – VFR and aspirational.
4. Other Long Haul Destinations – Australia, South Africa, Turkey, Egypt, Italy and
France.
Indians who holiday on Free Independent Travel (FIT) basis, are usually highly educated,
open to western culture and influences, and living in nuclear families. Parents and children
of any age travel as a family group and usually head for long-haul destinations in search of
new experiences.

26. Leisure travellers are still significant in volume though they are increasingly more
sophisticated and demanding. Mumbai is the leading source of India’s outbound travellers
with a market share of around 25%, followed by Delhi at 22%. With about 20 million Indians
and people of Indian origin living abroad, the visiting friends and relatives (VFR) segment is
one of those highlighted to grow considerably in the coming years.
The biggest players in this segment are marketing Group Inclusive Tours (GIT) where travel
trade offer group package tours of 10-21 days duration. Indians travelling in a group need a
coach to themselves, at least one Indian meal a day, basic sightseeing, shopping and little
strenuous activity. Hotels need enough rooms to accommodate the whole group however;
they do not need to be centrally located. Average sizes of group tours are 40+ people, with
fixed departure dates through the summer season. In Europe, group tours visit 8-10
countries in 12-15 days. Honeymooners will remain a lucrative travel segment within the
Indian travel trade market. Many honeymoons are sponsored by parents and hence, luxury,
off beat and unique destinations are sought after.
Romantic destinations with scenic beauty, art and opera are preferred, especially in
Europe. Golf tourism is also gaining popularity in India.With the growth of the Free
Independent Travel (FIT) market, Indian travellers are looking for more self-drive
destinations. Luxury travel has maintained its resilience and given India the profile of the
emerging new luxury client. The critical ‘brag factor’ has fuelled demand for travel.
India’s growing economy means that more Indian business people are on the move. Being
the third fastest growing global economy and its increasing dominance in international trade
has compelled many international DMC’s and National Tourism Organisations to have a
focused strategy for the Indian outbound MICE segment.
Business and MICE travel out of India are deemed to be expanding at a greater pace than
leisure, as Indian companies look for business opportunities around the world. In most
cases, MICE travel is often merged with leisure travel as many participants extend their trip
to a holiday. Small groups of 15-20 passengers and incentive groups of 15-100 passengers
travel on special tailor-made itineraries.
MICE groups mainly prefer a direct flight to the destination.According to the International
Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) statistics, India’s share of MICE travel
accounts for US$4.8 billion worldwide travel and currently ranks 27th in the global MICE
market. Industry segments like pharmaceutical, cement, FMCG, IT and financial services
are the major contributors to the Indian outbound MICE sector.

27. Indian Outbound Tourism
 India is one of the fastest growing outbound markets in the world and outbound
tourist departures are expected to reach 20.5 million by 2015.
 The U.S. Department of Commerce project that Indians arriving in the United States
will grow 72% between 2010 and 2014 from 615,000 to 1,058,000 visitors.
 This dramatic rise in the number of Indians traveling abroad is being driven by rising
disposable incomes, more affordable holiday options and the growth of low-cost
carriers.
 Online Bookings: The online travel industry is a USD 800-million industry in India,
that is, about 14% of the entire travel industry. Some of the prominent players in the
Indian market: MakeMyTrip.com; Yatra.com and Cleartrip.com.
 India‘s outbound travel trends: 65% business; 35% leisure/ VFR/ immigrants.
 Major outbound destinations for Indian travelers are: South East Asia/Asia Pacific,
Europe, U.S.A. and the Middle East. Relatively off beat locations such as Costa
Rica, Tahiti, Rio de Janeiro, Turkey, Seychelles, Tashkent, Fiji, are steadily gaining
popularity.
 Cruise and theme parks, apart from unique culinary experiences and wine/scotch
trails are becoming extremely popular as well.
 A significant increase in FIT travel has taken place over the last decade. The long
weekend travel concept is becoming more common, which has increased travelers
to take more short-haul destinations for two to three nights.
 Interesting fact - Indian travelers going to London spend more than even Japanese
travelers do!
MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events), including small intimate corporate
groups, are a segment that is growing rapidly. With Indian corporate accounts expanding
their footprints globally, business executives traveling overseas are incorporating work with
pleasure by taking their families.

28. Luxury Products chosen:
 Luxury Nile cruise, Petra by candlelight, view of the Nazca Lines by helicopter in
Egypt.
 A long vacation to Tahiti or Hawaii with island hopping by helicopter.
 Scenic and adventurous journey aboard the Rovos Rail or Blue Train in South Africa.
 Private tent safari experience in the sands of Arabian deserts.
 Exotic escapes to private island resorts in Maldives, Seychelles, Fiji islands and
Thailand.
 Gourmet dining and shopping in Italy, France and Switzerland.
Travel Statistics and Trend Watch
 During the post recession period, the percentage of savings has increased as
Indians prefer to save money for a rainy day and indulge in cautious spending.
 Honeymooners have their holidays paid by parents as part of their wedding gift and
therefore tend to spend extravagantly when traveling.
 A strong, consumption-driven economy, a large and increasingly affluent middle
class, and the on-going liberalization of air transportation will contribute to a 10%
annual growth in Indian outbound travelers to Asia Pacific over the next three years.
 The top five destinations by percentage growth will be Macau, Papua New Guinea,
China, Cambodia and Malaysia.
 For volume growth, the top five destinations will be Singapore, China, Malaysia,
Hong Kong and the United States.
 Indians are among the highest spenders in key destinations around the region such
as London, Singapore, Australia, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
 Business travel dominates outbound travel and is expected to continue consistently.
 Leisure travelers are increasingly more sophisticated and demanding.
 Mumbai remains the leading source of India‘s outbound travelers with a market
share of nearly 33%, followed by New Delhi at 26%.
 Nepal, Singapore and Thailand are the most popular destinations for online
bookings.
 72% of Indians choose travel to Asia for leisure purposes while Europe attracts 18%
of Indian travelers for business and 14% for leisure.
 Nature and environment (62%), culture and art (53%), safety (50%) and hygiene
(48%) are the most important considerations when selecting a travel destination,
apart from visa procedures and flight connections.
 12% of Indians make their bookings through online travel agents and a majority goes
through regular travel agents or tour operators. 1/5th of travelers would also book
directly through friends/relatives at the destination country.

29. These are a few important facts about the Indian outbound market:
1. 20.5 million Indian outbound passengers are estimated by 2015
2. Long weekends in India and close by destinations are making travel in India to a
year-round phenomenon
3. An increase in disposable income and more aspiration to travel
Top aspired destinations for Indians
 U.S.A.
 New Zealand
 UK (London/ Scotland)
 Italy
 Spain
 France
 Switzerland
 Australia
 South Africa
 Dubai
 Thailand
People are traveling more, often for longer periods of time, with extended families, friends,
and children. They want their time away to be cost-effective, with their money going
towards both value-added and exclusive experiences.
In any economic slowdown, tourism is the first sector to get affected. But Indian outbound
tourism proved to be an exception. Even when there is an economic slowdown in India its
number of outbound tourist is rising year-over- year. In percentage terms, India is the
fastest growing outbound market in the world; in terms of numbers it's second fastest after
China. India outbound tourists' number is forecasted to be less than 50 Million by 2020. On
the other hand, India outbound tourist spending has crossed INR 15 Billion by 2011.
India Outbound Tourists Visits Analysis: Thailand is the leader as it accounts for nearly 7%
of Indian outbound tourists in 2011. Singapore follows Thailand as over 6% tourists visited
Singapore from India in 2011. Malaysia, the United States and China were at the third,
fourth and fifth place respectively. Other countries such as Hong Kong, Switzerland, United
Kingdom, Australia and Canada are contributing significantly and are looking forward to
gain a share of India's outbound tourist share. Sri Lanka, Nepal and Japan are among the
top emerging market for India outbound tourism.

