EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The tourism industry has undergone rapid growth of unsurpassed nature over the Last
several decades. This has mainly been due to the advent of a “borderless” world and
increased information dissemination about the majestic sceneries throughout the world.
This project overall is a very important learning for me, it helps me to understand various
aspects of tourism industry and also mentioned India’s share in tourism with respect to the
world and its contribution to the Indian economy. Under tourism industry I have taken
“Emerging Indian Outbound Tourism” for my Project.
Firstly, I have explained an introduction to SOTC, its various product and services and
Tourism as a service Industry and also the various special form of tourism.
Secondly, I have mentioned Mission & vision, Research Methodology, Marketing mix,
Strategies to reach customer, Swot analysis and about the competitors.
Thirdly, I have explained Market segmentation and targeting consumer and Indian outbound
tourism and it’s potential.
Fourthly, I have mentioned my Autumn Internship understanding and activities performed
by me.
Lastly, I have mentioned my project recommendation and conclusion.

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 INTRODUCTION

Tourism

Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism
Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual
environment for more than twenty-four (24) hours and not more than one consecutive year
for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated
from within the place visited". Tourism has become a popular global leisure activity. In
2008, there were over 922 million international tourist arrivals, with a growth of 1.9% as
compared to 2007.International tourism receipts grew to US$944 billion (euro 642 billion)
in 2008, corresponding to an increase in real terms of 1.8%.
As a result of the Late-2000s recession, international travel demand suffered a strong
slowdown beginning in June 2008, with growth in international tourism arrivals worldwide
falling to 2%during the boreal summer months, and this negative trend intensified as
international tourist arrivals fell by 8% during the first four months of 2009.Tourism is vital
for many countries, such as the U.A.E, Egypt, Greece and Thailand, and many island
nations, such as The Bahamas, Fiji, Maldives and the Seychelles, due to the large intake of
money for businesses with their goods and services and the opportunity for employment in
the service industries associated with tourism. These service industries include
transportation services, such as airlines, cruise ships and taxis, hospitality services, such as
accommodations, including hotels and resorts, and entertainment venues, such as
amusement parks, casinos, shopping malls, various music venues and the theatre.
The United Nations classified three forms of tourism in 1994, in its "Recommendations on
Tourism Statistics: Domestic tourism", which involves residents of the given country
traveling only within this country; Inbound tourism, involving non-residents traveling in the
given country; and Outbound tourism, involving residents traveling in another country.

Source: Sotc.in

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Tourism as a Service industry

The Travel and Tourism industry is still one of the largest single businesses in world
commerce and its importance is widely recognized. The tourism industry is now one of the
largest sectors earning foreign exchange. In the face of many benefits, many countries have
started assigning due weight age to the tourism industry in their national development
agenda.
Tourism is an industry that operates on a massively broad scale: it embraces activities
ranging from the smallest sea-side hotel; to air-lines, multi-national hotel chains and major
international tour operators. Originally, non-traditional industries such as tourism emerged
as a solution to strike a balance between ecology and industry.
 Tourism is one of the world's fastest growing industries at present and holds the status
of the world's no. 1 industry.
 Spending on tourism amounts to 5%-10% of total consumer, spending in a year
worldwide.
 The industry creates a job every 2.4 seconds with every one of those direct jobs creating
another 11 indirect ones.
 The tourism industry as a whole is presently estimated to earn over US$ 3.5 trillion
worldwide.
 India's share of the total market is a pittance at 0.51%. The non-tourist countries like
Malaysia and Indonesia get much more tourists than India.
 The Tourism industry's foreign exchange earnings in India are around $3.2 billion.

Tourism is the highest foreign exchange earner if we consider the fact that net value addition
in Gems and jewelry is less than 30 % whereas, in tourism it is more than 90%.
Recent statistics have revealed that during the first quarter of 2006, the performance of the
tourism industry has been very encouraging which has registered an 11% increase in foreign
tourist arrivals.
India Tourism office at Tokyo won two International Awards in Tour Expo held at Daegu
in Korea for excellent tourism promotion. Indian Pavilion won the Best Booth Design
Award as well as Best Folklore Performance Award competing with major players in
tourism such as China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and Canada.
The tourism industry, and the products and services that fall under its wide umbrella, are
complex indeed. There are a number of features that make it unique.

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Tourism is a subjective experience and an amalgam of products and services - not a single
product
* Tourism products, like all services, are intangible. A Harbour cruise, a stroll through a
rainforest or a dinner at sunset are intangibles. They cannot be seen, touched, felt or sampled
before purchase.
The selling of tourism is the selling of images. The Indian Tourist Commission in other
countries does not sell tourism products, it sells what we may call a shifting generic image
of India.
* The tourism product is not a homogeneous product. We cannot standardize service. Hotels
attempt to standardize their room and service delivery as efficiently as possible through staff
training and quality control procedures, but the human ingredient complicates the equation.
As most services require interaction between the producer and consumer, each with their
own set of expectations, it is highly unlikely that any product can ever be perceived equally
by all customers. External factors can also affect the tourist experience. A bumpy flight can
spoil an overseas trip and rain can ruin a Coast stay.

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 SPECIAL FORMS OF TOURISM

Tourism has different types depending upon various factors like money, age, time,
preference etc. Some of the types depending on these factors are as follows:
1. OUTBOUND TOURISM:
Outbound tourism comprises the activities of residents of a given country travelling to and
staying in places outside their country of residence and outside their usual environment for
not more than 12 consecutive months for leisure, business and other purpose.
2. INBOUND TOURISM:
When tourists visit a country other than their place of residence for not more than 12
consecutive months for leisure, business and other purpose, then for that other country, the
incoming of these tourists is inbound tourism
3. DOMESTIC TOURISM:
When residents of a country visit their own country for tourism purpose
4. MICE TOURISM:
MICE tourism refers to a specialized niche of group tourism dedicated to planning, booking
and facilitating conferences, seminars, and other events.
5. ADVENTURE TRAVEL:
Adventure travel is a type of niche tourism, involving exploration or travel with a certain
degree of risk (real or perceived), and which may require special skills and physical exertion

