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In-Depth Analysis of Indian Tour Operators

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Tourism Marketing Management
Tourism Marketing Management

Submitted by:
Mayur Peswani (A-38)
Rahul Purswani (A-39)
Shivangi Agarawal (B-01)
Tania Patel (B-41)

In-Depth Analysis Of Major Tour Operators in India

Submitted to:
Prof. Bijal Mehta
Submitted by:
Mayur Peswani (A-38)
Rahul Purswani (A-39)
Shivangi Agarawal (B-01)
Tania Patel (B-41)

In-Depth Analysis Of Major Tour Operators in India

Submitted to:
Prof. Bijal Mehta

Table Of Contents

Tourism Marketing Management 0 0 Tourism Marketing Management 2 Latest facts and figures of tourism sector (till Jan,2015) 4 Direct contribution of tourism and hospitality to GDP 4 Foreign tourists arriving in India 5 Foreign exchange earnings from tourism in India 5 Expected share of tourists by expenditure 5 Visa on Arrival and Earnings 7 Background Literature 13 Methodology 20 Analysis 22 (Of Tour Operator Industry) 22 Analysis & Interpretation 24 (Of Our Survey) 24 Findings of Study 37

Tourism Marketing Management

* Tourism Sector in India (Overview)

Introduction

Tourism and hospitality, a key sector of the Indian economy, plays a key role in the growth of Brand India and accounts for around 12.4 per cent of the total employment in India. Globally, tourism ranks fifth as an export category after fuels, chemicals, food and automotive products. The tourism and hospitality sector in India is highly optimistic with a large number of hotel chains having lied up their expansion plans. The renewed sense of optimism comes on the back of a volatile economic environment for most part of 2014 and the sector hopes that initiatives announced by the new government, including those related to e-visas and specific funds for developing tourist circuits, would lead to good business. The policies and changes implemented by the Government of India have been instrumental in providing the necessary boost to the Indian tourism and hospitality industry and attracting more and more foreign tourists every year.

Market Size

India is a fast growing market and sees a positive growth with respect to occupancy in hotels. The Indian hoteliers are very optimistic and tourist inflow is expected to increase in future. According to 2014 statistics shared by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, the Indian hospitality sector has been growing at a cumulative annual growth rate of 14 per cent every year, adding significant amounts of foreign exchange to the economy and according to India. According to a report from HVS, the overall occupancy rates showed a marginal increase in the 2013 to 2014 fiscal year with 58.9 percent occupancy, an increase of 1.9 per cent from the previous year.
The number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) has grown steadily in the last three years reaching around 6.58 million in January – November 2014. Foreign exchange earnings from Tourism in terms of US dollar grew by 5.2 per cent during January-November 2014 as compared to 4.9 per cent over the corresponding period of 2013. FTAs during the Month of November 2014 were 7.50 lakh as compared to FTAs of 734,000 during the month of November 2013 and 701,000 in November 2012. There has been a growth of 2.2 per cent in FTAs in November 2014 over November 2013. FTAs during the period January- November 2014 were 6.58 million with a growth of 7.1 per cent, as compared to the FTAs of 6.14 million with a growth of 5.5 per cent during January- November 2013 over the corresponding period of 2012.
Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) during the month of November 2014 were Rs 11,201 crore (US$ 1.81 billion) as compared to Rs 10,663 crore (US$ 1.73 billion) in November 2013 and Rs 9,723 crore (US$ 1.57 billion) in November 2012. The growth rate in FEEs in rupee terms in November 2014 over November 2013 was 5.0 per cent. FEEs from tourism in rupee terms during January- November 2014 were Rs 107,208 crore (US$ 17.4 billion) with a growth of 12.1 over the corresponding period of 2013.

Investments

The tourism and hospitality sector is among the top 10 sectors in India to attract the highest foreign direct investment (FDI). In the period April 2000 – November 2014, this sector attracted around US$ 7,661.6 million of FDI, according to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).
With the rise in the number of global tourists and realizing India’s potential, many companies have invested in the tourism and hospitality sector. Some of the recent investments in this sector are as follows: * Seeking to tap the opportunity, global hospitality major Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group announced that it would have over 50 operational Park Inn by Radisson properties in India by 2024. * Starwood Hotels & Resorts has announced plans to have up to 65 operational properties by end of 2015 in India. It currently operates 39 hotels in India under six brands, including Luxury Collection, Westin, Sheraton, Le Meridien, Four Points by Sheraton and Aloft. It is looking to have a total of 100 hotels in its Indian portfolio by 2015. * Luxury hotels chain Kempinski has also announced plans to operate three new hotels in India by 2020 in Kolkata, Mumbai and Kerala if the ongoing negotiations were successful. * InterGlobe Hotels has announced the opening of ibis brand hotel in Delhi with plans to have 19 ibis hotels operational in India by 2016. * Lemon Tree Hotel Company has also announced plans to invest around Rs 4,500 crore (US$ 730.51 million) to add 5,200 rooms across India in the next four years.