30. Indian Outbound Tourism Spending Analysis: The United States is ahead of its rivals by
controlling more than 30% of Indian outbound tourists spending. United States has a
spending share of nearly five times more than its closest rival Australia. Singapore,
Malaysia and United Kingdom are holding the third, fourth and fifth spot respectively.
Taking note of the booming Indian outbound tourism, many countries — including Ireland,
Spain, South Korea, U.A.E., Indonesia, Macau and Poland — have recently opened tourist
offices in India. In order to service the growing demand in outbound business, travel agents
in India are hiring new talent and upgrading existing skills and knowledge to incorporate
outbound tourism as part of their total product and service offering. They are either setting
up small departments within the existing structure or expanding aggressively to promote
new verticals or companies focused only on outbound tourism. The major hurdle for the
Indian outbound tourism is the lack of industry body for outbound tourism in India.
Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and others remained the
leading outbound destinations among Indian consumers. These tourist spots were
promoted aggressively by online travel agents such as MakeMyTrip (MakeMyTrip India Pvt
Ltd), Expedia (Expedia India (P) Ltd), Cleartrip.com (Cleartrip Travel Services Pte Ltd) and
other via social media websites such as Facebook. This trend was strongly linked to the low
prices offered by these travel agents; packages costing Rs25,000-30,000 made outbound
trips more affordable to more Indian consumers, many of whom had never previously been
able to afford to travel outside the country due to budget constraints.
The Indian economy has posted an average growth rate of more than 7% in the decade
since 1994. The Economic Intelligence Unit expects GDP to rise to 6% in the year 2013.
The outbound market continues to grow with an increase in the number of NTOs entering
the market. With demand for better connectivity and more flights, most international airlines
have doubled their frequencies from India and are seeking to increase destinations to
operate from within India. It is one of the fastest growing outbound markets in the world and
tourist departures are expected to reach 20.5 million by 2015. LHW is in the plans of
opening an office in Bangalore that would cater to our customers in South India and allow
us to reach out to more secondary cities across the country.
India is home to some of the world‘s richest people. The Indian luxury market is estimated
to reach USD 30 billion by 2015 and by 2025 India is set to become the world‘s fifth largest
consumer market.

31. Report by Neilsen along with PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) on India
outbound travel.
Indian outbound travellers (12%) are increasingly booking their travel online.
Hot destinations in Asia Pacific – Singapore (24%), U.A.E., Australia, and Malaysia (17%).
Overall, Asian destinations account for 72% of international leisure trips and 63% of
business trips originating in India. Travel to Europe accounts for 18% of Indian
travellers‘business trips and 14% of pleasure trips.
Of those Indians who travel internationally, 64% named sightseeing as the main purpose of
their trip, while 47% reported they travel abroad to explore new countries. Another 25% of
those surveyed said they travel abroad to relieve stress, have a good time, or visit family
and friends.
Report by European Travel Commission (ETC) and the World Tourism Organization
(UNWTO)
India is one of the fastest-growing outbound travel markets in the world. International
tourism departures from India have grown from 3.7 million in 1997 to 9.8 million in 2007 and
international tourism expenditures have increased from USD 1.3 billion in 1997 to USD 8.2
billion in 2008 and over 12 million in 2010 and expected to reach over 20 million by 2015.
With more than 1.3 billion inhabitants and GDP increasing by more than 6% every year, the
country offers enormous potential for future growth in outbound travel.
The Indian outbound travel market with special insight into the image of Europe as a
destination covers issues such as travelers‘behavior and patterns – destination choice,
purpose of travel, spending, holiday activities, and market segmentation, like air transport,
the profile and structure of the travel trade, as well as the media or internet use trends. The
report also sets out comprehensive recommendations on how to best promote a destination
in the Indian market.

32. REASONS FOR VISITING THE COUNTRIES

33. Reasons for Visiting France
France tops the list of nations with the maximum tourist arrivals in the world. Some of the
important reasons for its top ranking are tourism, shopping, French cuisine, etc. France has
a variety of landscape and geography which attracts tourists for holidaying purposes. Paris
is the entry port to Europe and the fashion capital of the world. France presents an
amalgamation of leisure and fun travel to tourists making it a popular destination. French
cuisine is considered as one of the best in the world.
French cuisine and food is the most pleasant experiences of tourists in France with others
mooting for France natural beauty, landscape and abundant tourist spots including
museums being favorite spots visited by tourists. France is at the same time is an
expensive destination for budget travelers. Tourists also feel unpleasant with the people
due to language barrier, which creates communication problems for travelers in the
country.
Reasons for Visiting Turkey
Turkey’s historic past and monuments combined with present efforts to make it a
destination for sport and adventure tourism has makes Turkey a much sought after
destination for travel. Turkey’s culture and cuisine along with its traditional carpet weaving
industry are important reasons for visiting Turkey as per the respondents. Some of the
unpleasantness is caused by the language barrier and the socio-political changes that have
taken place since the second of the twienth century.
Reasons for Visiting USA
United States has the second largest tourist arrivals in the world. The most common reason
for travel to USA is to meet family and friends, discovering new destinations and for work.
USA is the most favored work destination due to its strong economy and development. The
cuisine is an amalgamation of the many communities that have migrated and settled in the
US through the decades. The main attractions are its food chains like MacDonald’s, KFC
and Star Bucks which have made US’s cuisine world famous.
Crime has been cited as the most unpleasant feature of travel in USA. USA is also an
expensive country as the dollar goes strong against many currencies around the world.

34. Reasons for Visiting UK
United Kingdom boasts for some of the world famous destinations in the world including
London. UK has more than 6.5 million foreign-born populations in the country28. Thus, the
largest number of travelers responded to visit Britain to meet family and friends residing in
the UK. UK’s varied climate and landscape which varies from south Britain to the Scottish
Highlands is the second other reason to visit Britain for holidaying and shopping purposes.
Travelers feel unpleasant about the high cost of travelling in Britain. The people according
to many respondents are unpleasant feature of United Kingdom.
Reasons for Visiting China
China’s heavy investment into its industries and infrastructural facilities in the past decade
has paid off with China being raned as the third largest country in tourist arrivals in the
world. The important reasons for travel to China are for work and for shopping. Chinese
technology boom and its relatively cheaper products make it a pleasant travelers
experience as well as reasons for travel for shopping and business to the country. Chinese
culture, strides made in technology and infrastructure are some of the pleasant features of
China. Unpleasantness to travelers is caused by the people due to the language barrier
which creates lack of communication and unpleasantness fro tourist.
Reasons for Visiting Indonesia
Indonesia ranks 37th in world tourism rankings by United Nations World Tourism
Organization ahead of India at the 40th position. The most important reason to travel to
Indonesia is for work and holiday and tourism destinations. Indonesia’s culture, heritage
sites and natural beauty are some of the pleasant features accounted by respondents in the
primary survey. Indonesia a developing country has similar problems like India such as
poverty, hygiene and cleanliness issues and disaster management, ete which cause
unpleasantness to travelers.
Reasons for Visiting Republic of Korea
An important reason to travel to Korea is for work. . Korea in the past decade is gradually
opening up and has tied up with China and other neighboring countries to attract more
tourists. Korea located in the Far East is appreciated for its culture, natural beauty and

35. scenic locales, its cuisine and friendly people. Korea’s language divide and single language
use creates communication gaps for tourists giving trouble to tourists. Communication
problems lead to fewer interactions with the people makes them unpleasant features for
travelers as identified by respondents.
Reasons for Visiting Malaysia
Malaysia ranks ninth in world tourism rankings for international tourist arrivals in the world.
Malaysia is one of the prime holiday destinations in South East Asia. Malaysia offers a wide
variety of options in terms of beach, and destination tourism. Malaysia is also famous as a
shopping destination with shopping complexes and street shopping being popular among
tourists. Malaysia’s relaxed visa policies for tourist also encourage tourists to visit the
country. Malaysian language is an unpleasant feature according to respondents.
Reasons for Visiting Singapore
Holiday and shopping, leisure travels are reasons for traveling to Singapore. Singapore’s
shopping districts, beaches; scenic locales around the city are other important reasons for
travel to Singapore. Singapore’s language and people are reported unpleasant features for
travelers.
Reasons for Visiting Thailand
Thailand has the fourth largest tourist arrivals in Asia. Thailand is popular as a holiday and
shopping destination. Thailand’s beaches, shopping facilities and food are pleasant
attributes for travel. The country’s varies locations and cultural heritage are other features
attracting tourists. Crime in Thailand and the language problem are some unpleasant
features for Thailand according to the primary survey.