Source: Wikipedia

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 TYPES OF TOURISTS

One such way of classifying the users is by dividing them into categories such as General,
Sex, Region, Education, etc.
General: Domestic, Foreign Kids, Teens, Youths, seniors, Students, Executives, Artists
Politicians, Movie stars
 Sex: Men, Women
 Region: Rural, Urban
 Education: Literate, Illiterate
 Status: Rich, Poor
 Profession: Executives, Academics, Sportsmen, Artists
 Occupation: White collar, Blue collar. Another method of classifying users of tourism
services is on the basis of the frequency of usage of services:
 Non-users: They lack the willingness, desire and ability (income & leisure time).
 Potential Users: They have the willingness but the marketing resources have not been
used optimally to influence their impulse.
Actual Users: They are already using the services generated by the tourist organizations.
 Occasional Users: They have not formed the habit of traveling
 Habitual Travelers: They have formed a habit and avail of the services regularly.

Source: tourism Concepts and Practices by Jhon R. Walker

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 COMPANY PROFILE

SOTC Travel Limited (Formerly SOTC Travel Pvt. Ltd.) is a step-down subsidiary of
Fairfax Financial Holdings Group; held through its Indian listed subsidiary, Thomas Cook
(India) Limited (TCIL). SOTC India is a leading travel and tourism company active across
various travel segments including Leisure Travel, Incentive Travel and Business Travel.
SOTC was established in 1949. Since then, it has escorted lakhs of travelers across the globe
for more than 68 years to various destinations around the world. It is one of the leaders in
segments, namely Escorted Group Tours, Customized Holidays, Holidays of India and
Incentive Travel amongst others. SOTC’s customer focus, innovation and operational
excellence has not only tapped the existing market potential but has also created new
markets through innovative packages. Its vast array of holiday services is taking holidaying
to an entirely new level. A new age innovative holiday maker, SOTC strives to make
holidays a priority for every Indian. Through investments in technology and with a strong
online presence the company serves its customers through an omni-channel play.

Source: Sotc.in

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 PRINCIPLE SERVICES TO THE CUSTOMER

1. Customised Holidays
SOTC offers customised, tailor-made holidays around the world. On these customised
holidays, you travel only with your companion, your family and friends at your own pace.
You can holiday at an incredible range of destinations, fly the airline of your choice and
stay at hotels of your choice. You can opt for transfer in the luxury of your private car or
enjoy meeting an international mix of co-travelers on the seat-in-coach (SIC) transfers we
offer. You can enjoy a large variety of sightseeing options and excursions to experience and
explore your holiday destination. For the ‘foodie’ in you, choose to experiment with the
local cuisine or have an Indian meal. With SOTC Customized Holidays, They offer you the
means to plan your holiday, your way!

2. Escorted Group Tours

SOTC Escorted Group Tours pioneered the designing and marketing of escorted tours to
cosmopolitan travelers’ in India. Our tours have escorted lakhs of travelers across the globe
for more than 50 years to various destinations including Europe, Australia, New Zealand,
USA, Africa, Mauritius, South Asia, and the Southeast Asia. Being a 100% subsidiary of
Kuoni Travel Holding, Switzerland – one of the world’s largest travel companies – SOTC
leverages the advantage of the buying power and travel services to provide customers value-
for-money packages. SOTC endeavors to bring alive your dream holiday and ensures that
you and your family travels safe, sure and secure with the finest tour operator.
Budget tours designed by SOTC provide value for money to travelers without
compromising on sightseeing and basic holiday needs. Our Professional & experienced
Tour Managers take care of you while on tour.
The company has not only fully utilized the existing market potential but has also created
new markets through innovative packages namely ‘Bhraman Mandal’ dedicated for the
Marathi speaking population and ‘Gurjar Vishwadarshan’ dedicated for the Gujarati
speaking population.

Source: Sotc.in

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3. Holidays of India
SOTC Holidays of India has something for every kind of traveler – be it families, youth,
students, honeymooners – groups or individual for a holiday in India. SOTC Holidays of
India has a range of holiday options that cover every conceivable tour requirement. Whether
it is an extended vacation with the family, a paragliding spree with friends or simply a
rejuvenating weekend break, SOTC Holidays of India offers you an opportunity to visit and
explore all the splendors of India.

4. Corporate Tours
With SOTC Corporate Tours, all you have to do is to decide where you want your
employees or business partners to go for a travel incentive scheme and we’ll take care of
every other tedious detail. We have a number of unique services to put you completely at
ease. Our international network will ensure that no matter where you are in the world, you
will always get the best of services.

 SOTC’S Brands

1. SOTC Bhraman Mandal

Kuoni-SOTC has launched Brahman Mandal with unique offerings which will enable the
travellers to plan their summer vacation in advance. Kuoni-SOTC’s special package
‘Brahman Mandal’, customised exclusively for Maharashtrian travellers at the Courtyard
by Marriot, Pune, on October 25, 2015. Commenting on the launch of Brahman Mandal,
Vishal Suri, CEO, Tour Operating, Kuoni India said, “Brahman Mandal was initially
introduced in 2002 and taking into consideration the numerous changes in the travel
requirements, this package by including unique features like arranging a Marathi speaking
tour manager, availing Indian food during travel across countries, etc.
Kuoni India said “Brahman Mandal gives travellers an option to choose tours to Europe or
America and to encourage the travellers to enjoy the tour; They have also added their newly

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introduced schemes – Holidays on EMI and Holiday Investment Plan. This is an attractive
package customised specially for Maharashtrian travellers.” Under Brahman Mandal,
travelers can opt to select a tour from four different packages- Avismaniya (Memorable)
Europe, Bhavya (Magnificent) Spain and Portugal, Prekshaniya (Spectacular) Russia and
Scandinavia with Midnight Sun and Sampoorna (Perfect) America.

