1 Paper: 02: Travel Agency and Tour Operations, Itinerary Preparation & Tour Package Design Module 39: Case Study of Popular Travel Companies Of India: Kuoni, Thomas Cook, Tui and Cox & Kings THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN Principal Investigator Prof. S. P. Bansal Vice chancellor Indira Gandhi University, Meerpur, Rewari, Haryana Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Prashant K. Gautam Director, UIHMT Panjab University, Chandigarh Paper Coordinator Prof. Mohinder Chand Chairman, Department of Tourism and Hotel Management Kurukshetra University ,Kurukshetra Haryana Content Writer Prof. Mohinder Chand Chairman , Department of Tourism and Hotel Management Kurukshetra University ,Kurukshetra Haryana Content Reviewer Prof. Ravi Bhushan Kumar Department of Tourism and Hotel Management Kurukshetra University ,Kurukshetra Haryana 2 ITEMS MODULE DESCRIPTION Subject Name Tourism & Hospitality Paper Name Travel Agency And Tour Operations, Itinerary Preparation & Tour Package Design Module Title Case Study Of Popular Travel Companies Of India: Kuoni, Thomas Cook, Tui And Cox & Kings Module Id Module No-39 Pre- Requisites Basic Knowledge About Travel Agency And Tour Operations Objectives To Study The Case Of Different Types Of Travel Agencies Keywords Tourism Enterprise, Tour Operator, Tourism , Destination Management Organisation, Receptive Tour Operator TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Learning Outcomes 2. Introduction 3. Case Study Of Popular Travel Companies Of India 3.1 Kuoni : A Profile 3.2 Thomas Cook : A Leading Company In Tourism 3.3 TUI : An Emerging Group 3.4 Cox & Kings : A Longest Travel Company 4. Summary 3 QUADRANT-I 1. LEARNING OUTCOMES After completing this module students will be able to: Understand the Popular Travel Companies of India Various types Popular Travel Companies of India: Kuoni, Thomas Cook, Tui and Cox & Kings. Know the present status of Case study of Popular Travel Companies of India: Kuoni, Thomas Cook, Tui and Cox & Kings 2. INTRODUCTION Recently, the growth of the Travel & Tourism sector in 2015 (2.8%) outpaced that of the global economy (2.3%) and a number of other major sectors such as manufacturing and retail. In total, Travel & Tourism generated US $7.2 trillion (9.8% of global GDP) and supported 284 million jobs, equivalent to 1 in 11 jobs in the global economy. According to World Travel and Tourism Council (2016) The Travel & Tourism sector is expected to grow faster than the wider economy and many other industries over the next decade. It is anticipated to support over 370 million jobs by 2026. Such strong growth will require Travel agencies and tour operators across the world to provide innovative and client oriented product. Moreover, it requires an effective coordination between tourism product p[lanners and the destination operators around the world. Since Travel agency and tour operator make more than 66 million bookings leading to $25 billion in revenue a year. They proactively market destinations, hotels and other services to the clients. This module discusses the case studies of major travel companies operating in India. 3. CASE STUDY OF POPULAR TRAVEL COMPANIES OF INDIA 3.1 Kuoni : a Profile 4 Kuoni Travel Ltd was founded by Alfred Kuoni in 1906 and has grown into one of the largest travel companies in the world employing over 7,500 staff in 300 offices around the world. Since 1966, Kuoni has led the UK long haul tour operation market and has consistently been the UK’s most successful specialist tour operator. Kuoni Travel Group, India is a 100% subsidiary of the CHF 4.1 billion Kuoni Travel Holding Ltd. – a one of the world’s leading premium tour operators. Founded in 1906, and head-quartered in Zurich, Kuoni has operations in 30 countries today and its core businesses are Leisure Travel and Destination Management. It was named “World’s Leading Tour Operator” at the World Travel Awards in 2007 – the ninth time it has earned this distinction. With total turnover of INR 18 billion (USD 420 million), 347 offices and 2,900 employees, Kuoni India is India’s largest travel company. Kuoni India has five core activities: a. Leisure Travel b. Destination Management Services c. Business Travel d. Visa Services e. Travel Education Key Milestones 1996 - Kuoni Group enters India by acquiring a 51% stake in SOTC [5] 1997 - Kuoni Group acquires 100% equity in SOTC [6] 2000 - Kuoni India acquires Sita World Travel [7] 2013 - Launched TVC with new brand architecture 'Kuoni Together with SOTC' [8] 2015 - Kuoni Travel (India) Pvt Ltd becomes a step-down of Fairfax Financial Holdings Group 2016 - Kuoni India rebranded to SOTC as part of brand transition post change in control & Kuoni Group exiting Tour Operating entities globally [9] 2016 - SOTC releases new TVC & brand logo 3.2 Thomas Cook : A leading company in Tourism 5 Thomas Cook