36. Indian Outbound Travel Potential
 The UNWTO predicts that India will account for 50 million outbound tourists by 2020;
the Kuoni Travel Report India‘ predicts that total outbound spending will grow to USD
28 billion by in 2020.
 With over 28 million passport holders in the country who are potential travelers, the
source market for outbound travel is wide and complex because of its size and
variety. According to primary research among the travel trade, the main source
regions are west and north (including central India) together accounting for about
65% of all outbound travel, followed by south (25%) and east (10%).
 According to Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), 40% of all outbound trips by
Indians are for business purposes, while leisure, visiting friends and relatives (VFR)
and other reasons each account for 20% of outbound trips from India.
 Europe commands an estimated market share of about 20% of all Indian outbound
departures. The Indian travel trade estimates that the market for Europe is growing
at a steady pace of 5-7% per annum and that the pace of growth for Europe can be
accelerated with greater focus by European tourism boards on the Indian market
 40% of travel to Europe is estimated to be for holiday purposes. Five European
destinations account for a majority of the share of travel from India to Europe –
United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland.
 According to the Indian travel trade, international leisure travelers belong to the 25-
65 year old age group, a larger proportion being males (65%) than females (35%).
They are well educated and belong to the upper socio-economic strata of society.
The majority are married (75%) and have children living in the household. Two-thirds
of leisure travelers tend to holiday abroad with family.
 In the short-term, a large proportion of potential visitors to Europe are likely to be
first-time visitors, although the majority will have travelled abroad at least once.
Families and couples are likely to be the key customer segments travelling to Europe
on holiday. Some travel from groups of friends and affinity group travelers can also
be anticipated.
 The key travel motivation of potential first-time visitors to Europe is a
culture/sightseeing holiday. The key travel motivations among repeat visitors are
culture/sightseeing holiday, touring/driving holiday, snow/ski holiday and holiday in
the mountains. Majority of the potential visitors are likely to undertake a multi-country
vacation in Europe.
 In terms of travel destination selection, the top five factors that influence destination
selection for Indians are safety and security; variety of things to see and do; overall
image of a holiday destination; good tourist facilities; and infrastructure; and the ease
of obtaining a visa. The travel trade confirms that travelers will often change their
mind about a travel destination if obtaining visas is a complex or time-consuming
process.
 With departures by air accounting for more than 98% of all departures from India, the
air travel market is "clearly on a high".

37. WTTC: World Travel and Tourism Council
 WTTC says India will be the third fastest generator of travel and tourism demand
from 2010 - 2019 with an annualized growth of 8.2%.
 India shall depict the fifth fastest growth in business travel from 2010 - 2019 at the
annualized rate of 7.6%, only behind China (among large nations)

38. MARKET SHARE: PRIVATE PLAYERS

39. The Indian travel distribution system is fragmented and varied across the country. Whilst
there are a few national retail agencies, most travel trade are small, independent
businesses and contribute a varying percentage of business to Europe. Indian consumers
research and book travel using a combination of traditional travel agencies and online
options, however, retail agencies still handle the majority of outbound travel bookings.Free
Independent Travel (FIT) is growing at 25% per annum. An increasing number of
consumers are travelling independently. Thanks to the internet, more and more people are
booking travel online, which is most popular among the young FIT segment. Although large
operators continue to increase FIT products and itineraries, GIT remains a focus for them
too.The travel trade in India remains reactive and last minute. Online travel booking is
becoming increasingly popular for domestic travel, but at present the travel trade still plays
a pivotal role in booking outbound travel. For example, According to Tourism Ireland’s
estimates from a number of different sources, India recorded 21,000 travellers to island of
Ireland in 2012, a 17% increase from 2011.
Wholesalers - Commission level up to 20%
 The traditional wholesaler model has not generally developed in the Indian travel
industry. A few larger travel trade such as Thomas Cook, Kuoni, Cox & Kings,
MakeMyTrip and Yatra have developed their own distribution network through
smaller independent travel trade.These smaller independent travel trade are often
referred to as franchisees or preferred sales agents.
 The major operators with a pan-India presence are Thomas Cook, Kuoni SOTC, Cox
& Kings, Kesari/Strawberi, Club 7, MakeMyTrip, Yatra, JTB Travels, Vacations
Exotica, TUI and Mercury Travel. Most Indian travel companies operate across all
segments of travel, including Group Inclusive Tours (GIT), Free Independent Travel
(FIT), Meetings Incentive Conference and Exhibitions (MICE) and luxury. These big
outbound players have a very large influence in marketing and selling destinations
and also, influencing consumer perception.
 There are a few traditional wholesalers that are gaining support from the smaller
retail agents; these include Saltours, Travel Optionz, Flight Shop and FCM.
 An increasing number of foreign tour operators have entered the Indian market in
last two years, usually in partnership with local companies. Larger travel trade
agencies are now franchising to increase their presence in some parts of India. For
example, Island Holidays represents Bahwan tours of Oman.

40. Retailers – Commission level up to 20%
 The distribution of travel products in India is fragmented with only a few national
operators. Most agencies are small, independent, family-owned businesses such as
Strawberi Holidays, Veena World, Windmill Holidays and Kulin Kumar Holidays.
 Competition between the larger travel agencies is fierce, with aggressive marketing
and tactical promotions in print media. Promotions include cash discounts, early bird
discounts, hotel upgrades, free holidays to other countries/cities such as visits to
Canada free on a USA holiday, ‘holiday now, pay later’ schemes, cash back
schemes and offers for a companion or child to travel for free.
 Most large retail agents only market their own brochures.
 Smaller tour operators are growing and they usually promote itineraries that are
featured by the big operators.
 Large travel agencies take reservations from consumers through their own retail
networks as well as from smaller agencies.
 Despite the increase in the online travel segment, traditional retail agencies have not
moved to this platform for bookings yet.
 Indian consumers have a short lead-time for booking their holidays ranging from
three to six weeks on average. Whilst Indians are seasoned travellers, they still
prefer to pre-plan the itinerary prior to their holiday. Most consumers will book
through a retail travel agent rather than direct.
Online travel agencies (OTAs) – Commission level up to 15% - 20%
 As the Indian outbound market grows, more consumers are using online channels to
research and book. The top four Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) are Yatra, Make My
Trip, Expedia, and Cleartrip.
 OTAs receive almost 50% of all web visits to travel sites.

41.  There has been an increase in online bookings for international flights with the
improved reach and use of the internet, convenience of booking from home and the
removal of credit card fees when booking directly with an OTA or on airline.
 Whilst the online purchase of holiday products is on the rise, most OTAs have now
established agencies or call centres as an alternate distribution channel.
 Traditional and online distribution systems will therefore continue to co-exist over the
next few years as the Indian outbound market grows and matures.
Thomas Cook, Cox & Kings and SOTC Kuoni have special brochures targeting the luxury
segment. India is a key Asian market driving growth in this “Asian Century”. Destinations
are actively pursuing this fast developing country. There are 40 countries that offer Visa on
Arrival (VOA) for Indian passport holders and 16 other countries that don’t require a visa if
the tourist has a valid visa for UK, USA or the Schengen countries.
Thomas Cook (India) Ltd.
Thomas Cook (India) Ltd is the leading integrated travel and travel related financial services
company in the country offering a broad spectrum of services that include Foreign
Exchange, Corporate Travel, MICE, Leisure Travel, Insurance, Visa & Passport services
and E-Business. The company set up its first office in India in 1881.
Thomas Cook (India) Limited is promoted by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited through its
wholly-owned subsidiary, Fairbridge Capital (Mauritius) Limited. Fairbridge is responsible
for the execution of acquisition and investment opportunities in the Indian subcontinent on
behalf of the Fairfax family of companies.
TCIL’s footprint currently extends to over 235 locations (including 15 airport counters) in 99
cities across India, Mauritius & Sri Lanka and is supported by a strong partner network of
114 Gold Circle Partners and 165 Preferred Sales Agents in over 136 cities across India.
Cox and Kings Ltd.
India is one of the largest potential outbound tour markets in Asia. In 1995, Cox & Kings
began a full-fledged in house tour operating activity by designing its own brochure product
under exclusive arrangements with direct suppliers and local agents across the globe. Cox
& Kings has been undertaking path-breaking initiatives to reach out to the travelers through
innovative products. These include:

