Thomas Cook India & SOTC partner with Turkiye Tourism Sign agreement to boost demand and visitations for Turkiye

Mumbai, July 08, 2022: In a planned initiative to give a fillip to travel to Turkiye in the high potential India market,
Thomas Cook (India) Limited, India’s leading omnichannel travel services company and its Group Company,
SOTC Travel has recently signed an agreement with Turkiye Tourism. The collaboration will focus on building
awareness and boosting visitations to the destination.
Thomas Cook & SOTC’s internal data reveals that with strong pent-up demand and easing of entry/restrictions,
Indian travel sentiment is at an all-time high. Destinations like Turkiye that offer an added advantage of a simple
and easy visa process are seeing significant interest. To inspire Indians and catalyse demand, Thomas Cook &
SOTC’s partnership with Turkiye Tourism focuses on both product development and wide-ranging marketing
initiatives.
The product portfolio has been carefully designed by Thomas Cook & SOTC to showcase multifaceted Turkiye –
and its unique position at the crossroads of both Europe & Asia. The extensive range features ready-to-book
holidays, group tours, personalised holidays and covers price points from value, affordable luxury to premium.
The innovative holiday products incorporate Turkiye’s spectacular geographical formations, iconic UNESCO
world heritage sites; exceptional experiences like hot air ballooning at sunrise over Cappadocia’s fairy chimneys,
white water rafting at Köprülü Canyon National Park, paragliding at Oludeniz, Pamukkale’s natural thermal
pools, traditional “hammam’ spa-wellness, a luxury cruise down the Bosphorus, pristine turquoise beaches and
lagoons, an eclectic range of cuisine, entertainment & shopping options.
The partnership aims at targeting India’s high viable segments including millennials/young working
professionals, families, couples, solo travellers, B-Leisure and corporate MICE groups from India’s key source
markets: metros, mini-metros, as well as Tier 2 & 3 cities.
Mr. Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Limited 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.”
Mr. Daniel D’souza President & Country Head – Holidays, SOTC Travel said, “From the upscale seaside
resorts of Bodrum, magnificent monuments and exquisite museums in Istanbul, to the spectacular landscapes of
Cappadocia, Turkiye has something for everyone. Our strategic intent will focus on highlighting the benefits/USPs of
the easy visa process, coupled with its eclectic vibe, stunning natural vistas, signature wellness experience and extensive
range of local food & shopping attractions to drive demand. We invite our customers to explore the beautiful country
and dive into its enchanting offerings.”
H. Deniz Ersoz, Culture and Tourism Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Turkey said, “Turkiye is one
of the most popular tourist 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 amongst the top travel destinations for travellers from India in the past months. This includes all
segments such as FITs, MICE and even Wedding groups.

We expect that our collaboration with Thomas Cook India and SOTC will further boost the demand for Turkiye’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.”