2. SOTC Gurjar Vishwadarshan

SOTC Gujar Vishwadarshan was launched especially for gujrati community residing in
India, to cater to their needs of having a pure Indian Vegetarian Meal with a Gujarati flavor,
Gujrati speaking tour manager at your service right from India to India and travelling with
the finest Gujarati families makes your holidays the most memorable and comfortable one.
Gujar vishwadarshan launched in the year 2004 received an overwhelming response from
the Gujarti’s staying all over india. Since then it has been scaling height year after year
today in its 4th year existence it has become a household name for Gujrati’s and is fondly
rembered by holidays goers, this has been possible because of all of those fellows Gujrati’s
who chose travel with us. With means “Apeksha Thi vadhare” We assure our patrons that
every time they can more with SOTC.
Gurjar Vishwadarshan is one of the business units of SOTC. SOTC has pioneered its
position in the packaged tour segment with its unparalleled expertise devised over last 50
years. Being a 100% subsidiary of Kuoni Travel Holding, Switzerland –one of the World’s
largest travel companies- SOTC leverage the advantage of the buying power and travel
services to provide customer value-for-money packages.

3. SOTC World Famous Tours

SOTC World Famous Tours is the flagship brand of SOTC, which pioneered the designing
and marketing of escorted tours for cosmopolitan travelers in India. SOTC World Famous
Tours has escorted over 3, 00,000 travelers across the globe for more than 30years, to
various destinations including Europe, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Africa, Mauritius,
South Asia, and the Far East Being a 100%subsidiary of Kuoni Travel Holding, Switzerland
- one of the world’s largest travel companies SOTC leverages the advantage of the buying
power and travel services to provide customers value for- money packages. SOTC has built

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 a reputation that it lives up to its promise to take Indians around the world, while making
them feels completely at home, no matter where they are.

4. SOTC Holidays of India

SOTC Holidays of India has something for every kind of traveler-be it families, Youth,
students, honeymooners, groups or individuals. SOTC Holidays of India offers packages
that cover every conceivable tour requirement - whether it is an extended vacation with the
family, a paragliding spree with friends or simply a rejuvenating weekend break. SOTC
Holidays of India offers an opportunity to visit and explore all the splendors of India through
various categories of holiday packages. SOTC Holidays of India has categorized all holiday
packages into Standard, First and Deluxe Class categories.
It also offers a wide range of customized holidays thereby giving individual travelers the
complete freedom and flexibility to define their preference of the destination, length of stay
and pace of travel.
SOTC Holidays of India has something for every kind of traveler - be it families, youth,
students, honeymooners - groups or individual. SOTC Holidays of India has a range of
holiday options namely: Classic Holidays of India, Fun-filled Beaches of India, Hill Stations
& Quick Getaways and Spiritual Retreats.
SOTC Holidays of India is a division of Kuoni Travel (India) Pvt. Ltd., India's Largest
Travel and Tourism Company. A market leader in its field, this division markets and
operates foreign holiday packages.

Source: sotc.in

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 Other Services Provided by SOTC

1) Flight tickets
2) Hotel booking
3) Incentive Travel

Flight tickets

SOTC’s online flight booking system has been created especially for the customer. Keeping
Customer comfort in mind, they help their customer by choosing the best possible flight
tickets through their online flight booking system.
Be it a domestic flights or international flights, they will get you the best airfares to suit
your budget and your travel dates. You can book domestic flights as well as book
international flights through the click of a button.
You can also choose book a flight depending on the number of stopovers. You have the
option of choosing either a single, multiple or direct flights to any of the domestic or
international destinations, before confirming your flight ticket bookings. Prefer flying at
night so you can reach your destination in the morning. You can also choose your preferred
airline and the class you wish to travel.

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Hotel Book

Hotel booking and flight booking is a big-ticket item in the checklist when any travel is
planned. Be it for leisure or business, on domestic or international shores, if you are
travelling, you definitely need a good and decent place to stay.
Though you will always get recommendations from friends, family and acquaintances, you
would always feel more comfortable if you could get more than a glimpse of the place you
would choose to stay. Their online hotel booking system ensures that you get to view the
best pool of options before you decide your choice of hotel accommodation.
You can choose the type of accommodation you want to stay at; be it a hotel, a Bed &
Breakfast or even a resort. Want to know how the place of accommodation is rated? They
will categorize the same as per the ratings you need - be it 3 stars, 4 stars or 5 stars.

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Incentive Travel

SOTC’s team of dedicated professionals across India focuses on Meetings, Incentives,

Conferences and Exhibitions offering innovative solutions to differentiate your travel/event
from the rest. SOTC’s customer focused strategy and innovation together with national
presence have resulted in happy travellers in the past years on behalf of most renowned
Indian Corporate houses and SMEs across industry verticals and services spectrum.

Source: sotc.in

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MISSION, VISION AND OBJETIVES OF
SOTC

MISSION

The Mission of SOTC is:

 To advance the Sustainable development and Management of Tourism;
 To creating Best Values for : People, our Customers, Our Employees , Our Shareholder
and Our business partner.

VISION
 Being pioneers in the field of Travel and Tourism Education, we aim to become the most
preferred learning partner for aspiring students and travel organizations worldwide.

OBJECTIVES:

The mission will be achieved by pursuing the following strategic objective and associated
action:

Objective:

 Facilitating the exchange of best practices adopted to implement the principles for
sustainable tourism and the Initiatives Statement of Commitment.
 Developing new management tools and adapting existing ones, specific to the industry
(EMS, ISO14001, LCA etc.) for tour operators own operations, and for sustainable
management practices in the supply chain.
 Providing a platform for dialogue with other partners ( eg. With destination authorities
and stakeholders focused on implementing programs for sustainable development in
destination areas).

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 Involving tour operators in the relevant programs of work of UNEP, UNESCO, and
UNWTO.
 Assessing progress made on a regular basis.
 Facilitating partnerships between members to address issues with a common voice.

KEY TO SUCCESS FOR SOTC

1. Excellence in fulfilling the promise: Intend to offer completely enjoyable, comfortable

and informative travel excursions that will ensure that travelers are thoroughly satisfied and
appreciative at the end of their trip.

