Thomas Cook India & SOTC win ‘Innovation in Omni-experience’ Award at International Data Corporation’s (IDC) Industry Innovation Awards 2021

Mumbai, February 4, 2022: Thomas Cook (India) Limited – India’s leading integrated travel services company and its Group Company, SOTC Travel, have been honoured with the award for ‘Innovation in Omni-experience’ – Travel, Transportation & Logistics category, at the International Data Corporation (IDC) Industry Innovation Awards 2021.

The IDC Industry Innovation Awards recognise and celebrate the transformative initiatives led by India’s tech leaders in accelerating their organization’s journey towards digital maturity. In line with the theme of the year – “Build, Grow & Invent: The Road to Realization”, Thomas Cook India & SOTC have successfully demonstrated innovation, agility and digital astuteness in consistently leveraging technology to drive scale of change in delivering business benefits.

With the pandemic having altered customer behaviours/ priorities, Thomas Cook India & SOTC have displayed innovation and speed in enhancing their omni-channel clicks & bricks model to deliver a safe, seamless, contactless customer experience.

With the announcement of the lockdown, the Companies were quick to empower their sales and servicing teams with a central dialler telephony and VPN access to stay in touch and provide meaningful support to customers. Additionally, Thomas Cook & SOTC launched India’s first Virtual Holiday Store that leveraged technology to deliver a convenient and contactless interface.

For India’s digital natives, the Thomas Cook & SOTC apps and portals offer a range of holidays, flight, hotel and attractions. In addition, Thomas Cook & SOTC’s innovative Build-Your-Own Holiday module enables customers design their own holidays based on their unique preferences.

With easing of restrictions, the Companies’ omni-channel model enabled customers walk in to a Thomas Cook or SOTC outlet closest to them, to meet with Holiday experts and co-curate their trip. Customers could select from the Companies extensive pan India retail network of approximately 300 outlets, covering metros, mini-metros, Tier 2 – 3 cities.

A seamless digital platform developed in-house equips both customers and Thomas Cook & SOTC teams with end-to-end transactions across a comprehensive array of travel and related services, like flights, hotels, holidays, attractions, foreign exchange, visa services, etc. The platform is integrated with the Companies’ CRM and enables multiple digital payment solutions.

Mr. Amit Madhan, President & Group Head – Information Technology & E-Business for Thomas Cook (India) & SOTC said, “At Thomas Cook India & SOTC, we are obsessed with our customers! Despite the challenges of the pandemic, our aim was to create a safe, seamless and contactless experience and I am delighted with our agility and speed in delivery. My Team and I are thus honoured to accept IDC’s prestigious award for ‘Innovation in Omni-experience’.

Our hybrid ‘clicks & bricks’ model puts the power in our consumer’s hands giving them the choice of interacting with us via one or multiple channels – based on their preference/convenience. So, our customers can opt to research & transact digitally via our apps and portals; interact with our contact centres for reassurance/guidance or walk into their closest store to finalise their plans with our Holiday experts.”

About Thomas Cook (India) Limited:

Set up in 1881, Thomas Cook India) Limited. (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. 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, Travel Circle International Limited (TCI 勝景遊), Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited, Distant Frontiers, TC Tours, Digiphoto Entertainment Imaging (DEI), Go Vacation, 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

TCIL has been felicitated with CNBC-TV18 & ICICI Lombard India Risk Management Award – Travel & Leisure Category 2021, 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 2019, 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 reaffirmed the rating on debt programmes and bank facilities of Thomas Cook (India) Limited – ‘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 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 millions 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.

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