42. 'Duniya Dekho' Holidays to Europe, USA, Far East, South Africa, Mauritius, Australia and
New Zealand. For the "value for money" traveller
'FlexiHols' is a concept in holidaying where the traveller enjoys all the comforts and
convenience of a planned holiday but at a pace & price that is set by him. This is targeted at
the more discerning Free Individual Traveller
Luxury Escapes - It takes a travel company that has been round for two hundred years, to
know everything about royal treatment. Cox & Kings rolls out a whole new concept in
Holidays - Luxury Escapes. Spoil yourself. Get pampered rotten. Holiday like a king. Join us
as we unveil country after country laced with sinful indulgence and fine living. The finest
luxury hotels in the world to the most exclusive entertainment experiences await you.
Cox & Kings also represents and retails many international third party products including
Cosmos, Rail Europe, Silversea Cruises, Star Cruise, and Escorted Tours to USA etc.
NRI - The NRI Division of Cox & Kings caters to the Non Resident Indians who would like to
travel around the world with Indian families. Cox & Kings organises special tours for these
families where the NRI community would like to travel with like-minded families across the
world. Duniya Dekho & FIT Packages are specifically designed for this Market Segment by
this division.
SOTC Kuoni Travel Group
Kuoni Travel Group, India - a 100% subsidiary of the Kuoni Group - is the leading travel and
tourism company. The company was formed in 1996 through the acquisition of SOTC,
India’s foremost outbound package tour brand and became India’s largest travel company
in 2000 through the acquisition of SITA – India’s No.1 Inbound travel brand. Kuoni India
further strengthened its position in 2006 with the launch of ‘Kuoni’ India’s only travel brand
focussed exclusively on the luxury segment.
Today, Kuoni India is active across virtually every travel segment including Leisure Travel,
Business Travel, Destination Management Services, and Education. The company employs
over 1,500 travel professionals.
Kuoni Outbound Division Kuoni is the first and only luxury holiday brand in the country
that exclusively caters to the unique needs of the luxury traveller. Taking holidaying to an
all-new level, Kuoni offers enhanced and distinctive holiday experiences - complete with
expert suggestions from a panel of Kuoni Certified Counselors.
Kuoni India's key outbound travel brand is SOTC. SOTC was acquired by Kuoni Travels in
the year 1996 and is a leader in all segments, namely Escorted Tours, Free Individual
Travel, and Domestic Holidays amongst others. SOTC Corporate Tours is the leader in
Incentive, Trade Fair tours and Sports.

43. TUI India
TUI India is a part of TUI Travel PLC which is one of the world’s leading leisure travel
companies operating in over 180 countries. In India it operates as a joint venture with Le
Passage to India Pvt. Ltd. a pioneer Indian tourism company.
2005, 7th of April, a historic day for the travel and tourism industry when a 50:50 joint
partnership was signed between the world’s largest travel group, TUI Travel PLC and Le
Passage to India, India’s leading leisure travel group. This embarked the inception of TUI
India as a part of the beautiful World of TUI. TUI across the globe has always believed in
quality and innovation when it comes to holidays. As one of the world’s largest leisure travel
company, TUI focuses on maintaining highest quality standards to ensuring that every
single holiday that you take, captures memoirs of smiles and cherishable reminiscences.
Kesari Tours
Kesari strongly believes and follows the concept of Kaizen "change for the better", refers to
philosophy of continuous improvement of processes which will provide maximum
satisfaction to our Guest. and keep us flexible in dynamic environment to serve them better.
Kesari believes in providing innovative holiday ideas to its guests. It has hence created
unique concepts to cater to travellers' ever-evolving needs, which have been acknowledged
as innovations in the Indian Tourism Industry. Naturally, they have also translated into wide
smiles on the faces of happy guests!
Popular Family Tours:
Kesari started its journey by conducting family tours to Indian destinations and then to
destinations worldwide.
Today Kesari offers the largest number of Family tour options in the Indian tourism
industry with more than 60 options for Europe, more than 80 options for South East Asia,
115 in India, and more than 70 in the rest of the world, not to forget 224 types of Unique
Speciality Tours like My Fair Lady for Ladies, Honeymoon tours for the newly
weds,Pilgrimage tours by Marigold, Exclusive tours for Seniors known as Second Innings,
Students Special tours, Chota Break – the escorted short tours and Agro tours
Strawberi : A division of Kesari, caters to the needs of the individual traveller. These are
customized or tailor-made holiday packages created for you, 'As you like it', to destinations
worldwide.

44. THOMAS COOK INDIA LIMITED

45. Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. is one of India’s largest integrated travel & travel related financial
services company with headquarters in Mumbai, India.
Thomas Cook & Son started its Indian operations in Mumbai in 1881 as a branch.[citation
needed] It was subsequently converted into a public limited company, under the name of
Thomas Cook (India) Limited in 1979. In 2012, Thomas Cook (India) Limited was acquired
by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, a Canadian conglomerate, through its step-down
subsidiary, Fairbridge Capital (Mauritius) Limited, and the promoter equity was diluted to
75% in June 2013, in keeping with SEBI regulations.
History
Thomas Cook's idea to offer excursions came to him while waiting for the stagecoach on
the London Road at Kibworth. With the opening of the extended Midland Counties Railway,
he arranged to take a group of 540 temperance campaigners from Leicester Campbell
Street station to a rally in Loughborough, eleven miles away. On 5 July 1841, Thomas Cook
arranged for the rail company to charge one shilling per person that included rail tickets and
food for this train journey. Cook was paid a share of the fares actually charged to the
passengers, as the railway tickets, being legal contracts between company and passenger,
could not have been issued at his own price. This was the first privately chartered excursion
train to be advertised to the general public; Cook himself acknowledging that there had
been previous, unadvertised, private excursion trains. During the following three summers
he planned and conducted outings for temperance societies and Sunday-school children. In
1844 the Midland Counties Railway Company agreed to make a permanent arrangement
with him provided he found the passengers. This success led him to start his own business
running rail excursions for pleasure, taking a percentage of the railway tickets.
Four years later, he planned his first excursion abroad, when he took a group from
Leicester to Calais to coincide with the Paris Exhibition. The following year he started his
'grand circular tours' of Europe. During the 1860s he took parties to Switzerland, Italy,
Egypt and the United States. Cook established 'inclusive independent travel', whereby the
traveller went independently but his agency charged for travel, food and accommodation for
a fixed period over any chosen route. Such was his success that the Scottish railway
companies withdrew their support between 1862 and 1863 to try the excursion business for
themselves.
Thomas Cook has widely been acclaimed as the founder of world tourism, and in addition
to the world’s first package tour in 1841, Thomas Cook introduced a number of customer
empowering innovations that we take for granted today: pre-paid hotel coupons (in 1868),
holiday brochures (in 1858) and travellers cheques (in 1874).

46. The world got around and by the early 1900s, the who's who of the era - kings, politicians,
bishops and professors - patronised Thomas Cook's travel itinerary.
As the years passed by, the Company introduced the world to a whole new concept of
leisure and business travel. Driving innovation in the business, it connected continents and
presented the people an economic and state mode of travel across them.
In 1881, Thomas Cook started its India operations, with its first office being set up in
Mumbai. As it expanded its horizons across the subcontinent, the Company came to be
known as Thomas Cook Overseas Ltd. And on 21st October 1978, it was christened
Thomas Cook (India) Ltd, only to make its first public issue in February 1983.
In the year 2000, the Group commenced its operations in Mauritius and also acquired the
Sri Lanka business from Thomas Cook Overseas Ltd, UK. In 2006, Thomas Cook (India)
Limited acquired LKP Forex Limited and Travel Corporation (India) Pvt. Ltd. (TCI). In May
2012, Thomas Cook Group plc, UK (the erstwhile parent) sold its investment in Thomas
Cook (India) Limited (TCIL) to Fairbridge Capital (Mauritius) Limited (Fairbridge). Fairbridge
made an open offer to the non-promoters and post August 14, 2012, TCIL is part of Fairfax
Group, Canada.
About Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited:
Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited is a Toronto-based financial services holding company
with a global presence in insurance and reinsurance and a portfolio of assets in excess of
$30 billion invested worldwide. The Company, founded in 1985 by the present Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer, Prem Watsa, has over the past 25 years, demonstrated a
strong financial track record to achieve an annual appreciation in Book Value per Share of
24.7% annually
Fairfax has almost 20 general insurance subsidiaries and joint ventures globally, including
ICICI Lombard (India).
Fairfax is engaged in long term investments from its own resources, with a focus to
delivering long term capital appreciation through a flexible and value oriented approach.
Fairfax Financial Holdings through Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. owns 74.85% on a fully diluted
basis of the IKYA Group, a provider of specialised Human Resource related Services

47. About IKYA Group
The IKYA Group, established in 2007, has over the last 6 years, evolved into a diversified
provider of Business Services with interests in Human Resources (Recruitment & General
Staffing), IT Staffing & Services, Facilities Management, Food & Hospitality services and
Training & Skill Development through a combination of organic and inorganic methods. The
Group operates out of 33 offices across 22 cities and employs 65,000 personnel.
About Sterling Holiday Resorts (India) Limited:
Sterling Holiday Resorts (India) Limited, a pioneer in vacation ownership and a leading
leisure hospitality company in India, was incorporated in 1986 with the vision of delivering
great holiday experiences to Indian families. Sterling Holidays’ network includes 1512
rooms across 19 resorts in 16 scenic holiday destinations pan India. The company also has
15 additional sites where it plans to add new resorts in the coming years.