Government Initiatives

The Indian government has realized the country’s potential to rise in the tourism industry and has taken several steps to make India a global tourism hub.
The Minister of State of Tourism (Independent Charge), Culture (Independent Charge) and Civil Aviation, Dr. Mahesh Sharma has said that the Government has set a target to achieve one percent share in global tourism arrivals by next year. Dr. Mahesh Sharma said that to achieve this target a multi- pronged strategy is being worked out. The focus of the Government is on improving the cleanliness, hospitality and safety aspects of Tourism, he added. Also the synergy of the three Ministries i.e., Tourism, Culture, and Civil Aviation will be improved substantially to take tourism to new heights, he said.
India’s Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, along with Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State Tourism & Culture and Minister of State for Civil Aviation launched the Tourist Visa on Arrival (TVoA) enabled with Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) Scheme here last week.
The facility will be available at nine international airports in the country namely Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Goa. The TVoA enabled with ETA Scheme will facilitate nationals of 43 countries including Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Djibouti, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kingdom of Tongo, Laos, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, Niue, Norway, Oman, Palestine, Papua & New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea (i.e. South Korea), Republic of Marshall Islands, Republic of Nauru, Republic of Palau, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Tuvalu, UAE, Ukraine, USA, Vietnam and Vanuatu.

Road Ahead

India’s travel and tourism industry has huge growth potential. The medical tourism market in India is projected to hit US$ 3.9 billion mark this year having grown at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27 per cent over the last three years, according to a joint report by FICCI and KPMG. Also, inflow of medical tourists is expected to cross 320 million by 2015 compared with 85 million in 2012. The tourism industry is also looking forward to the E-visa scheme which is expected to double the tourist inflow to India. Enforcing the electronic travel authorization (ETA) before the next tourism season, which starts in November, will result in a clear jump of at least 15 per cent, and this is only the start, as per Mr Madhavan Menon, Managing Director, Thomas Cook India.
Exchange Rate Used: INR 1 = US$ 0.0162 as on January 21, 2015.

* Latest facts and figures of tourism sector (till Jan,2015)

Direct contribution of tourism and hospitality to GDP

The tourism and hospitality sector’s direct contribution to GDP totaled US$ 37.3 billion in 2013.

Foreign tourists arriving in India
Over 6.8 million foreign tourist arrivals were reported in India during 2013.

Foreign exchange earnings from tourism in India
Total foreign exchange earnings from tourism grew to US$ 18.1 billion in 2013.

Expected share of tourists by expenditure
Domestic travellers are expected to contribute around 84.7 per cent to total tourism revenues by 2024.

