Mumbai, October 19, 2020: Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., India’s leading integrated travel services company and its Group Company SOTC Travel Ltd., have partnered with Accor, a global leader in augmented hospitality, to launch Holiday Safe. The holiday portfolio aims at reassuring customers with comprehensive health and safety protocols incorporated via Thomas Cook India & SOTC’s Assured Safe Travel Program in partnership with Apollo Clinics, together with Accor’s Cleanliness and Prevention ALLSAFE label, developed with and vetted by Bureau Veritas. The attractively priced holidays, starting at Rs. 5 999.00*, include unique experiences and value additions across a range of domestic and international destinations.

While extended lockdowns and work-from-home stress have resulted in strong pent up travel demand for short drivable distance vacations, Indian consumers have understandably rated health-safety as their priority. The Thomas Cook India & SOTC Holiday Readiness Travel Report reiterates this - with 75% respondents stating health and safety to be their overriding concern and 72% displaying preference for reputed travel brands. Thomas Cook India, SOTC and Accor have hence leveraged their collective expertise in curating the Holiday Safe range that delivers on their comprehensive measures towards hygiene and safety while ensuring customers a memorable holiday experience.

With the easing of travel restrictions and to reignite the love for travel, the Holiday Safe portfolio in addition to health and safety protocols, offers a range of vacation options such as staycations, workations, drivecations, quick breaks to celebrate special occasions and the upcoming festive season.

Accor’s extensive footprint across gateway cities and favourite holiday locales has been leveraged by Thomas Cook and SOTC’s experts to offer customers a wide selection of luxury to economy options at the Fairmont, Sofitel, Pullman, Mövenpick, Grand Mercure, Novotel, Mercure, ibis and ibis Styles. The Holiday Safe portfolio offers customers exclusive pricing starting from Rs. 5 999.00* for a variety of domestic themed holidays: weekend breaks, wellness, romantic breaks, family getaways, magic moments, among others. International holidays start at Rs. 20 720.00* to destinations like Dubai and Maldives.

Mr. Madhavan Menon, Chairman & Managing Director, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. said, “As Indian travellers look to maximize their experiences while minimizing risk, our focus on customer health and safety remains our top priority. To build consumer confidence in the COVID era, we are delighted to announce our association with the Accor Group, one of the world’s largest and most respected hospitality brands. Our Holiday Safe collection incorporates the comprehensive measures of the Thomas Cook India & SOTC Assured Safe Travel Program and Accor’s Cleanliness & Prevention ALLSAFE label - with standards developed with and vetted by Bureau Veritas. This collaboration aimed at building a safe travel environment for customers, is inbuilt with clean-safe protocols across every step of the customer journey, and also incorporates unparalleled holiday experiences to delight the Indian traveller.” 

He added, “Holiday Safe, together with our COVID-19 travel insurance cover, zero cancellation charges, and free rescheduling will ensure that our customers are assured, insured and secured.”

Commenting on the partnership Mr. Puneet Dhawan, Senior VP Operations, Accor India & South Asia, said, “In the current environment, we believe the ultimate determinant of guests returning is health and safety blended with innovative experiences and rewarding benefits. As an industry, this is the time to show solidarity and work together reassuring guests that it is safe to travel. Taking forward our endeavour to instil confidence amongst guest for safe holidays, we are proud to partner with Thomas Cook and SOTC and look forward to providing a holistic experience to our guests.”

Thomas Cook India’s domestic and international Holiday Safe packages
SOTC’s domestic and international Holiday Safe packages

*Per person on twin sharing basis

About Thomas Cook (India) Limited: Set up in 1881, 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, Value Added Services, Visa and Passport services and E-Business. It operates leading B2C and B2B brands including Thomas Cook, SOTC, TCI, SITA, Asian Trails, Allied T Pro, Australian Tours Management, Desert Adventures, Luxe Asia, Kuoni Hong Kong, Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited, TC Forex, Distant Frontiers, TC Tours, TC Visa, Travel Circle International Limited, Ithaka, Digiphoto Entertainment Imaging (DEI), Private Safaris East & South Africa.

As one of the largest travel service provider networks headquartered in the Asia-Pacific region, The Thomas Cook India Group spans 25 countries across 5 continents, a team of over 8388 and a combined revenue in excess of Rs. 6948.3 Cr. (over $ 0.93 Bn.) for the financial year ended March 31, 2020.