48. Milestones
Year Achievement
1881 Thomas Cook & Son opens its first branch office in Mumbai
1978 Conversion of the branch office into a private limited company
1983 Listing of Thomas Cook (India) Limited on BSE pursuant to an Initial Public Offering
1998 Commencement of Operations in Mauritius
2000 Commencement of operations in Sri Lanka
2005 100% acquisition by Dubai Financial (LLC) of TCIM
2006 100% acquisition of Travel Corporation (India) Limited by Thomas Cook (India) Limited
2007 Merger of LKP Forex with Thomas Cook (India) Limited
2008 Acquisition of 74.9% stake by Thomas Cook UK and TCIM in Thomas Cook (India) Limited
2009 Issue of 50,650,699 shares through a rights issue by Thomas Cook (India) Limited
2010
 Execution of a seven year arrangement with New Delhi International Airport
 Launch of nine foreign exchange and travel counters
2011  Signed an agreement for marketing and distribution of borderless prepaid multicurrency foreign
exchange card
 Incorporation of TC Visa Services(India) Limited in Maharashtra, a wholly owned Subsidiary of
Travel Corporation (India) Limited, which is a 100% Subsidiary of the Company
2012  Acquisition of 76.81% stake by Fairbridge in Thomas Cook (India) Limited from Thomas Cook UK
and TCIM and subsequent announcement of open offer
 Incorporation of Thomas Cook Lanka (Private) Limited, a 100% Subsidiary of the Company
 Launch of Borderless Prepaid Multicurrency Foreign Exchange Card
2013 Acquisition of 74.85% stake by Thomas Cook (India) Limited in IKYA Human Capital Solutions, a
human resources solutions company

49. Management
Chairman
Mr. Mahendra Kumar Sharma
Managing Director
Mr. Madhavan Menon
Non-Executive Director
Mr. Chandran Ratnaswami
Non-Executive Director
Mr. Harsha Raghavan
Non-Executive Independent Director
Mr. Uday Khanna
Non Executive Independent Director
Mrs. Kishori Udeshi

50. Holidays in India
Domestic Tour Packages
Nepal Packages
 Get away from the heat and dust of big cities, settle into a cozy
chair with a mug of steaming hot coffee and watch the fog roll
over hills and valleys as a cool wind swishes past charming
cottages. Such a relaxing experience at a pristine hill station
does not have to burn a hole in your pocket. Not only the Alps or
the Rockies, but also the Himalayas in the north of the country
promise a restful vacation. Rejuvenate yourself in heavenly
Himachal with a week-long stay.
Himachal Packages
 Get away from the heat and dust of big cities, settle into a cozy
chair with a mug of steaming hot coffee and watch the fog roll
over hills and valleys as a cool wind swishes past charming
cottages. Such a relaxing experience at a pristine hill station
does not have to burn a hole in your pocket. Not only the Alps or
the Rockies, but also the Himalayas in the north of the country
promise a restful vacation.
Goa Packages
 While looking for holiday packages in Goa make sure that you
include a shopping trip in your itinerary and visit the vibrant Flea
markets here. Your search for that unique piece of junk jewellery
or the antique bric-a-brac, the famous Goanese fenny or the
cashew nuts ends here at the flea markets. Come October and
droves of vendors fill up the beaches with their goods offering
greatest deals ever. Besides, there’s no dearth of bargains! The
flea market in Goa calls for an irresistible and once in a lifetime
experience .

51. 
Kashmir Packages
 The valley of Kashmir is one place which never ceases to
mesmerise with its enchanting beauty. The holiday packages for
Kashmir include places of pristine natural beauty and the world-
renowned hospitality of its people. Gurez valley, famously known
as Crown of Kashmir, is one of the gems nestled between the
lofty mountains of Kashmir. Located at a distance of around 123
kilometres from Srinagar, this mystical valley sits along the
banks of Kishenganga River. The most striking feature of the
valley is the famous Habba Khatoon peak.
Kerala Packages
 Perhaps the most unique and splendorous feature of Kerala are
its backwaters. Lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, these
enchanting water bodies calls forth nature lovers, avid travellers
and honeymooners from all across India and outside. Almost
every tour package to Kerala makes sure that a visit to the
splendorous backwaters is included in your itinerary. Backwaters
of Kerala are the chain of brackish lagoons, lakes and rivers that
adorn the enchanting beauty of this verdant region.
Manali Packages
 Rejuvenate yourself in heavenly Himachal with a week-long stay.
Manali, located in Kullu Valley, is a popular holiday spot. In
summers, the hill station is cool and inviting. But in winters, it
transforms into an enchanting place covered in snow. Rohtang
Pass, a major attraction, is close to Manali.
Honeymoon Destinations
 ‘Honeymoon’ The most awaited and special holiday in your life,
when you get to know you life partner intimately. For love-
marriages, it is an opportunity for the couple to head off to the
vacation they always had in mind and fall in love once again.
Arranged-marriage folks have even more to look ahead to; it’s on
the honeymoon they get to know each other and ignite the spark
of romance in their lives. India has lot of surprises up its sleeve,
when it comes to romantic destinations.

52. International Holiday Packages
Africa Packages
 Africa Tour - The red earth, the smell of wilderness, the
untamed wild and the sense of vastness, all these are highlights
of an Africa tour. The sheer raw impact of the travel will leave
you in awe. Africa is a vast juxtaposition of contradictions and
variety. Where on one hand you will have natural parks to cruise
by for a chance animal sighting and the tribal way of life, there is
also the poised and suave fleet of progressive cities.
 African Safari Tour - In a list of the most unforgettable life
experiences, an African safari would probably rank number one.
If you’re making the trip to Africa for the first time, the experience
would be a revelation. Living in a desert with the most untamed
inhabitants of our planet certainly has its thrills, but taking a few
precautionary measures and carrying some essential items in
your backpack can make the adventure one of the best
international holidays you ever had.
America Packages
 USA Tour - USA tours are extremely popular. The American
landscape is so massive and diverse that there is an
overwhelming abundance of vacation destination options.
Whether you want a beach holiday, outdoor adventure holiday or
an amusement park holiday, USA holiday packages have it all.
With the USA tours you can explore the East Coast, West Coast,
Canadian Rockies, take a cruise in the Bahamas and also visit
Hawaii.
 Caribbean Tour - There are parties. Then there are carnivals.
Then, there are Caribbean Carnivals. The greatest show of
costumes, masquerades, music and dance; Caribbean Carnivals
are a myriad of shifting colours. These carnivals are a brilliant
presentation of the vibrant and artistic cultural aspects of these
islands. Unlike the rest of the world where carnivals are held only
in February, the people of Caribbean host carnivals almost any
time of the year.


53.  South America Tour - On your next international holiday, step
into a land that takes you by the hips and makes you move to the
music of the samba. Play football on the beach, dance on the
streets, or go hiking on any of the several picturesque
mountains. Rio de Janeiro has much to offer but be sure not to
miss these top 5 attractions. The Carnival The Carnival in Rio is
the biggest in the world. It is held every year on 5 days that
precede the lent.
Asia Packages
 China Tour - China, one of the oldest civilizations in the world,
harbors various ancient secrets, knowledge and antique
architectural delights to please you. China is a land of many
contradictions, highly advanced yet orthodox. The dominant
flavor in China is antiquity, which will stir awe-inspiring emotions
in you that will far surpass those evoked by the country’s
modernscape of sleek and slick skyscrapers. From ancient
secret cities, to majestic palaces, to imposing temples, China
has it all packaged in a sheath of spirituality.
 Hong Kong Tour - Victoria Harbour views, Disney’s themed
attractions, idyllic villages, colonial legacy around Clock Tower,
and plenty more define the sublime beauty of Hong Kong. A
shopper’s paradise, visitors can purchase a variety of
merchandise ranging from low-cost souvenirs to high-end
extravagant gadgets.
 Philippines Tour - The palm fringed pristine white beaches,
turquoise waters and natural lagoons line the heavenly islands of
Philippines. We give you reasons to make the most of your
Philippines holidays. 1. Diver’s Dream: The giant tropical bowls
make a blip on a diver’s radar. But the real reason to come here
are the dive sites, a short boat ride away, and trips to islands
nearby such as Cadlao, where one can swim in lagoons
resembling emerald-tiled pools.
 Singapore Tour - A small country in Southeast Asia, Singapore
is the best example of East meets West. With traces of Malay,
Chinese and Indian culture, it is one of the most prosperous
countries in the world. Besides cultural diversity, the city-state is
known for excellent shopping options, exciting nightlife, tropical
climate, and unbelievably delicious cuisines.

