Curate unique Cricket-centric tours with Test match tickets for all 5 fixtures across Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide
- Range of attractive group escorted tours, customized holidays and MICE programs across segments and price points
- Agreement covers product development, marketing- promotions, booking services for travel that incorporates match tickets
September 26, 2024: Thomas Cook (India) Limited, India’s leading omnichannel travel services company, and its Group Company, SOTC Travel have partnered with Cricket Australia for the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25. On the back of the collaboration, the Companies’ have curated exceptional products offering cricket aficionados an unforgettable travel experience centered around the 5 thrilling Test matches from November 22, 2024 – January 7, 2025. The matches include the coveted Boxing Day fixture at the hallowed MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground), the iconic Gabba at Brisbane and Sydney Cricket Ground.
Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel have been granted the right to operate as Licensed Travel Operators for the 2024-25 International Summer of Cricket fixture which includes the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The agreement covers product development, marketing and promotions, booking services for travel programs that incorporate match tickets and ancillary services. The Companies’ intend to target a wide range of segments including Leisure, B-Leisure and MICE.
For Indians, Cricket is akin to a religion. Hence the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series offers a unique opportunity, not just to cricket fans, but also groups of friends, multi-generational families, couples, as well as India Inc.’s powerful MICE segment. The fierce rivalry between the two great cricketing nations has already seen a 7x surge in interest for the quarter compared to the previous with respect to online searches for the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
To maximize on the partnership, Thomas Cook and SOTC Travel have curated a range of attractive group and customized tours around the 5 Border-Gavaskar Test matches including top destinations such as Sydney, Cairns, Gold Coast, Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide. The Thomas Cook and SOTC ready-to-book holidays range from 4-10 nights with the option of flexible add-ons. The portfolio enables customers to immerse themselves in both thrilling cricketing action and experience Australia’s stunning landscapes, vineyard tours and gastronomy, private yachting, 360 degree tours by helicopter, scenic self-drive tours and vibrant cosmopolitan culture and nightlife.
In addition to the special Border-Gavaskar products, customers who have booked Thomas Cook and SOTC tours to Australia can also include tickets to the 5 Test matches.
Rajeev Kale – President & Country Head, Holidays, MICE, Visa – Thomas Cook (India) Limited said, “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Cricket Australia for the exciting Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25. Building on our successful track record of operating group tours and customized holidays for major global cricketing events and the rising interest in sports tourism over the last few years, we’ve crafted an exceptional Border-Gavaskar portfolio to leverage this demand. This includes not only the 5 Test matches but also unique Australian experiences like sand boarding, sunset kayaking under the Sydney Harbor Bridge, snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, vineyard tours, dolphin watching on the Moonshadow Cruise, stargazing, Michelin-star dining in Melbourne, and scenic drives along the Great Ocean Road and South West Edge.”
S.D. Nandakumar, President and Country Head – Holidays and Corporate Tours, SOTC Travel Limited, said, “We are honoured to have Cricket Australia select SOTC Travel as a Licensed Travel Operator for the Border-Gavaskar Test series. As we celebrate 75 years of delivering exceptional travel services, this partnership underscores our commitment to delivering remarkable travel experiences by blending the thrill of cricket with the adventure of exploring Australia. Maximizing on the growing interest in sports tourism across India, our unique tours cater to both metros and regional tier2-3 markets of India. Additionally, we look forward to designing premium hospitality programs for our corporate MICE segment. At SOTC we believe nobody understands the Indian consumer better than us and we have and have crafted programs featuring diverse Australian experiences centered around cricket.”
Rich Ostroff, Acting EGM Broadcast & Commercial at Cricket Australia, said, “This collaboration with Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel is all about enhancing the travel experience for cricket fans heading to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series. Our shared love for cricket is a key part of the strong connection between Australia and India, and this partnership is one of many travel operator partnerships that will make that bond even stronger.”
Steph Underwood, Acting Managing Director, Tourism Western Australia, said, “India remains a key market for Tourism Western Australia, and we are proud to partner with Thomas Cook to enhance our engagement with travellers from India and showcase the beauty and diversity of Western Australia – the Dream State. Tourism Western Australia was also proud to collaborate with Australian cricket legend Adam Gilchrist and his son Harry on our recent campaign promoting day trips from Perth which showcases the stunning landscapes and diverse attractions of the Swan Valley, Rockingham, the Pinnacles, and Perth, inviting travellers from India to discover the wonders of our state. ‘Drive the Dream’ with Adam Gilchrist was launched ahead of the highly anticipated West Test this November, the opening cricket series of the summer between Australia and India at Perth’s award-winning Optus Stadium.”
