Franchise - The Thomas Cook way
June 17, 2010
Tags: Ramanjit Kaur, Vishal Suri, COO, Thomas Cook (India) Limited, franchise route, Golden Circle Partners, franchisees
By: Ramanjit Kaur | comments 29 |
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Vishal Suri, COO, Thomas Cook (India) Limited
Thomas Cook India, the largest integrated travel and travel-related financial services company in India having the largest network in the world, recently announced its partnership with the Indian Postal Department to further broaden its horizon. In an interview, Vishal Suri, COO, Thomas Cook (India) Limited, shares the successful voyage of the company.
Ramanjit Kaur (RK): Please shed some light on the inception of Thomas Cook?
Vishal Suri (VS): Thomas Cook Group was formed on June 19, 2007, following the merger of Thomas Cook AG and MyTravel Group plc. The new company is one of the world’s leading leisure travel groups with sales of around £9 billion (€12 billion), 19 million customers, 30,000 employees, a fleet of 97 aircraft, a network of over 3,000 owned or franchised travel stores and a number of hotels and resort properties. The company launched its Indian operations in 1881 and is celebrating its 129 years of world-class service in India. Thomas Cook (India) Ltd offers a broad spectrum of services that include foreign exchange, corporate travel, leisure travel and insurance.
RK: What are the various products and services offered by Thomas Cook (India)?
VS: Thomas Cook (India) has a gamut of product and service line. It operates in the following areas of business:
- Leisure Travel: The leisure travel division of the company promotes domestic inbound/outbound holidays.
- Corporate Travel Management: Thomas Cook (India) effectively manages the travel budgets of several large national and multinational companies.
- Foreign Exchange: Thomas Cook is the largest foreign exchange company in travel-related foreign exchange. We offer currency notes, travellers’ cheques, prepaid debit cards, wire transfer SWIFT, foreign currency draft, MoneyGram Transfer Service, cash advances against international credit card and also have 24X7 Forex airport counters at all major international airports in India.
- Credit Cards: In association with ICICI, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd provides a unique credit card that helps customers avail the benefits and discounts with Thomas Cook.
RK: Why the company entered into franchising?
VS: The Thomas Cook Gold Circle (franchisee) programme is an exclusive partnership to strengthen the presence of the company in India. It helps the company to sustain leadership position by increasing customer access points and effectively dispensing high-quality services with an integrated travel solution concept.
RK: What is the USP of Thomas Cook franchise system?
VS: The USP of Thomas Cook franchise system lies in its brand name and its business model. Our franchise model allows the franchisees to bring in the investment only, rest is taken care of by the company itself. We offer complete help to our franchisees in conducting daily operations of the franchises.
Thomas Cook (India) has received several prestigious awards such as the Golden Peacock Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Golden Award for Best Travel. Recently, the company won the Best Tour Operator for the second time in a row and the Best Forex Company at the CNBC Awaaz Travel Awards 2009.
RK: What kind of background is necessary to secure the franchise of the company?
VS: We are looking at people who have a good clout in a particular region and who share our vision and thoughts of operating our kind of business. Besides this, the franchisee must have an outlet at high street with an area of 400-600 sq.ft. The interiors and infrastructure of the outlet is done as per the guidelines of Thomas Cook and an investment from Rs 5 to 15 lakh is required to get started with our franchise. In short, people from any walk of life who may or may not be from travel industry can take up our franchise.
RK: How many Golden Circle partners does Thomas Cook have? What are the future target locations?
VS: Thomas Cook (India) Ltd presently operates in over 72 cities across almost 180 locations in the country with more than 40 Gold Circle partners (franchisees) across India. The company has overseas operations in Sri Lanka, which is a branch of Thomas Cook India and Mauritius, which is subsidiary of Thomas Cook (India).
RK: What are the company’s future expansion plans?
VS: We have plans to add around 30 more Gold Circle partners (franchisees) by 2010.
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Comments
varsha March 17, 2011 at 9:46 pm
I want to be a franchisee for thomas cook, in pune at the it hub please send me the details for the same. I have the investment of 600sqft place and some capital investment with the operations team as well. I myself have worked for the aviation industry in the ticketing and pra domain. Please send me the neccesary details for the same. Thanks Regards Varsha
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NARESH CHANGIA March 05, 2011 at 11:28 am
WANT TO OPEN A FRANCHISE OFFICE IN KALIMPONG(DIST DARJEELING )WITH 300 SQ FT SPACE IN MAIN AREA
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jugesh madan March 02, 2011 at 11:42 pm
interested in knowing the details of gold circle franchise
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imran February 05, 2011 at 3:01 am
Dear sir/maam, i am intrested in taking up franchisie of Thomas and Cook in kashmir india.It'll be appreciated if a further information in regard to setting up the franchisie can be sent on my email address.