54. Australia Packages
 Australian Tour - Diversity, thy name is Australia. Call on your
‘mates’ and hop onto this joyride that is called Australia, for an
exhilarating journey that will leave you bedazzled and enamored
simultaneously. The sheer spectacle of diversity existing on the
sixth largest nation in the world is seen to be believed. The
robust repertoire of the land’s natural resources ranges from
mountains, reefs, deserts, forests, beaches and multicultural
cities bustling with friendly, happy-go-luckily people. And how
can anyone forget the kangaroos.
 New-Zealand Tour - The country of New-Zealand may appear
tiny on the world map, but it is packed with everything you could
ever want from a holiday, making it the perfect place to for your
first romantic escapade, with your better half. Whether you are in
the mood for a cosy night out, a relaxing visit to the beach or an
adrenaline pumping expedition, you are sure to find every
experience you yearn for, in the heart of New-Zealand. The
diverse landscapes and dense grasslands, situated among the
rolling mountains make New-Zealand one of the paradise on
Earth.
Europe Packages
 France Tour - Good food and wine are not the only attractions of
a heady France Tour. Its all about a life enjoyed in the most
hedonistic way. The open terrace cafes, village square markets
and the lace curtained bistros depicting their dish of the day on a
chalkboard, intricately weave a scene that intimately evokes the
French culture for a good life. Go on a trip to France to enjoy its
world-class art and architecture, ancient Roman temples and
iconic landmarks.
 Germany Tour - Germany is a scenic delight, period. As you
traverse the country, its storyboard landscapes will leave you
utterly bewitched. The large canvas of this beauteous landscape
is dominated by long expanses of coastline in the north, dense
forests, scenic river valleys, large stretches of scenic vineyards,
and the imposing beauty of the Alps, carved out in its rugged
splendor by the elements.
 Turkey Tour - Turkey exudes exoticism. And of course,
mysticism. The historical impact of Turkey is enormous. This

55. Mediterranean nation has got its flavors right, with a wide and
varied assortment of landscapes that ranges from pristine white
sand beaches to soaring mountains, and sparkling cobalt waters.
The history of the land dates back to the Byzantine Empire and
the Ottoman Empire. You will find the skyline of Turkey lined
haphazardly with domes and modern, futuristic structures.
 Belgium Tour - Welcome to the land of the beers and the
mussels – Belgium. This amazing European nation boasts of an
impressive art and culture, history and numerous unique
UNESCO sites. It is very common to find yourself getting caught
up in a colorful carnival on the streets of Belgium, next to which
even those of Rio may look washed out. Belgium tourism prides
for its motto for good life. It will catch up with you too.
 Switzerland Tour - With the Alpine landscape set against the
backdrop, the tantalising aroma of the Swiss chocolates and the
pristine beauty of the surrounding scenery, a trip to Switzerland
is all about experiencing the surreal. This European tourism
extravaganza is about rendezvous with the good life, sublime
experiences and some of the most epic journeys that your travel
journal can boast of. Though there are options galore for you to
pursue while on a trip to Switzerland, there are a few places and
things-to-do that are a must during the visit.
 Italy Tour - Although, Italian food is much appreciated and
replicated the world over, it is best experienced in Italy. The
fresh, local produce combined with the skills and traditions of
authentic Italian chefs, and the expresso, wine and cheese, give
the dishes a flavor and aroma that are uniquely found in Italy.
Holidays in Italy gives tourists a plethora of mouth-watering
dishes to choose from, including pastas, pizzas, risottos and
breads, but some specialties are not to be missed.
 Russia Tour - It’s a known fact that Russia is the largest country
in the world and being the largest country in the world spells out
an umpteen number of travel experiences for anybody
interested. You could attempt climbing one of the seven summits
or take a stroll down the world’s oldest lake. Whatever your
interest may be, Russia will definitely have it on offer.
 Portugal Tour - For those of us fed up of being cooped up in
the house due to blistering cold caused by the cold wave this
year, a vacation would be the best solution. Taking off to a sunny
destination, where you can enjoy the many pleasures of the
beach would be ideal. If you consider yourself a water baby and
can never get enough of the beach, Portugal is the place for
you.

56. Dubai Packages
 Dubai Tour - Dubai is a sight to behold, with its endless futuristic
skyscrapers, glittering coastlines and vast expanse of desert.
However, when you can finally avert your eyes from the gloss
and sheen around you, you will find Dubai to be one of the most
enterprising cities in the world. The city likes to flaunt and how,
exuding a suave demeanour with some of the most arresting
man-made accomplishments in the world.
Thailand Packages
 Thailand Tour - Thailand tours have gained unprecedented
attention in the past few years as a coveted tropical paradise.
There is enough of luster and sheen imparted through its many
gaudy temples, besides the sedentary seclusion of the
spectacular beaches, which act as tourist beehive. Whether you
are a hedonist or a hermit, you will have a good time in Thailand.
Maldives Packages
 Taking an international holiday to Maldives soon? You’ll be
spoiled for choices. To help ease your predicament in choosing
the best, here’s a list of resorts handpicked from the best spa
resorts that Maldives holidays has to offer, each known for being
outstanding in their own individual niches. Huvafen Fushi, North
Malé Atoll Awarded the leading boutique resort in the Maldives in
2013 by the World Travel Awards, this resort has a bountiful bag
of tricks to help ease the weary traveller.
Mauritius Packages
 At the very mention of Mauritius, the first things that strike in
mind are pristine beaches, miles of picturesque ocean, and a
romantic ambiance. However, a trip to this ‘heaven on earth’ isn’t
just about this, but also offers adventure, shopping and historic
tours. Surrounded by the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean,
this marvelous island is a contrast of numerous colors, serenity,
and elegance.

57. Thomas Cook India - “Fusion Holidays”
In March,2014 Thomas Cook (India), India’s leading integrated travel and travel related
financial services company, has introduced an innovative product line- ‘Fusion Holidays’, to
target a new emerging Indian consumer segment.
Thomas Cook (India), Creates a new customer segment by combining the price advantage
of group tours, with the freedom to customize personal holiday itineraries.
Thomas Cook India’s internal research and trend reports had highlighted the emergence of
a new market segment- an increasingly value conscious consumer but an individual in his
own right; hence looking for value saver travel packages without losing out on
personalisation. Thomas Cook’s strength in its group travel business gives it powerful
economies of scale, which when coupled with its Personalised Holidays (FIT business)
offers unique flexibility and freedom. Thus was conceived a delightful amalgamation-
‘Fusion Holidays’- which allows for the price advantages of group rates (fixed departures)
and the freedom to customise one’s itineraries at the destination.
And for the Indian traveler of today, Fusion Holidays’ colloquial tag line captures this duality
delightfully- “Saath bhi, Akele bhi”!
From weekend getaways like Dubai and Sri Lanka or the favourites of Singapore, Thailand,
Malaysia and Hong Kong; the scenic splendor of Switzerland; a smorgasbord of culture and
cuisine in Italy and Spain; wildlife safaris and adventure in South Africa to idyllic island bliss
in the Maldives; Thomas Cook’s Fusion Holidays offers an alluring array of dream
vacations!.
Thomas Cook India’s Fusion Holidays are air-inclusive packages: a combination of airfare
(with taxes), accommodation in 3 star hotels and essential sightseeing. While the departure
dates and hence air travel is fixed, customers can personalise all other components- be it
an upgraded hotel stay, add on sightseeing tours, extended stays, etc.