Domestic and Foreign Tourist Visits to States/ UTs during 2012-13 S. No. | State/ UT | 2012 | 2013 (P) | Growth Rate13/12 | Rank 2013 | | | Domestic | Foreign | Domestic | Foreign | Domestic | Foreign | Domestic | Foreign | 1 | Andaman & NicobarIslands | 238699 | 17538 | 243703 | 14742 | 2.10 | -15.94 | 30 | 25 | 2 | Andhra Pradesh | 207217952 | 292822 | 152102150 | 223518 | -26.60 | -23.67 | 3 | 14 | 3 | Arunachal Pradesh | 132243 | 5135 | 125461 | 10846 | -5.13 | 111.22 | 32 | 27 | 4 | Assam | 4511407 | 17543 | 4684527 | 17638 | 3.84 | 0.54 | 21 | 24 | 5 | Bihar | 21447099 | 1096933 | 21588306 | 765835 | 0.66 | -30.18 | 11 | 8 | 6 | Chandigarh | 924589 | 34130 | 936922 | 40124 | 1.33 | 17.56 | 24 | 22 | 7 | Chhattisgarh | 15036530 | 4172 | 22801031 | 3886 | 51.64 | -6.86 | 10 | 30 | 8 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli | 469213 | 1234 | 481618 | 1582 | 2.64 | 28.20 | 28 | 33 | 9 | Daman & Diu | 803963 | 4607 | 819947 | 4814 | 1.99 | 4.49 | 25 | 29 | 10 | Delhi * # | 18495139 | 2345980 | 20215187 | 2301395 | 9.30 | -1.90 | 14 | 3 | 11 | Goa | 2337499 | 450530 | 2629151 | 492322 | 12.48 | 9.28 | 22 | 10 | 12 | Gujarat | 24379023 | 174150 | 27412517 | 198773 | 12.44 | 14.14 | 8 | 16 | 13 | Haryana | 6799242 | 233002 | 7128027 | 228200 | 4.84 | -2.06 | 20 | 13 | 14 | Himachal Pradesh | 15646048 | 500284 | 14715586 | 414249 | -5.95 | -17.20 | 16 | 11 | 15 | Jammu & Kashmir | 12427122 | 78802 | 13642402 | 60845 | 9.78 | -22.79 | 17 | 19 | 16 | Jharkhand | 20421016 | 31909 | 20511160 | 45995 | 0.44 | 44.14 | 13 | 20 | 17 | Karnataka | 94052729 | 595359 | 98010140 | 636378 | 4.21 | 6.89 | 4 | 9 | 18 | Kerala | 10076854 | 793696 | 10857811 | 858143 | 7.75 | 8.12 | 18 | 7 | 19 | Lakshadweep | 4417 | 580 | 4784 | 371 | 8.31 | -36.03 | 35 | 35 | 20 | Madhya Pradesh | 53197209 | 275930 | 63110709 | 280333 | 18.64 | 1.60 | 6 | 12 | 21 | Maharashtra* | 74816051 | 2651889 | 82700556 | 4156343 | 10.54 | 56.73 | 5 | 1 | 22 | Manipur | 134541 | 749 | 140673 | 1908 | 4.56 | 154.74 | 31 | 32 | 23 | Meghalaya | 680254 | 5313 | 691269 | 6773 | 1.62 | 27.48 | 26 | 28 | 24 | Mizoram | 64249 | 744 | 63377 | 800 | -1.36 | 7.53 | 33 | 34 | 25 | Nagaland | 35915 | 2489 | 35638 | 3304 | -0.77 | 32.74 | 34 | 31 | 26 | Odisha | 9052871 | 64719 | 9800135 | 66675 | 8.25 | 3.02 | 19 | 18 | 27 | Puducherry | 981714 | 52931 | 1000277 | 42624 | 1.89 | -19.47 | 23 | 21 | 28 | Punjab | 19056143 | 143805 | 21340888 | 204074 | 11.99 | 41.91 | 12 | 15 | 29 | Rajasthan | 28611831 | 1451370 | 30298150 | 1437162 | 5.89 | -0.98 | 7 | 5 | 30 | Sikkim | 558538 | 26489 | 576749 | 31698 | 3.26 | 19.66 | 27 | 23 | 31 | Tamil Nadu | 184136840 | 3561740 | 244232487 | 3990490 | 32.64 | 12.04 | 1 | 2 | 32 | Tripura | 361786 | 7840 | 359586 | 11853 | -0.61 | 51.19 | 29 | 26 | 33 | Uttar Pradesh | 168381276 | 1994495 | 226531091 | 2054420 | 34.53 | 3.00 | 2 | 4 | 34 | Uttarakhand | 26827329 | 124555 | 19941128 | 97683 | -25.67 | -21.57 | 15 | 17 | 35 | West Bengal | 22730205 | 1219610 | 25547300 | 1245230 | 12.39 | 2.10 | 9 | 6 | | Total | 1045047536 | 18263074 | 1145280443 | 19951026 | 9.59 | 9.24 | |