is the world’s best-known name in travel, thanks to the inspiration and dedication of a single man. Thomas Cook began his international travel company in 1841, with a successful one-day rail excursion at a shilling a head from Leicester to Loughborough on 5 July. From these humble beginnings Thomas Cook launched a whole new kind of company – devoted to helping Britons see the world. The Thomas Cook group, with a heritage of 176 years, is one of the most widely recognized and respected brands in the area of travel and tourism, and travel related foreign exchange. Worldwide, Thomas Cook is the one of the largest travel companies with annual revenues in excess of 7 billion US Dollars. The group serves approximately 17 million customers annually across 30 tour operator brands through a network of 4,000 travel companies worldwide. Thomas Cook also owns a fleet of 85 aircrafts dedicated to charter tour operations to specific tourist destinations world-wide. Thomas Cook has operations in Europe, Canada, India and Egypt. Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. is the largest Travel and Financial Services Company in the country offering a broad spectrum of travel-related services that include Foreign Exchange, Corporate Travel, Leisure Travel, and Insurance. The Company launched its Indian operations in 1881 and is celebrating its 125 years of world-class service in India. In India, we operate three core businesses of Leisure Travel, Corporate Travel Management and Foreign Exchange as well as Travel Insurance. The Indian operations notched annual revenues of Rs. 857 million with profit after tax of Rs. 137 million (in the last financial year). TCIL has ambitious plans to grow in all its core businesses with specific focus on Leisure Travel. TCIL has been voted as Favourite Outbound Tour Operator at the Outlook Traveller Awards 2015; Best Tour Operator- Outbound at the CNBC AWAAZ Travel Awards 2015, 2014 & 2013; Best Company providing Foreign Exchange at the CNBC AWAAZ Travel Awards 2015 & 2014; felicitated with The French Ambassador's Diamond Award for Exemplary Achievements in Visa Issuance 2015 & 2016; Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Travel Awards 2016 to 2011. TCIL’s Travel Quest was honoured at PATA Gold Awards 2015 and TCIL’s Centre of Learning has received IATA accreditation as Top 10 South Asia IATA Authorized Training Centres 2016, 2015, 2013 & 2012 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. 6 TCIL’s footprint (exclusive of its subsidiaries) currently extends to over 223 locations (including 21 airport counters) in 85 cities across India, Mauritius & Sri Lanka and is supported by a strong partner network of 91 Gold Circle Partners and 81 Preferred Sales Agents in over 87 cities across India. Into the 21st Century On 27 March 2001, Thomas Cook completed the sale of its Global and Financial Services division to Travelex. Three days later, C&N Touristic AG, one of Germany’s largest travel groups, became the sole owner of Thomas Cook and a new chapter in the company’s history began. Within a matter of months, C&N Touristic AG had changed its name to Thomas Cook AG and launched a new logo and brand identity. In the UK, Thomas Cook introduced its new three-tier mass-market brand strategy – Thomas Cook, JMC and Sunset – on its Summer 2003 range of brochures and the newly-branded Thomas Cook Airlines was officially launched in March 2003. On 19 June 2007, Thomas Cook AG and MyTravel Group plc merged to form Thomas Cook Group plc. Another merger followed in October 2011, when Thomas Cook amalgamated its UK high street travel and foreign exchange businesses with those of the Co-operative Group and the Midlands Co-operative Society to create the UK’s largest retail travel network of over 1200 shops. On 1 October 2013 Thomas Cook officially unveiled its new unified ‘Sunny Heart’ brand to the world. Thomas Cook Today Today, Thomas Cook one of the world’s leading leisure travel groups, with sales of £7.8 billion and 19 million customers each year. The group is supported by around 22,000 colleagues and operates from 16 countries. Thomas Cook’s vision is to be the best-loved holiday company, delivering inspiring, personalised holiday experiences for all its customers. One reason for the company’s longevity and continued success is its commitment to consistently meet and exceed the expectations of its customers. Thomas Cook once described himself as 'the willing and devoted servant of the travelling public'. Today, more than 175 years after his pioneering excursion, he would be proud to know that the company he founded continues to follow in his footsteps. TCIL presently operates in over 78 cities across over 206 locations (including 25 airport counters). The company has overseas operations in Sri Lanka which is a branch of TCIL and Mauritius which is a subsidiary of Thomas Cook (India).