2. Timely response to customers' requests: SOTC cannot afford to delay their clients for
whatever reason, as this will have a negative bearing on our image and reputation, including
future business. Hence they need to be continually communicating with the client, including
hotels and lodges so as to ensure that they are constantly available to the client meeting their
expectations

3. Solid and fruitful strategic alliances: Considering the nature of their services and our
relative infancy on the market, SOTC should realize the importance of establishing and
maintaining fruitful strategic alliances with various stakeholders, including hotels, lodges,
and travel agencies, amongst others, so as be assured of a constant flow of customers,
fulfilling their needs at every opportunity.

4. Using technology to optimize business processes: SOTC India recognizes the

importance of technology in today's competitive business environment. State-of-the-art IT
systems have integrated and synergized its various business units, reducing costs, improving
productivity and giving the company a strong competitive edge.
As IT has traversed the journey from being a support system to being a business enabler,
SOTC India has kept pace and advanced its IT systems accordingly. Presently, SOTC India
runs highly complex and diversified operations through over 350 offices carrying out
diverse business transactions on a real-time basis.

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 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

 To understand the different packages and Offers of SOTC.

 To communicate the different offers and packages to prospective categoery of

customers.

 To know the scope of outbound tourism in India

 To understand the potential market of outbound tourism in India.

 To understand the different emerging outbound travel segment.

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 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Keeping in mind Research Objective mentioned previously, a study was conducted in the
Kolkata region to observe the preferences of the prospective customers.
Sampling Area: Kolkata Region
Sampling Method: The convenient sampling method was used for this research and the
respondent were those who were eager to know about the tour packages and also the existing
customer.
Sample: The Data of the existing as well as new customer were assigned to me on the Daily
basis to whom I contacted to understand their requirements regarding the tour and travel in
order to generate leads for the sales executive.

Data:
 Primary data collected by the number of total call which I made in SOTC.
 Secondary data was collected by searching the web.

Research instrument:
A set of questionnaire was prepared as a research instrument was used for the customer to
get feedback their feedback on tele calling and the information filled by the customer while
booking packages at 10 Wood Street, 2nd Floor, Room No. 10 & 11, Near Pantaloons
Showroom, Camac Street, Kolkata, West Bengal 700016

Method of contact:
The method of contact would be personal and direct as this would help to qualify the
customer’s issues while filling up the form of specific tour packages and also by tele calling.

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Method of making approach for sales:
After analyzing the data from the questionnaire the needs of prospects were identified and
the best suitable tour packages solution was suggested to them accordingly.

Research Objective 1 (To understand different SOTC services and offers) was satisfied by
referring to the company manuals and the various advertisements and sales promotion
brochures.
Research Objective 2 (To communicate offers and packages to the concerned customers)
was satisfied by tele- calling them to inform about the various categories of tour packages.
Research Objective 3 (To understand the customer mindset about tour packages offered to
them in Kolkata region) by tele calling them I would get to know about their mindset
towards tour packages which offered to them.

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 MARKETING MIX

PRODUCT

Product is the combination of tangible and intangible elements. The tourism product, which
is mainly the destination, can only be experienced. The views of the location travel to the
destination, the accommodation and facility as well as the entertainment at the destination
all form the tourism product. Thus it is a composite product combination of attraction,
facilities and transportation.
Each of these components has its own significance in the product mix and in the absence of
even single components, the product mix is incomplete.

Services Offered by SOTC

 Escorted tours
 Customized holidays
 Trade fairs
 SOTC sports
 Corporate tours
 Special tours - Marathi tours,
 Gujarati tours, Monalisa Tours

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 Main Focus in Product

S SNo. BENEFIT MEANING WITH RESPECT TO THE

SOTC
The fundamental benefit
CORE BENEFIT Or services that the
1. Customer is buying. Traveling

BASIC Basic ,Functional Ticketing, hotel

2. BENEFIT attributes reservation

EXPECTED Set of attributes/condition Customer friendliness,

3. PRODUCT The buyer normally Good food.
Expects.

AUGMENTED That meets the customer’s Promote services,

4. PRODUCT Desire beyond Comfortable trip,
Expectations. Spectacular sights and
music

5. POTENTIAL The possible evolution to Totally Customized tour

PRODUCT Distinguish the offer. Packages, A grade service
At every stage.

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PRICE
Pricing in tourism is a complex process. Pricing includes the prices of other services like
Air travel, Bus, Railways, Hotels, etc. All are included in tourism package. Pricing also
depends on the Geographic location of the destination.
Pricing also depends on Seasonality. Seasonality is the most important factor in pricing. To
match demand and supply tourist managers try to get either discount. E.g. Taj is the tourist
attraction in India. Pricing is also based on competitors pricing. Pricing is also subject to
government regulations. E.g. Air price changes tourism package also changes, if Hotel
charges change then also tourism package changes.
Pricing of the tourist product is a complex matter because of its composite nature.
Geographical location of the destination affects the pricing decision. At the same time,
seasonality factor and varying demand cannot be overruled. The objective of pricing in any
other firms is to fetch a target market share, to prevent competition, and to take care of the
price elasticity of demand.
A very important way, in which SOTC responded to their highly complex pricing
circumstances, is to operate at two levels.
 The first level is corresponds with the marketing strategy, which concerns with the
product positioning, value for the money, long run return on investments etc.
 The second level corresponds to the marketing operations or tactics where the prices are
manipulated to match the current demand and competition.

PLACE

Different distribution strategies can be selected for Tourism marketing. Tourism as a

product is distributed as a travel. Internet is also used widely. There is an also small agent
spread all over the town who plays a role of place. Large travel companies like Thomas
Cook, Cox & Kings, SOTC, etc. they act as a wholesalers and these wholesalers also act as
a retailer. The two major functions performed by the distribution system in
Tourism marketing are:
 To extend the number of points of sales or access, away from the location at which
services are performed or delivered

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 To facilitate the purchase of service in advance

Different distribution strategies are selected for Tours marketing by SOTC. There are also
small agents (who have taken franchise of SOTC) spread all over the town/country who
also play a role of place. SOTC act as wholesalers and also act as a retailer. The latest mode
of reaching the customers is through Internet that is SOTC has its own website from where
information on the tours can be procured, direct booking can be done for which the payment
can be made through the credit card. SOTC also has its own offices from where booking
can be done.