Shae Keenan, Visit Victoria Chief Marketing Officer, shared, “We look forward to welcoming even more Indian visitors to Victoria through our partnership with Thomas Cook and SOTC Travel. There will be simply nothing like the magical atmosphere of the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne’s iconic MCG, which kicks off Melbourne’s incredible events – highlights include the Australian Open, Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix and Melbourne Food & Wine Festival showcasing our sporting, culinary and creative credentials.”
About Thomas Cook (India) Limited: Set up in 1881, Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL) is the leading omnichannel travel company in the country offering a broad spectrum of services including Foreign Exchange, Corporate Travel, MICE, Leisure Travel, Value Added Services, and Visa Services. It operates leading B2C and B2B brands including Thomas Cook, SOTC, TCI, SITA, Asian Trails, Allied TPro, Australian Tours Management, Desert Adventures, Travel Circle International Limited (TCI 勝景), 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 28 countries across 5 continents.
TCIL has been felicitated with the award for MICE Travel Agency (Outbound) at the Economic Times MICE & Wedding Tourism Awards 2024, ‘Masters of Risk – Travel & Hospitality’ at India Risk Management Awards 2024, MICE Tour Operator of the Year – Outbound at SATTE 2024, Best Tour Operator at India Travel Awards North 2023, MICE Travel Operator of the Year at the Economic Times Travel & Tourism Awards 2023, winner of the Corporate Citizen Award (Travel Tourism & Hospitality) at the Corporate Citizen Conclave & Award 2023, The Outbound Tour Operator of the Year 2022 & 2019 at the SATTE Awards, IAMAI India Digital Awards 2022, CNBC-TV18 & ICICI Lombard India Risk Management Award – Travel & Leisure Category 2022 & 2021, CIO100 Award for digital innovation 2022, ‘Innovation in Omni-experience’ Award at International Data Corporation’s (IDC) Industry Innovation Awards 2021, The Best Travel Agency – India at TTG Travel Awards 2019, The Best Outbound Tour Operator at the Times Travel Awards 2019 & 2018, Silver award for Asia’s Best Integrated Report (First Time) category at the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards 2019-2021, Best Risk Management-Framework & Systems at the India Risk Management Awards 2019; The French Ambassador’s Award for Exemplary Achievements in Visa Issuance 5 years in a row and the Condé Nast Traveller – Readers’ Travel Awards from 2011 to 2019.
CRISIL has reaffirmed the rating on debt programs and bank facilities of TCIL – ‘CRISIL AA- / Positive’ 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, is the promoter of TCIL with a shareholding of 63.83% of its paid-up capital.
About Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited: Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited is a holding company which, through its subsidiaries, is primarily engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance and the associated investment management. Founded in 1985 by the present Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. V. Prem Watsa, the company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Its common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol FFH and in U.S. dollars under the symbol FFH.U.
About Subsidiaries of Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL):
Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited
Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of TCIL is a leading leisure hospitality company with 40+ resorts, hotels and retreats across hills, beaches, jungles, waterfront, adventure, heritage, pilgrimage and drive-to locations. Sterling provides a variety of offerings: Leisure holidays through FIT packages, Meetings & Conferences, Weddings, Reunions, Picnics and Holidays through Memberships.
SOTC Travel Limited
SOTC Travel Limited is a step-down subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings held through its Indian listed subsidiary, Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL). SOTC Travel is a leading omnichannel travel and tourism company active across various travel segments including Leisure Travel, Incentive Travel and Business Travel.
Established in 1949, SOTC is an Indian-grown brand with a legacy of 75 years. Since then, it has escorted millions of travellers across the globe to various destinations around the globe. The Company firmly believes that today, ‘No one understands the Indian Traveller better than SOTC’.
Travel Corporation (India) Limited
Travel Corporation (India) Limited (TCI) (operating brands Sita, TCI and Distant Frontiers), a wholly owned subsidiary of TCIL, is the leading Destination Management Company in India that offers tailor-made travel and related services to India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.
DEI Holdings Limited
Thomas Cook India Group holds 51% stake in DEI Holdings Limited (DEI), one of the world’s leading imaging solutions and services providers.
For more information, visit:
Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited: https://www.sterlingholidays.com
SOTC Travel Limited: https://www.sotc.in
ALSO READ: Who is Canadian basketball player Jeremy Gohier, bio, age, height, school and Instagram