Tag: Marriott International

Business World

Thomas Cook India & SOTC host a series of Virtual Customer Events in partnership with Marriott International

Oct 21, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Marriott International, #Mr. Arun Kumar Pandya, #Sonia Ajay Agarwal, #SOTC, #Thomas Cook India, #Virtual Customer Events

In a follow up to the launch of the Holiday with Confidence portfolio in collaboration with leading hospitality company, Marriott International, Thomas Cook India, India’s leading integrated travel services company and its Group Company, SOTC Travel, have come together, bringing a series of exclusive, virtual events for valued customers across India.

In an initiative to celebrate the spirit of the upcoming festive-holiday season and to catalyse travel demand, the companies hosted 19 engaging virtual consumer events- the Thomas Cook India Holiday Showcase & SOTC Holiday Preview at select Marriott brands such as The Ritz-Carlton, The St. Regis, W Hotels, JW Marriott, Sheraton, Westin, Renaissance and Courtyard by Marriott covering key metros, mini metros and tier 2 cities across India, including Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Baroda, Chandigarh, Surat, etc.

The event invited customers to a preview of a range of Holiday with Confidence packages curated in partnership with Marriott International along with exciting deals on Dusshera, Diwali, Christmas and New Year holiday packages. The fun-filled virtual event also included live culinary experiences with Marriott’s top chefs and mixologists, enthralling participants on classic twists and handy tips towards curating their signature cocktails, immunity booster drinks, acclaimed dishes, etc.

The virtual event also gave customers an opportunity to interact with Thomas Cook India & SOTC’s holiday experts and avail of exciting holiday offers- from the comfort and safety of their homes. At each city, one lucky winner attending the Thomas Cook India Holiday Showcase was given a free stay at a Marriott property; with one lucky winner per city attending the SOTC Holiday Preview, receiving a free Marriott restaurant meal voucher.

To convert the strong pent-up demand and build customer confidence in travel, Thomas Cook India and SOTC have been at the forefront of a series of innovative customer centric initiatives, including, the comprehensive Assured Safe Travel Program that focusses on health and safety, the Safe Holiday Helpline, COVID-negative certification services, along with the flexibility of date changes and attractive deals and savings to benefit the aspiring Indian traveller.

Mr. Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. said, “With the festive season around the corner we are witnessing an encouraging uptick in consumer demand to celebrate special occasions and anniversaries/birthdays at short drivable distances. And so, we are delighted to offer our customers a preview of attractive holiday options courtesy our partnership with Marriott – via the innovative Thomas Cook India Holiday Showcase. This unique virtual platform has been designed to help our customers plan their holidays and avail of special offers- all from the safety/comfort of their home.”

Mr. Daniel D’souza, President & Country Head, Leisure, SOTC Travel said, “The upcoming festive season presents multiple avenues for travellers to avail the best of offers. With an increasing number of Indians investing in staycation experiences, there has been a significant rise in queries and bookings this festive season.

As customers adopt safe, smart and digital approaches to travel planning with a strong preference for contactless services, our virtual SOTC Holiday Preview events in collaboration with Marriott International, have given us the ideal opportunity to interact, showcase our combined offerings and services while planning the perfect safe holiday for our valued customers.”

Mr. Ramesh Daryanani, Vice President, Global Sales, Asia Pacific said, “We are pleased to be partnering with Thomas Cook & SOTC India to engage customers via this unique virtual event. These events give us the opportunity to showcase some of our exciting destinations around the world combined with curated experiences for the upcoming holiday season.”

Customer Testimonials:

“I enjoyed participating in Thomas Cook India’s Holiday Showcase event. It is a great platform to plan your dream holiday with the experts and also avail of the special offers and discounts that they have in store for you. I also had the exciting opportunity to interact with Marriott’s Chef Dane Fernandes from The St. Regis Mumbai and learn to prepare the signature Avocado 2.0. Definitely going to try this delicious dish at home!” – Mr. Arun Kumar Pandya, Mumbai.

“We are extremely delighted to have been a part of the Virtual SOTC Holiday Preview with Marriott International. The live culinary experience with a Marriott chef sharing convenient tips and a step by step method to creating their finest dish was interesting and fun. It was a great opportunity to view and enquire about the exclusive holiday specials such as the city break and staycation options within the Holiday with Confidence portfolio. We look forward to many more interactive events with SOTC.” – Mrs. Sonia Ajay Agarwal, Pune.