 Franchises Offices in all major cities of India347 offices in India

 Tie Ups Flightraja.com (VIA is a Trademark ofFlightraja.com) Travel boutique online

 Premium Ticket hub (Sports Tourism)

 Internet Booking of Packages and Tickets

PROMOTION

Advertising and sales promotion in Tourism can be very effective when supplemented by
publicity and personal selling. They use electronic, print all sorts of media they use; and it
is highly promoted industry. Public or PR (Public Relation) plays an important role in
tourism. It is also through recommendation of friends and relatives this is a biggest
promotion. Creation of awareness is an important factor in the formulation of marketing
mix for the tourism industry. The promotion task simplifies the activities of informing,
persuading and influencing the decisions of potential tourists. The promotion mix plays a
vital role as the users of service feel high degree of involvement and uncertainty about the
product and their role in buying process. Some of the important aspects of promotion are
advertising, publicity, sales support and public relation. Advertising and sales promotion
activities in tourism can be very effective when supplemented by publicity and personal
selling. Advertising messages may range from subtly attractive visual messages and
symbols designed to appeal and stimulate travel desire and needs to simple sales
announcements drawing attention to specific product offers. Word-of-mouth is a very
important tool of promotion in tourism. Research shows that about 80% of the tourist visited
different places on the persuasion of their friends and relatives and also their own

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judgments. Brochures are another form of communication provided by tour operators to
stimulate customers and motivate them to buy. They are used to demonstrate in pictures and
words the images and positioning of the product and the organizations.

PROCESS

Line of interaction

Customer Completion of
Explaining the Negotiating the
enquiry/reac customer
details terms formalities
hing the
and document
submission

Air, hotel
Return Itinerary reservation
Walking the talk
Journey Arrangements as per
needs

Line of Internal Control

Maintaing
Itinerary Contingency
Confirmation Provisions Records and
follow up Crm
CCRCRM
throu

Source: slideshare.com

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The operation process of the tourism firm will depend on the size of the tourism firm. The
sequential steps involved in the delivery of the SOTC products are:
Provision of travel information --The information regarding the travel is provided at a
convenient location where the potential tourist seeks clarification about his proposed tour.
Preparation of itinerates--SOTC prepares its composition of series of operations that are
required to plan a tour.
Liaison with providers of services--Before any form of travel is sold over the counter to a
customer; SOTC enters into the contracts with the providers of various services including
Transportation companies, hotel accommodation, coaches for local sightseeing etc.
Planning and costing tours--Once the contracts and arrangements are entered into, then the
task of planning and costing the tour, this will depend on the tour selected as well as
individual requirements.
Ticketing--The computerized reservation system has in recent years revolutionized the
reservation system for both rail and air travel. SOTC also provides the online ticket booking
facilities to its customers, which further leads to time saving process for its customers.
Provision of foreign currency and insurance--SOTC in case of foreign travel also provide
foreign currency as well as insurance to its customers.

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 Strategies to Reach Customer

Marketing Strategy
Online and Offline Medium is used for the marketing of SOTC’s Products and to create the
brand awareness and reach out to the clients. National Level as well as Regional Marketing
Campaigns is adopted for creating the SOTC brand awareness.
• Offline Strategy
The offline marketing of SOTC include the following-:
1) Franchisee
2) SOTC’s offices
3) GSA/PSA

i) Franchisee
• A franchise is a business arrangement where the owner SOTC (the franchisor) of a
business concept grants you (the franchisee) the licensed right to own and operate a business
based on the franchisor’s business concept, using its trademark. The franchisor helps you
(the franchisee) start your business, providing training, assistance with, site development
and ordering inventory, advertising and marketing support.

SOTC Franchisee – What’s special?

• Attractive Business model with low capital investment and low risk.
• Exclusively retailing SOTC products and services through fully furnished retail outlet at
prime location.
• Continuous Monitoring of the performance for the location and deploy effective strategies
to ensure healthy ROI to the partner.
• Business In charge dedicated for the location.

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• Installation of Hi-tech CRM software at the outlet for conducting the business.

ii) SOTC’s Office’s

Another strategy that SOTC’s adopt is the marketing or selling or offering their services
through their branch offices which are located in almost major cities in India.

iii) GSA/PSA
A General Sales Agent (GSA) is a sales representative for a tourism industry in a specific
country or region. Typically, the GSA is responsible for selling all products of the country
in its region which includes everything. When a company selects a GSA as its sales
representative for a region, as opposed to opening its own branch, it generally does so for
economic reasons or because the GSA has historical ties with travel and cargo agents which
will be too time-consuming for the company to build itself. SOTC’s has Strong GSA/PSA
network which strengthen its marketing strategy.

• Online strategy
SOTC’s today deploys highest information technology platform in the Indian Travel
Industry. It has developed totally integrated front, mid and back office solutions. This has
brought about huge cost savings for the organization, thus managing to offer 'quality' service
to its customers at a great cost savings. Imagine when customer book a ticket they first go
on to a Central Reservation System (CRS). Next, they have to log into another system for a
hotel from 'X' supplier, then into another system to compare the rates with 'Y' supplier.
Finally they have to physically capture all this information and print that data not
anymore…With the SOTC’s advantage, life is a lot simpler. Now with their online access
system, customer can complete all your processes using just one window - just one simple
booking system. SOTC will also ensure that the most comprehensive IT Software is put into
place so they have everything they need. SOTC has developed an online portal, which is a
web enabled dynamic system that includes holidays, sightseeing, cars, hotels, transfers,
insurance and other ancillary travel services. Most of the products and services are available
on a real time basis and is backed by a24x7 call center. With the company's online access
system, one can complete all processes using just one window, just one simple booking
system

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 SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTH
1.) India’s largest outbound tour operator.
2.) Officer in all major cities of India.
3.) Tie ups other operators and travel agents across India.
4.) Effective promotional campaigns experiencing the magical moments of Yash raj Films
SOTC.
5.) Internet booking of tickets and packages.
WEAKNESS
1.) Not Focusing on Rural areas and Indian railway networks
2.) Lack of corporate offices and small city offices across the nation
3.) Feedback system exists for namesake.
4.) Ineffective customer services.