TCIL has been felicitated with  The Best Travel Agency – India at TTG Travel Awards 2019, The Best Outbound Tour Operator at the Times Travel Awards 2018 & 2019 and Leading Company with Cutting Edge Travel Innovation at the Times Travel Awards 2018, Silver award for Asia's Best Integrated Report (First Time) category at the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards, Best Risk Management-Framework & Systems at the India Risk Management Awards 2019; Best Cash Management Solution – India at the Asset Triple A Treasury, Trade, Supply Chain & Risk Management Awards 2018, Best Outbound Tour Operator at the SATTE awards 2019, Excellence in Domestic Tour Operations at the SATTE Awards 2018,  The French Ambassador’s Award for Exemplary Achievements in Visa Issuance – 2015 to 2019 and the Condé Nast Traveller – Readers’ Travel Awards from 2011 to 2019.

CRISIL has revised the rating on debt programmes and bank facilities of Thomas Cook (India) Ltd to ‘CRISIL A+/Negative on the long-term bank facilities of TCIL and CRISIL A1 rating on the short-term bank facilities and short- term debt of the Company.

For more information, please visit www.thomascook.in

Fairbridge Capital (Mauritius) Limited, a subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited promotes TCIL by holding 65.60% of its paid-up capital and is responsible for the execution of acquisition and investment opportunities.

About Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited: Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited is a holding company which, through its subsidiaries, is engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance and investment management. Founded in 1985 by the present Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Prem Watsa, the company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Its common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol FFH and in U.S. dollars under the symbol FFH.U.

About Subsidiaries of Thomas Cook (India) Ltd.: Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited, wholly owned subsidiary of TCIL is engaged in time share and resort business.

SOTC Travel Limited, wholly owned subsidiary of TCIL is a leading travel and tourism company active across various travel segments including Leisure Travel, Incentive Travel and Business Travel.

TCI, a brand owned by TCIL through its wholly owned subsidiary company - Travel Corporation (India) Limited, the leading Destination Management Company in India that offers tailor-made travel and related services to India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.

Thomas Cook India Group holds a 51% stake in DEI Holdings Limited (DEI), one of the world’s leading imaging solutions and services providers.

For more information, visit:
Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited: http://www.sterlingholidays.com
SOTC Travel Limited: http://www.sotc.in

Media Enquiries:
Thomas Cook (India) Limited: Suzanne Pereira | +91 98202 97665 | suzanne.pereira@thomascook.in
Joyce Fernandes | +91 98922 20141 | joyce.fernandes@thomascook.in

About SOTC Travel: SOTC Travel Limited (Formerly SOTC Travel Pvt. Ltd.) is a step-down subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings Group; held through its Indian listed subsidiary, Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL). SOTC India is a leading travel and tourism company active across various travel segments including Leisure Travel, Incentive Travel and Business Travel and Foreign Exchange. SOTC was established in 1949. Since then, it has escorted lakhs of travellers across the globe for more than 70 years to various destinations around the world. A new age innovative holidaymaker, SOTC strives to make holidays a priority for every Indian. ‘We are for holidays’ and we want Indians to prioritize their holidays.

Media Enquiries: 
SOTC Travel Limited: Bineeta Mehta | +91 99209 62470 | bineeta.mehta@sotc.in
Neha Dcunha | +91 98926 63010 | neha.dcunha@sotc.in

About Accor India & South Asia:
Accor operates a network of nine distinctive brands with close to 10,000 rooms spread across 51 properties in 23 key destinations in India and Sri Lanka. Underpinned by operational excellence and a rich hospitality legacy, Accor uniquely and successfully blends its international heritage with the local cultures across all its brands encompassing every segment - from its acclaimed luxury Fairmont, Sofitel brands; premium brands Pullman, Mövenpick, Grand Mercure; as well as the popular Novotel and Mercure midscale brands and the much-prized economy brands including ibis and ibis Styles.

For more information and reservations visit all.accor.com Or become a fan and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Accor Media Enquiries:
Amisha Gutgutia
Director – PR & Communications India & South Asia
amisha.gutgutia@accor.com