58. Group tours - holiday packages
America Packages
 Super Budget America 9 Nights / 10 Days
 Grand Bargain America 13 Nights / 14 Days
 Enchanting East (Popular) 8 Nights / 9 Days
 Treasures of Puerto Rico (Popular) 6 Nights / 7 Days
 Dhamaka Rio 8 Nights / 9 Days
 South American Delight 11 Nights/ 12 Days
Europe Packages
 Delightful Spain (Air Inclusive) 4 Nights / 5 Day
 Essential Turkey Fusion (Air Inclusive) 6 Nights / 7 Days
 Swiss Delights 6N/7D + Dazzling Dubai Tour 4N/5D
 Fusion Europe 10N/11D + London and Scotland 5N/6D
 Premium Budget Europe 12N/13D + East European Delights 5N/6D
 Magical Europe 9N/10D + Austria Tour 4N/5D
 Grand Bargain Europe 14N/15D + French Riviera & Spain 6N/7D
 European Extravaganza 14N/15D
 Scenic Scandinavia 8N/9D + East Europe Tour 8N/9D
 Russian Dream 5 Nights / 6 Days

59. Asia Packages
 Asian Trails Fusion (Air Inclusive) 10 Nights / 11 Days
 Asian Wonders 09 Nights / 10 Days
 Malaysia Magic 2 Nights / 3 Days
 Simply Thailand (Flight Inclusive) 4 Nights / 5 Days with free dinner
 Simply Dubai - Diwali and Christmas Special 4 Nights / 5 Days
 Free and Easy Singapore Fusion (Air Inclusive) 3 Nights / 4 Days
 Serene Maldives Fusion (Air Inclusive) 3 Nights / 4 Days
 Enchanting Bali 4 Nights / 5 Days
 Best of China 5 Nights / 6 Days
 Vibrant Singapore (Inspiring) 5 Nights / 6 Days
 Eastern Wonders 6 Nights / 7 Days
 Fusion Asia 8 Nights / 9 Days
Australia Packages
 Scenic New Zealand 10 Nights / 11 Days
 Australian Grandeur - 11 Nights / 12 Days
 Australia And New Zealand Delights 15 Nights / 16 Days
 Australian Grandeur With Scenic New Zealand 20 Nights / 21 Days
 Australian Fantasy (Popular) 6 Nights / 7 Day
 Blissful Australia (Popular) 9 Nights / 10 Days

60. Africa Packages
 Majestic Mauritius Fusion (Air Inclusive) 6 Nights / 7 Days
 Jambo Kenya (Air Inclusive) 4 Nights / 5 Days
 Simply South Africa (Air Inclusive) 7 Nights / 8 Days
 Ultimate South Africa (Popular) 7 Nights / 8 Days
 South African Grandeur (Popular) 8 Nights / 9 Days
 Egyptian Treasures 7 Nights / 8 Days
 Kenya Tanzania Expedition (Popular) 10 Nights / 11 Days

61. Other Services Offered
 Cruise Holidays
 Foreign Exchange
 Book Hotels Online
 Book Flights Online
 Travel Insurance
 Visa and Passport
 Global Sales Partners
Awards and recognitions
Thomas Cook (India) Ltd has been voted as Best Tour Operator - Outbound for two
consecutive years at the CNBC AWAAZ Travel Awards 2014 & 2013 and Best Company
providing Foreign Exchange at the CNBC AWAAZ Travel Awards 2014; Best Tour
Operator at the Lonely Planet Travel Awards 2013, Favourite Specialist Tour Operator at
the Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Travel Awards 2013, 2012 & 2011 and recognized for
two years in succession as a"Consumer Superbrand" 2013-14 & 2012-2013. In addition,
TCIL has been chosen as the Best Corporate Travel Management Company by World
Travel Brands 2012,. At the National Tourism Awards 2012-2013, TCIL was the recipient
of 3 prestigious awards. Thomas Cook India’s Centre of Learning has received IATA
accreditation as "Top 10 South Asia IATA Authorized Training Centers", 2013 & 2012.

62. RESERCH METHODOLOGY

63. Aim and Objective of Study
Aim:
The aim of the study was to add significantly to the current body of knowledge on the Indian
market, providing valuable support and intelligence for future marketing activities of Thomas
Cook India Limited and other tourism companies and not the least to Thomas Cook India
Limited. The information obtained would help Thomas Cook India Limited to ensure that its
services, meets the needs and interests of Indian Outbound tourist and travelers.
Objective:
This report intended for distribution to all Thomas Cook India Limited branches and Gold
Chain Partners, The findings of the study and provides comprehensive analysis and
recommendations for the future marketing and promotional strategies for promoting and
designing tour packages and destinations in Delhi-NCR, India.
The objective of this research was:
 To Study the demography of the customers for Group Inclusive Tour Package (GIT)
in Gurgaon City.

64. Data Source:
The data would be collected from both primary as well as secondary source. Consumers
would be asked to fill booking form to arrive at the information. Various secondary sources
of data as magazines, journal, Internet etc. would also be explored.
Sampling Area:
The sampling areas of this research are Gurgaon.
Sampling method:
The convenient sampling method was used for this research and the respondents were
those who have already taken the tour package.
Sample Size:
The size of this research is 120 respondents.
Research Instrument:
The research instruments, which was used, for collecting the data is questionnaire method
and the information filled in the booking forms filled by the customers while booking the
package at Vatika First India Palace, M.G. Road, Gurgaon Branch of Thomas Cook India
Limited.
Method of contact:
The method of contact would be personal and direct as this would help to qualify the
customer’s issues while filling up the form and also helps them if they do not have the
knowledge about any new tour package of the company.
Method of making an approach for Sales:
After analyzing the data from the questionnaires the needs of prospects were identified and
the best suitable tour package solution was suggested to them accordingly.

65. PRIMARY FINDINGS

66. Gender Distribution of Travelers
As can be seen from the following pie-chart males travel more in comparison to female
travelers. As per the findings from the survey conducted, 56% males travel across the world
while only 44% female travelers have been observed. Female (n=53) and Male (n=68).
Age Distribution of Travelers
Pie-chart below shows the percentage distribution of travelers according to their age. It can
be seen from the chart that people in the age group of 26-35 travel maximum (38%)
followed by travelers in the age group of 36-50 (35%) . Adults above 61 years and children
below 18 years hardly travel. 17% and 8% travelers are in the age group of 18-25 and 51-
60 years respectively.
56%
44%
Gender of Travellers
Male Female
2%
17%
38%
35%
8%
Age Distribution of Travelers
Below 18 years 18-25 years 26-35 years 36-50 years 51-60 years

67. Occupation of Travelers
As can be seen from the bar chart 30% self employed people travel which is maximum as
compared to other sectors. Students going abroad for pursuing higher studies and people
working in the private sector travel almost equally 19% and 18% respectively. Travel of
students and private employees is followed by 17% travel of businessmen. However,
housewives hardly travel whereas travel of Government employees is 11%.
Survey of Countries Visited
The bar graph below depicts the percentage of different countries according to number of
visitors or tourists traveling to each of the below mentioned countries. Thailand has the
highest number of visitors (17%) coming as compared to other countries. The share of UK
and USA which is 15% and 13% respectively is also not very low in comparison to France.
Singapore and France seem to have promoted tourism really well each having share of
10%. Singapore and France are followed by Malaysia (9%) and China (9%). Africa and
Australia & New Zealand need to upgrade their tourism policies, products and enhance
tourism by promotional activities as they have relatively low share (5%).
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Business Class Self Employed Govt. Service Pvt. Service Students House Wife Others
Occupation of Travelers
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
Thailand Singapore Malaysia USA UK China Africa Australia &
New
Zeland
Turkey France
Survey of Countries Visited

68. Source of Information on Countries Visited
As can be seen from the graph maximum information (60%) about travelers visiting different
countries is gathered from websites/internet followed by 49% of the information that is
received by friends/relatives. Magazines/books and TV - travel/geography channel
contribute almost equally in providing information about the different countries visited which
is 28% and 24% respectively. Hollywood movies contribute around 9% and information
gathered by previous visit to any of the countries contributes to about 8%. Remaining
sources of information contribute little and are almost negligible
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
Source of Information

69. Specific needs and expectations of Indian travelers
 Indian travellers are very price conscious and like to negotiate.
 Most bookings are confirmed close to the date of travel. Bookings to Europe are
usually confirmed 1-2 months before the date of travel.
 Usually travel in small family groups of approximately 8 -10 pax.
 Love to shop. A list of shopping outlets should be provided.
Food habits
 Require at least one Indian meal per day. A list of Indian restaurants should be
recommended.
 Some travel groups are pure vegetarian where meals must not comprise of fish or
eggs.
 It is always advisable to check on the specifications of meal options. There is a
community known as ‘Jain’ where the food is pure vegetarian with no onions, garlics,
potatoes, etc.
 Among non-vegetarian Indians, Hindus will not eat beef and pork and Muslims will
not eat pork and would prefer halal meat.
58%
23%
10%
9%
Meals Prefrence
Hindu Veg. Meals Hindu Non Veg. Meals Jain Meals Others

70. Recommendation
The total numbers of Indians who travel abroad represent only 1% of the country’s total
population, but in the next 20 years the number is likely to increase six-fold. Over the last
five years, outbound travel from India has more than doubled and this is reflected in strong
growth in outbound travel from India to all Asia-Pacific destinations. Hence, keeping that in
mind here are some recommendations, which if, taken can drive the outbound sales of
Thomas Cook (India) Limited
 Increase awareness of the countries and continent as an outbound holiday
destination.
 Tourism planning and product development go hand in hand
 Promote Short Stay Visa Waiver Scheme.
 Partnerships with airlines.
 Relationships with trade and media.
 Target high-potential customer segments.
 Develop itineraries that meet the needs of these customers.
 Prioritise destination iconic experiences.
 Collaborate on joint trade partnerships through co-operative marketing.
 Continue to work closely with Bollywood.
 Promoting driving touring routes like Causeway Coastal Route and Wild Atlantic
Way.
 Investment with leading travel trade partners for joint co-operative campaigns
to promote the destination.
 Special promotions of destination with value offers for the India market.