OPPORTUNITIES
Allowing entry of more multinational companies into the country giving us a global
perspective.
Allowing entry of more multinational companies into the country giving us a global
perspective. Growth of domestic tourism. The advantage here is that domestic tourism and
international tourism can be segregated easily owing to the difference in the period of
holidays.

THREAT
Economic conditions and political turmoil in other countries affects tourism. Political
turbulence within India in Kashmir and Gujarat has also reduced tourist traffic. Aggressive
strategies adopted by other countries like Australia, Singapore in promoting tourism.

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 ABOUT THE COMPETITORS

Cox & KINGS

Cox & Kings is the longest established travel company in the world. Its distinguished history
began in 1758 when it was appointed as general agents to the regiment of Foot Guards in
India under the command of Lord Ligonier.
By 1878, C&K were agents for most British regiments posted overseas, including the Royal
Cavalry, Artillery and Infantry, as well as the Royal Wagon Train and the Household
Brigade. The Royal Navy was next and in 1912, The Royal Air Force came under its wings.
Between 1750's and 1950's, Cox & Kings was witness to an exciting era in Indian history,
and, in its own way, helped to shape it. In 1947, the British administration departed, but
bound by strong ties to India, Cox & Kings stayed on and flourished. Today, Cox & Kings
is a premium brand in all travel related services in the Indian subcontinent, employing over
5000 trained professionals.

Its India operations are headquartered in Mumbai and has the status of a limited company.
It has over 12 fully owned offices in India across key cities such as New Delhi, Chennai,
Bangalore, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Hyderabad, Pune, Goa, Nagpur and Jaipur.
The worldwide offices are located in UK, USA, Japan, Russia, Singapore and Dubai. It has
associate offices in Germany, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Sweden and Australia.

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Source: cox & king

THOMAS COOK

Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. (TCIL) is the leading integrated travel and travel related financial
services company in the country offering a broad spectrum of services that include Foreign
Exchange, Corporate Travel, MICE, Leisure Travel, Insurance, Visa & Passport services
and E-Business. The company set up its first office in India in 1881.

The Thomas Cook India Group spanning 21 countries across 4 continents, a team of over
198,500 and a combined revenue in excess of Rs. 8700 crore (over $ 1.34 billion), operates
leading B2C and B2B brands including, Thomas Cook, SOTC, TCI, Sita, Asian Trails,
Allied T Pro, Australian Tours Management, Desert Adventures, Travel Circle International
Limited, Private Safaris East & South Africa. The Group is today one of the largest travel
service provider networks headquartered in the Asia-Pacific region.

ICRA has reaffirmed the long-term rating on TCIL’s non-convertible debenture programme
at ‘ICRA AA/Stable’ and on the preference share programme at ‘ICRA AA–/ Stable’.
CRISIL has reaffirmed the long term rating of ‘CRISIL AA–/ Stable’ on TCIL’s non-
convertible debenture programme and long-term banking facilities, and the short-term
rating of ‘CRISIL A1+’ on the banking facilities.
Thomas Cook (India) Ltd has been felicitated with The French Ambassador's Diamond
Award for Exemplary Achievements in Visa Issuance 2015 ,2016 & 2017; Condé Nast
Traveller Readers' Travel Awards 2016 to 2011. Thomas Cook India’s Travel Quest was
honoured at PATA Gold Awards 2015 and Thomas Cook India’s Centre of Learning has
received IATA accreditation as Top 10 South Asia IATA Authorized Training Centers
2016, 2015, 2013 & 2012.
Thomas Cook (India) Limited is promoted by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited through
its wholly-owned subsidiary, Fairbridge Capital (Mauritius) Limited and its controlled
affiliates which holds 67.61%. Fairbridge is responsible for the execution of acquisition and

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 investment opportunities in the Indian subcontinent on behalf of the Fairfax family of
companies.

CLUB MAHINDRA

Club Mahindra Holidays is an Indian travel company founded in 1996. It is a part of the
Mahindra Group and provides holidays on a timeshare basis.[3] Mahindra Holiday &
Resorts India Limited (MHRIL) is a part of the Leisure and Hospitality sector of the
Mahindra Group. Vacation ownership is its key offering and "Club Mahindra" is its flagship
brand. MHRIL offers family holidays primarily through vacation ownership memberships
for over a period of 25/10 years.

MAKE MY TRIP

MakeMyTrip was founded by Deep Kalra, an alumnus of IIM-Ahmedabad. It was launched

in the US market in the year 2000 to cater to the overseas Indian community for their US to
India travel needs. MakeMyTrip started Indian operations in September 2005, offering
online flight tickets to Indian travellers. The company also started to focus on non-air
businesses like holiday packages and hotel bookings. On 17 August 2010, MakeMyTrip
Limited was listed on the NASDAQ after its initial public offering.

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In 2011, the company created several travel related apps for mobile devices. MakeMyTrip
also made three acquisitions—Luxury Tours and Travel Private Limited (Singapore), ITC
Group Hotel Travel Group, and ETB Group—to enter new markets in south East Asia and
Europe. In September 2014, MakeMyTrip instituted a $15 million innovation fund to
support travel start-ups.
MakeMyTrip was founded by Deep Kalra, an alumnus of IIM-Ahmedabad. It was launched
in the US market in the year 2000 to cater to the overseas Indian community for their US to
India travel needs. MakeMyTrip started Indian operations in September 2005, offering
online flight tickets to Indian travellers. The company also started to focus on non-air
businesses like holiday packages and hotel bookings. On 17 August 2010, MakeMyTrip
Limited was listed on the NASDAQ after its initial public offering.

