Thomas Cook India & SOTC partner with...

Agreement aims to boost inbound tourist figures to Turkey from India

In an effort to tap the potentially lucrative Indian tourism market, Thomas Cook (India) Limited and its subsidiary SOTC Travel, have signed an agreement with Turkiye Tourism.

The collaboration will focus on building awareness and boosting visitations to the destination. According to Thomas Cook & SOTC’s internal data, Indian travel sentiment is at an all-time high and there is strong pent-up demand for travel as restrictions continue to ease. As a destination, Turkey benefits from simple entry and visa processes.

Thomas Cook and SOTC’s partnership with Turkey Tourism will focus on both product development and wide-ranging marketing initiatives.

The offering has been curated by Thomas Cook & SOTC to showcase all that Turkey has to offer with an extensive range of options including ready-to-book holidays, group tours and personalised holidays, and covers price points from value, affordable luxury to premium. The packages incorporate Turkey’s Unesco World Heritage Sites; hot-air ballooning at sunrise over Cappadocia’s fairy chimneys, white-water rafting at Köprülü Canyon National Park, traditional “hammam’ spa-wellness, a luxury cruise on the Bosphorus and a varied range of cuisine, entertainment and shopping options.

The campaign will target India’s high-value segments including millennials, young working professionals, families, couples, solo travellers, B-Leisure and corporate MICE groups.

Commenting on the announcement, Thomas Cook (India) Limited president & country head – Holidays, MICE, Visa Rajeev Kale said: “Turkiye is one of the world’s most culturally rich destinations renowned for its warm hospitality, unique history, immense natural beauty, breathtaking architecture, and diverse gastronomy. We are delighted to collaborate with Turkiye Tourism to jointly promote the destination to our range of customer segments as an aspirational destination for Indians. To inspire demand, we will strategically focus on digital advertisements, branding at Mumbai & Delhi international airports and a joint marketing campaign across media platforms. Additionally, we have also extended special offers like Buy One Get One Free.”

Turkish Culture and Tourism Counsellor H. Deniz Ersoz added: “Turkiye is one of the most popular tourism destinations for Indian travellers with the interest of Indian visitors in the country, being on a consistent rise over the recent years. In 2019, which was the pre-pandemic period, Turkiye welcomed 51 million international visitors of which Indians comprised a significant share. With Covid-related travel restrictions easing up, Turkiye has been among the top travel destinations for travellers from India in the past months. This includes all segments such as FITs, MICE and even wedding groups.

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“We expect that our collaboration with Thomas Cook India and SOTC will further boost the demand for Turkey's tourism in India, which is one of the most important and high potential markets for us. We are excited to host an even higher volume of Indian visitors in the course of this year, as a result of this partnership.”

For more information, visit www.thomascook.in and www.goturkiye.com