71. Conclusion
India has emerged as the world's fastest-growing outbound market and in absolute
numbers it is second only to China. The number of Indians travelling overseas is set to rise
from around 15 million today to 50 million by 2020. This will mean a big growth in spending
overseas. Indians travelling to Asia-Pacific alone spent $13.3 billion in 2013. This figure is
set to zoom to $91 billion by 2030, making Indians the second-biggest spenders, after
China, in the world on overseas travel.
From around 700 million people in the middle class in 2013, the number is set to touch 2.1
billion by 2030, signalling the rise of what is called the consuming class (annual household
income of $5,000 plus). The biggest chunk of this growth will come from China and India.
India's middle class, the report estimates, will grow from the present 5% to 50% by 2030.
Similarly, HNIs are expected to grow six fold by 2030 — from around 0.2 million in 2013 to
over 1.2 million by 2030. This segment will fuel growth at the luxury end of the market.
Of course the demand for packaged tours offered by companies like Thomas Cook (India)
Limited, Cox & Kings is growing among Indians travelling overseas for the first time. But
more and more globetrotting Indians are turning experimental, looking to customise trips,
opting for offbeat destinations and newer experiences.

72. INTERNSHIP AND LEARNING’S

73. Job profile
I was working there as an intern in Leisure tourism outbound sales at Thomas Cook (India)
Limited, Vatika First India Palace, M.G. Road, Gurgaon.
The branch has got two managers, sales branch manager, Mrs. Surbhi Bansal and foreign
exchange manager, Ms. Nupur Batra.
The branch has two leisure outbound managers, Mrs. Sucheta Chugh and Mr. Gauresh
Gupta. One Passport and Visa manager, Mr. Ashish Kumar. Four Foreign exchange
managers, Mr. Pradeep Kumar, Mr. Gaurav Kumar, Mr. Bhaskar Joshi and Mr. Babu.
My job is to assist the Branch manager and senior managers in their work by preparing the
documents related to the tour.
Since, the Vatika First India Palace branch is not a very big branch, I got a chance to work
and learn various skills under the supervision of these managers. Apart from outbound
sales, I also got chance to work with foreign exchange department and learn various
elements of foreign exchange.
I had given the job to make and update files on the central reservation system which
includes new bookings, cancellation, modifications in the central reservation system. I had
to look after the payment details of the packages which are being updated on the file of
customer according to the payments made.
I also had calculated the insurance premium and also issuing the insurance of the clients as
per their requirements. While in the process I also confirm from the clients about various
details before issuing the insurance such as Nominee, present address and detailing about
the amount of premium.
I learned to prepare customer handovers checklists which include documenting Passport
details, arrival/departure tickets, Hotel voucher, Travel voucher, and the complementary
gifts. After that briefing the customers about the hotels and flight details (number and
timing) and additional information if required.
We have to send the documents to the tour manager and clients 5 days prior to their
departure/tour.
In addition to that we have to go through the tour feedbacks and escalated cases also.
Escalated cases are those cases in which there are some problems which needed to be
sorted out immediately for the smooth run of the tour.

74. Learning’s
While working in Thomas Cook (India) Limited, I got a chance to learn and develop various
skills which are the required in the tourism industry. Some of these skills and learning are
Client’s Enquiry
Open a file for each Enquiry received from the client to keep all correspondence relating to
that Enquiry.
Designing a Tour
One must know the fundamental attractions of tours;
• Pleasing weather
• Scenic attractions
• Historical and cultural factors
• Accessibility
• Amenities
Understanding what tourists want
• They like to be comfortable
• They want to be interested
• They want fun
• They want to carry memories
Tours should include things which appeal to the sense of
• Taste
• Touch
• Smell

75. • Sound as well as sights.
Points to consider before finalizing tour:
• Find out the place from where the message has come.
• Establish the services the client requires.
• Discover where the client wants to go.
• Consider the feasibility of itinerary.
• Consider the operating days of Flight/Train and Arrival and Departure dates of
the client.
• Find out when the client needs to travel and return.
• Establish the reason the client wants to travel.
• By what means and class does the client want to travel?
Quoting Rates
• Know your client’s needs and weaknesses.
• Based on messages exchanged with client the quotation should be prepared.
Before making Quotation one should know:
• Arrival and Departure timings of international flights and subsequent requirement
of hotel for immediate occupancy or late checkout
• Period of the tour
• Duration of the tour
• No of pax (FIT/GIT).
• Specific request for mode of transport
• Specific guide requirement
• Rates to be applied
• Discounts to be given
• Any other special request
• Don’t quote rate until you have to.
• Meal plan requested. If this information is not available and you do not have prior
experience of handling tourist of the market for which your making quotation then

76. you can make quotation on CP plan in case of FIT and in case of GIT on MAP
plan .
Also determine your approaches if:
• Client does not accept your rate
• Client makes counter offer
• You are losing business
• You have to compromise with the client
• The package cost should be conveyed to client through Quotation Message.
Quotation Message must have clear, complete and accurate information not only on
the price but also on:
• The itinerary
• The transport used
• The name and type of accommodation used, its location, category or degree of
comfort and its main features, its official classification
• The meal plan
• Any special permit required for visiting a place
• Any requirements as to the minimum number of participants and if and when
there is a cut-off date
• Arrangements in case of delays
• Any other features included in the price
• Any taxes or additional charges not included in the package price
• Conditions applicable for any revision of prices
• Any special request made by the client and agreed at the time of booking.
The payment conditions and procedure:
Acceptances to be confirmed with 100% payment in advance at least a week before the
arrival of the client in case of direct bookings. In case of regular foreign agents it should be
according to the credit limit contract with them.
 Cancellation procedure (Highlight it)

77.  Organization’s liability while providing services (Highlight it)
The period within which any client complaint for non-performance must be made,
Brochure planning
Brochures - The Indian travel trade releases two brochures every year - summer brochure
and winter brochure.
Production: September and February.
Validity: 6 months
 Winter Brochure - 1 October to 31 March.
 Summer Brochure - 1 April to 30 September.
Rates
Setting Rates: Rates are set between July to September for winter brochures and from
November to January for summer brochures.
Key cities to visit in India for sales calls
The key cities to visit are Mumbai and New Delhi followed by Ahmedabad, Bangalore and
Chennai.
Best time for sales calls in India
 January – February
 July – September
Brochure Space Policy
Large scale Indian operators will request contribution (cash or inkind) to feature individual
products.

78. Bibliography
ACNielsen ORG-MARG. (2012). Competitiveness of Tourism Sector in India with Selected
Other Countries of the World. New Delhi: Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
Cox and kings. (2014). about. Retrieved september 2014, from cox and kings:
www.coxandkings.com
Kesari Tours Pvt. Ltd. (2014). About. Retrieved september 2014, from Kesari Tours Pvt.
Ltd.: www.kesari.in
Kuoni SOTC. (2014). About. Retrieved september 2014, from Kuoni SOTC:
www.kuoni.com/group/about-kuoni-group
Limited, T. C. (2014, september). About. Retrieved september 2014, from Thomas Cook
(India) Limited: www.thomascook.in
Personal, Social and Humanities Education Section. (2009). Introduction to Tourism. In S.
a. Personal, Introduction to Tourism (pp. 11-57). Hong Kong: Government of the
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The Leading Hotels India. (2013). INDIA, SALES GUIDE. Colaba, Mumbai: The Leading
Hotels India.
Tourism Ireland. (2013). India Marketing Brefing. Colaba, Mumbai: Tourism Ireland.
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Thomas Cook (India) Limited. Retrieved september 2014, from Wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cook_India_Ltd