Source: makemytrip.com

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 MARKET SEGMENTATION

INDIAN TRAVEL MARKET

DOMESTIC
INTERNATIONAL
MARKET
MARKET

INBOUND TRAVELERS OUTBOUND TRAVELERS

(Inbound Market) (more than 6 millions)

Holidays and Business Conference Visiting

friends & Students
Sightseeing travelers attendance
Relatives

Indian travel market can be classified into two broad categories International Travelers-
Those crossing International borders, Domestic Travelers - Those travelling within India.
International Travelers can be classified as Inbound Travelers (those who travel into India
from Overseas) and Outbound of India (who travel internationally) Inbound market is
further segmented into six broad categories
1. Holiday and sightseeing.
2. Business travelers
3. Conference attendees
4. Students
5. Visiting friends
6. Relatives and others

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 TARGETING

Such segmentation is useful when deciding the offerings to target a particular segment. For
example,

 The mass market consists of vacationists that travel in large groups and prefer all-
inclusive tours. They are generally conservative.
 The popular market consists of smaller groups going on inclusive or semi-inclusive
tours. This group includes pensioners and retired people.
 The individual market consists of chairmen, senior executives, etc.
 As the lifestyle changes, consumption of services might change.
For example, a newly married couple might prefer romantic holidays, but once they have
children they would prefer family vacations where there are plenty of activities to entertain
kids. Teens and youth might prefer adventure holidays whereas senior citizens would
probably prefer more relaxing vacations.

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 INDIAN OUTBUND TOURISM

Outbound Tourism

Outbound Tourism is the activity of travelling to a foreign country by the residential citizen.
It can be for many purposes like VFR (visiting friends and relatives), Medical and health
solutions, leisure & pleasure, business, academic or learning purpose.
When a resident of a country crosses the border of his native country and travels the foreign
land, this activity of residential tourist is seen as outbound tourism of that country.
Mr. Simon Fiquet, General Manager, Southeast Asia and India, Expedia says, “India has a
huge latent market for leisure travel owing to the burgeoning middle class, rising disposable
incomes, higher need and awareness around travel being pushed by millennials. The report
suggests that India has a promising potential, as only 30% of the total departures from India
account for leisure travelling, which stands too small as compared to a global average of
53%. Some measures like introduction of more non-stop connecting flights, delivering
value for money and simplifying the visa registration processes are a few key steps which
can encourage the outbound leisure market to reach its true potential in India. By 2025, we
expect 13.9 million leisure departures, leading to 19.4 million Indian visitor arrivals
overseas, with a major contribution from Tier II and III cities.”
Indian Outbound Tourism Market is expected to surpass US$ 42 Billion by the end of year
2024. India is second largest most populous country in the world with the tag of fastest
growing major economy globally. Due to this economic growth, its people are earning more
year on year and their disposable income is also growing. Air connectivity from India to
foreign locations has also improved significantly over period of time. First time Indian
visitors generally prefer to visit Asian countries due to their proximity to India and being
less expensive compared to western destinations. In the case of long-haul travel Indians
prefer going to United States (US), Australia, Europe, New Zealand etc.

Source: centreforaviation

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Emerging travel segments
Special Interest Travel
A growing number – particularly among the younger demographic - are no longer content
to simply sightsee, shop or relax. Activities range from taking cookery classes to learning
to dive, overland adventures, or playing golf. For example, the analysis indicates that 5000-
6000 Indians travel to Scotland each year to play at courses such as Gleneagles or St.
Andrews. While the number going on golf holidays in Thailand - which offers a more cost-
effective proposition that is also close enough to be a spontaneous, short break destination
– is estimated to be over 30,000.
Cruising
 Over the last five years the market is estimated to have tripled in size from 50,000 to
150,000 cruise passengers from India. However, this still only represents around 3% of the
outbound leisure market.
 Singapore is the most popular embarkation port with almost 100,000 passengers in
2016, which made Indians the largest foreign nationality boarding ships from the Singapore
Cruise Centre. The Mediterranean and Alaska are the two most popular destinations outside
of Southeast Asia, however due to their higher cost, they tend to appeal more to baby
boomers rather than family groups.
Destination weddings
 Weddings in India are an important cultural phenomenon, with families spending a
sizeable proportion of their lifetime savings on such occasions. The most popular locations
have traditionally been Thailand and Dubai. Locations such as diverse as Austria,
Bali, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Ras al Khaimah and Turkey are increasingly positioning
themselves as wedding destination.
 Weddings, even those in India, also stimulate international travel for honeymoons. The
most popular destinations are not dissimilar to those for the market overall. However, agents
are reporting an increasing trend of requests to honeymoon in locations where there are less
likely to be other Indian tourists.
Event-based travel
 Planning holidays around specific events – be they music, cultural, or sporting – is most
popular amongst travellers aged 26-35 residing in tier-1 cities
Source: Centreforaviation.com

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 Movies (both Western and Indian), TV serials and social media are the key drivers of
interest. Similarly, there was a strong desire to post on social media about attending such
events.
Resort travel
 Although Indians have traditionally not been beach-goers, our research and survey
showed strong growth and interest in resort holidays for relaxation. This is particularly true
for young professionals aged 26–45 years and married couples. Destinations such as
Mauritius, Maldives and Seychelles are especially popular with honeymooners

These are few facts about Indian outbound Travel market

1.) Long weekend in India and close by destination are making travel in India to a year
round phenomenon.
2.) An increase in disposable income and more aspiration to travel.
3.) Research indicated that Indian travellers prefer to use OTAs than airline/hotel websites.
‘Ease of booking’, ‘ability to compare prices’ and ‘better deals’ were the key reasons. Up
to 35% of those surveyed stated that they did not require the assistance of an offline agent
to book international travel.