Business World

Thomas Cook & SOTC collaborate with Marriott International to launch the ‘Holiday with Confidence’ portfolio

Oct 3, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China), #Marriott International, #Mr. Madhavan Menon, #Mr. Rajeev Menon, #Thomas Cook (India) Ltd.

Reiterating its customer commitment towards building a safe travel environment with the highest standards of hygiene, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., India’s leading integrated travel services
company, along with its Group Company SOTC Travel Ltd., have collaborated with leading hospitality
company, Marriott International, to launch the Holiday with Confidence portfolio – holidays inbuilt with comprehensive protocols that ensure safe travel in the COVID-19 era. The launch is a continuum of a series of meaningful customer-first health & safety initiatives from Thomas Cook & SOTC: The Assured Safe Travel Program in partnership with Apollo Clinics, tie-up with ICMR accredited labs to deliver end-to-end contactless COVID-negative certification services pan India and the Safe Holiday Helpline – a free service to support customers in safe holiday planning

According to the Thomas Cook India & SOTC Holiday Readiness Travel Report, a significant 75%
respondents indicated health & safety as their overriding concern; 72% displayed a preference for reputed travel brands. Therefore, in an endeavour to build consumer confidence and offer them a safe and stress-free holiday experience, the companies have collaborated with Marriott International to launch the Holiday with Confidence portfolio that incorporates the collective expertise of the Thomas Cook & SOTC Assured Safe Travel Program in partnership with Apollo Clinics, and Marriott International’s Commitment to Clean.

Combining Marriott’s extensive footprint across India and its industry standards of hygiene and sanitization protocols, Thomas Cook & SOTC seek to redefine travel with distinctive holiday experiences across its range of staycations, workations, drive cations and quick getaways across 16 participating Marriott International brands, comprising – The Ritz-Carlton, The St. Regis, W Hotels, JW Marriott, Sheraton, Westin, Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Le Meridien, Renaissance, Marriott Executive Apartments, Tribute, Courtyard by Marriott, Fairfield by Marriott, Aloft and Four Points by Sheraton. Special experiences across the Marriott properties include an exclusive 4-course dining experience by a specialty chef, a private session with a golf pro at the historic Poona Club Golf Club, pizza making classes, fun activities at the Kids & Family Club and a romantic movie-under-the-stars, among many others.

The Holiday with Confidence international selection includes- attractive discounts on spa treatments to shark feeding attractions, fun and exciting water sport activities in key resort destinations, and more.

Mr. Madhavan Menon, Chairman and Managing Director, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. said, “Health &
Safety form a critical element of our customer-first strategy at Thomas Cook India & SOTC and this is
reflected in the series of meaningful initiatives aimed at building customer confidence: our Assured Safe Travel Program in partnership with Apollo Clinics, our COVID-negative certification services and Safe Holiday Helpline. I am hence delighted to announce our association with Marriott International that reiterates our customer promise of health & safety with the launch of our Holiday with Confidence portfolio. This partnership brings together the power of our collective brands in delivering comprehensive hygiene and safety protocols via the Thomas Cook & SOTC Assured Safe Travel Program and Marriott’s Commitment to Clean designed by the Marriott Global Cleanliness Council.”
He added, “As part of our Holiday with Confidence program, our customers also benefit from the
exceptional hospitality of Marriott International, combined with the holiday expertise of Thomas Cook India and SOTC.”

Commenting on the partnership Mr. Rajeev Menon – President – Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China),
Marriott International said, “The travel-related implications (of Covid-19) have been unprecedented and fast-changing. As restrictions and lockdowns are becoming more relaxed, there is a cautious return-to-travel, with consumers putting their faith in brands they trust. In keeping with our endeavour to restore confidence in travel & stays across our hotels, Marriott International is very pleased to partner with Thomas Cook & SOTC in bringing the Holiday with Confidence portfolio of experiences to our guests. With Marriott’s Commitment to Clean initiative and Thomas Cook & SOTC’s dedication to responsible travel, we have developed a harmonized set of health and cleanliness protocols, that will enable guests to re-experience the joy of travel through elevated and unique hotel experiences.”