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javeed February 05, 2011 at 2:58 am
SIR, IAM FROM SRINAGAR ,KASHMIR.INDIA .MY TOUR & TRAVEL AGENCY Z RUNNING IN GOOD POSITION BUT I WANT TO A TAKE A FRANCHIES OF YOUR ONE OF THE ESTABLISHED COMPANY THOMASCOCK ... I HAVE A SPACE OF 500SFT IN MAIN CITY OF SRINAGAR...IF U R INTRESTED TO SUPPORT ME .. THEN PLZ SEND ME UR COMPLETE DETAIL . WHAT Z THE PROCEDURE TO TAKE FRANCHIES OF UR GROUP....
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imran January 23, 2011 at 10:30 am
i have space 400 sft in heart of srinagar.there is no branch of thomas cook in kashmir.wll you please further inform about the franchise.
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K.C.Benjamin January 20, 2011 at 6:22 am
Dear sir/maam, i am intrested in taking up franchisie of Thomas and Cook in Bangalore.It'll be appreciated if a further information in regard to setting up the franchisie can be sent on my email address.
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Pankaj Sharma January 09, 2011 at 7:55 pm
Wish to have franchisee in a centrally air conditioned mall cum office complex located in Gurgaon Sohna Road.
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prem ahuja January 07, 2011 at 7:40 pm
hi, resp sir, i don't have 5 to 15 lakh to invest for the franchisee, but i am very much interested to take franchisee in my great city of ulhasnagar.but i have an outlet of 700 sq.ft. in the heart of the city. pls coop thanx
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vijay singh December 25, 2010 at 1:17 am
want to get your frenchisee in DEHRADUN as i already frenchisee of INDIAINFOLINE
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Jyoti Singh December 22, 2010 at 10:22 pm
Dear sir/maam, i am intrested in taking up franchisie of Thomas and Cook in Dwarka,Delhi.It'll be appreciated if a further information in regard to setting up the franchisie can be sent on my email address.
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mahesh bhansali December 09, 2010 at 10:12 am
i wanted a franchisee of foreign exchange in mumbai ,bandra
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Shakil Merchant December 07, 2010 at 12:06 am
I have 13 years of work experience in the Travel Industry. I am interested in Thomas Cook Franchise. Please revert with details.
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P K Das November 11, 2010 at 11:22 am
Please send the details for taking franchise of Thomas Cook.
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Pema dolkar November 08, 2010 at 8:07 am
Ps send more information about taking a franchise for travels.AM very interested in opening a Thomas cook travel a in Gangtok,SIkkim.
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vaibhav goyal October 30, 2010 at 12:35 am
i want to get your frenchisee in moradabad(u.p) as i already holding the frenchisee of raj travel world
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Sumit gupta October 05, 2010 at 3:11 am
pls tell me that ur company is giving any monthly help like apparel companies
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Devendra Jain September 24, 2010 at 12:56 am
Hi, Could you please send me detailed business plan document to set up Thomas Cook franchise.
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Pallavi Sood September 22, 2010 at 1:36 am
Pls send the details for taking franchise of Thomas Cook.
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sonu August 29, 2010 at 2:44 am
i want to know about details of franchisee of thomas cook area required and investment
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Mr. Jo, Nax Travels July 14, 2010 at 1:35 pm
Interested in such an opportunity. If you can contact jo@naxtravels.com we can discuss further. Thanks Jo
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avinash SONAWANE June 30, 2010 at 5:00 am
Interested in Partnership? franchisee model at Goa.
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ketan doddamani June 29, 2010 at 11:43 pm
Dear sir/madam I want your franchise of Thomas cook in our city-kalyan. I have a potential to work in your industry. so i hope you will reply me on the above email-id.with your terms & condition of franchise.
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kanhaiya lal bhilwara June 29, 2010 at 8:47 am
presently i am franchise of club mahindra holidays.at Raipur(c.g.).kindly send details for franchise for Raipur
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rakshit mahajan March 31, 2011 at 4:57 am
Dear sir/maam, i am intrested in taking up franchisie of Thomas and Cook in pathankot, Punjan, india.It'll be appreciated if a further information in regard to setting up the franchisie can be sent on my email address.
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