Top aspired destinations for Indians

The largest overall outbound markets from India are Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the US
and Thailand. US traffic is primarily for business, with only 18% leisure. Other top 20
markets which have a low leisure share include China (23%) and Australia (24%)
Dubai, Thailand, France, Singapore and Malaysia alone account for just over 50% of Indian
leisure arrivals overseas
Making up the top 10 are Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Indonesia (primarily Bali), the US and
Switzerland
Outbound leisure travel from India is highly concentrated in a handful of popular
destinations, with the top 10 accounting for 70% of Indian leisure arrivals
Amongst the 10 leading leisure destinations, India was the largest source market for Dubai
and Sri Lanka, and 4th for Singapore
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The majority of the top 10 leisure destinations are within 5-6 hours flight of India. France
was the leading long-haul leisure destination, followed by the US and Switzerla

Indian outbound Travel potential

Indian Outbound Tourism Market is expected to surpass US$ 42 Billion by the end of year
2024. India is second largest most populous country in the world with the tag of fastest
growing major economy globally. Due to this economic growth, its people are earning more
year on year and their disposable income is also growing. Air connectivity from India to
foreign locations has also improved significantly over period of time. First time Indian
visitors generally prefer to visit Asian countries due to their proximity to India and being
less expensive compared to western destinations. In the case of long-haul travel Indians
prefer going to United States (US), Australia, Europe, New Zealand etc.
 The UNWTO predicts that India will account for 50 million outbound tourists by 2020;
the ‘Kuoni Travel Report India 2007’ predicts that total outbound spending will cross the
US$ 28 billion mark in 2020.
• According to Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), 40% of all outbound trips by
Indians are for business purposes, while leisure, visiting friends and relatives (VFR) and
other reasons each account for 20% of outbound trips from India.
• According to the travel trade, international leisure travellers belong to the 25-65 years age
group, a larger proportion being males (65%) than females (35%). They are well educated
and belong to the upper socio-economic strata of society. Majority are married (75%) and
have children living in the household. Two-thirds of leisure travellers tend to holiday abroad
with family.
In terms of travel destination selection, the top five factors that influence destination
selection for Indians are safety and security; variety of things to see and do; overall image
of holiday destination; good tourist facilities; and infrastructure.

Source: centreforaviation.com

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 RECOMMENDATION

The total numbers of Indians who travel abroad represents only 1% of the country’s total
population, but in the next 20 years the number is likely to increase six-fold over the last
five years, outbound travel from India has more than doubled and this is reflected in strong
growth in outbound travel from India to all Asia-pacific destinations. Hence, keeping that
in mind here are some recommendation, which if, taken can drive the outbound sales of
SOTC pvt. Ltd.

 Increase awareness of the countries and continent as an outbound holiday destination.

 Tourism planning and product development go hand in hand
 Promote Short Stay waiver scheme.
 Relationship with trade and media.
 Trade high potential customer segments.
 Collaborate on joint trade partnership through co-operative marketing.
 Continue to work closely with Bollywood.
 Investment with leading travel trade partners for joint co-operative campaigns to
promote the destination.
 Special promotion of destination with value offers for the Indians market.

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 CONCLUSION
The report throws light on Indian consumers’ leisure travel habits and findings suggest that
there is a huge potential in this segment as India contributes to only 4.8 Million leisure
outbound trips. The findings also reveal the top outbound destinations for Indian weddings
and explain what factors lead Indians to choose and plan their trip.

Indian outbound leisure market is estimated to be 4.8 million trips, representing just 30%
of total departures, the leisure share is significantly lower than the global average of 53%.
India’s middle class, the report estimates will grow from the present 5% to 50% by 2030.
Similarly, HN are expected to grow six fold by 2030 – from around 0.2 million in 2013 to
over 1.2 million 2030. This segment will fuel the luxury end of the market.

Of course the demand for packaged tour offered by companies like SOTC Pvt. Ltd. Is
growing among Indians travelling overseas for the first time. But more and more
globetrotting Indians are turning experimental, looking to customer trips, opting for offbeat
destination and newer experiences.

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 INTERNSHIP AND LEARNING’S
A summer internship is an opportunity to test drive a career without making any serious
commitments. It's a chance to see what it would really be like to work in a particular
industry, and whether you're a great fit.
As I appointed in SOTC travel limited as an intern there were some work were assigned to
me. Our sales manager Mr. Towsif Anam has given the company brochure to read and tell
us to understand what company actually do and what are the services they actually provide
to the customer. After reading the brochure I get a clear view of the company and its services
they actually provide to the customer.
Contact number of the customer who have Already travelled with the company or those
who are Interested to travel Different cities of the country across the Globe. The main work
which is given to me to inform the customer about the company’s new package for U.S.A
and Europe trip for the summer holidays 2019. And take as much queries as we can. The
Contact sheet which is given to is consist of two page including 100 contact number of the
customer.

Activities performed

 Itinerary preparation:

This department include both domestic (Bharat Dekho) as well as international (Europe and
America Tour packages). In this section I was taught how itineraries are prepared. I worked
in the Kolkata region.

 Tele-marketing

Telemarketing is conducted over the telephone. Most telemarketing calls are “cold calls”
meaning the recipient of the call has not requested that the telemarketer contact them.
Telemarketing is one of the most controversial type of marketing. The purpose is to make
sales. Sometimes telemarketers have personal information when they call a customer,
knowing the person has purchased products similar or related to theirs from other vendors
or outlets.
I was given a list of more than hundred clients make calls.
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Learning’s

While working in SOTC, I got a chance to learn and develop various skills which are
required in tourism industry. Some of these skills and learnings are following:

Client’s enquiry:

Open must know the fundamental attraction of tours:

 Pleasing Weather
 Scenic attraction
 Historic and cultural factors
 Accessibility
 Amenities

Understanding what tourist want:

 They like to be comfortable
 They want fun
 They want to carry memories

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 www.google.com
 www.sotc.in/
 https://centreforaviation.com
 www.wikipedia.org
 www.tribuneindia.com
 www.youtube.com
 www.thehindubusinessline.com
 Marketing management by Philip Kotler
 Company Brochure
 Competitive strategy by Michael porter
 Tourism Concepts and Practice by Jhon R. walker Josielyn T. Walker

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