TOP 15 SOURCE COUNTRIES FOR FTAs IN INDIA DURING 2012 & 2013

| Rank in 2012 | Country | FTAs in India in 2012 | % Share in 2012 | Rank in 2013 | Country | FTAs in India in 2013 | % Share in 2013 | | | | | | | | | 1 | U.S.A | 1039947 | 15.81 | 1 | USA | 1085309 | 15.58 | 2 | U.K. | 788170 | 11.98 | 2 | United Kingdom | 809444 | 11.62 | 3 | Bangladesh | 487397 | 7.41 | 3 | Bangladesh | 524923 | 7.53 | 4 | Sri Lanka | 296983 | 4.51 | 4 | Sri Lanka | 262345 | 3.77 | 5 | Canada | 256021 | 3.89 | 5 | Russian Fed. | 259120 | 3.72 | 6 | Germany | 254783 | 3.87 | 6 | Canada | 255222 | 3.66 | 7 | France | 240674 | 3.66 | 7 | Germany | 252003 | 3.62 | 8 | Japan | 220015 | 3.34 | 8 | France | 248379 | 3.56 | 9 | Australia | 202105 | 3.07 | 9 | Malaysia | 242649 | 3.48 | 10 | Malaysia | 195853 | 2.98 | 10 | Japan | 220283 | 3.16 | 11 | Russian Fed. | 177526 | 2.70 | 11 | Australia | 218967 | 3.14 | 12 | China(Main) | 168952 | 2.57 | 12 | China(Main) | 174712 | 2.51 | 13 | Singapore | 131452 | 2.00 | 13 | Singapore | 143025 | 2.05 | 14 | Nepal | 125375 | 1.91 | 14 | Thailand | 117136 | 1.68 | 15 | Rep.of Korea | 109469 | 1.66 | 15 | Nepal | 113790 | 1.63 | Total Top 15 Countries | 4694722 | 71.37 | Total Top 15 Countries | 4927307 | 70.72 | Other Countries | 1883023 | 28.63 | Other Countries | 2040294 | 29.28 | Grand Total | 6577745 | 100.00 | Grand Total | 6967601 | 100.00 |

Visa on Arrival and Earnings

Government of India has launched Tourist Visa on Arrival (TVoA) enabled by Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) on 27th November 2014 for 43 countries. Prior to it, only the normal TVoA scheme was in operation for 12 countries. The following are the important highlights of tourist arrived by availing TVoA (including ETA enabled) during January, 2015:

1. During the month of January 2015, a total of 25,023 tourist arrived by availing TVoA as compared to 1,903 TVoA during the month of January 2014, registering a growth of 1214.9%. This high growth is due to introduction of ETA enabled TVoA for 43 countries . 2. The percentage shares of top 10 source countries for TVoA, in India during January 2015, were as follows: USA (23.71%), Republic of Korea (18.26%), Russian Federation (14.06%), Ukraine(9.99%), Australia(8.83%), Germany(6.53%), New Zealand (2.57%), Israel (1.79%), UAE( 1.77%) and Singapore (1.69%). 3. The percentage shares of different ports for TVoA, in India during January 2015, were as follows: New Delhi (36.78%), Mumbai (20.41%), Goa (17.78%), Chennai (6.43%), Bengaluru (5.28%), Kochi (3.87%), Hyderabad (2.73%), Kolkata (4.50%) and Trivandrum (2.22%).

Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) and Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from Tourism in India during December 2013 and comparative figures of 2012 and 2011 Foreign Tourist Arrivals (Nos)

Month | Foreign Tourist Arrivals (Nos.) | Percentage Change | | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2012/11 | 2013/12 | January | 6,22,713 | 6,81,002 | 7,20,321 | 9.4% | 5.8% | February | 6,27,719 | 6,81,193 | 6,88,569 | 8.5% | 1.1% | March | 5,35,613 | 6,06,456 | 6,39,530 | 13.2% | 5.5% | April | 4,46,511 | 4,47,581 | 4,50,580 | 0.2% | 0.7% | May | 3,83,439 | 3,74,476 | 4,17,453 | -2.3% | 11.5% | June | 4,05,464 | 4,33,390 | 4,51,223 | 6.9% | 4.1% | July | 4,75,544 | 4,85,808 | 5,06,427 | 2.2% | 4.2% | August | 4,28,490 | 4,45,632 | 4,86,338 | 4.0% | 9.1% | September | 4,17,478 | 4,11,562 | 4,53,561 | -1.4% | 10.2% | October | 5,59,641 | 5,56,488 | 5,98,095 | -0.6% | 7.5% | November | 6,69,767 | 7,01,185 | 7,33,923 | 4.7% | 4.7% | December | 7,36,843 | 7,52,972 | 8,21,581 | 2.2% | 9.1% | Total | 63,09,222 | 65,77,745 | 69,67,601 | 4.3% | 5.9% |

Foreign Exchange Earnings (in Rs. Crore)

Month | Foreign Exchange Earnings (in Rs. crore) | Percentage Change | | 2011 # | 2012 # | 2013 #2 | 2012/11 | 2013/12 | January | 5,777 | 8,623 | 10,785 | 49.3% | 25.1% | February | 7,653 | 8,502 | 10,255 | 11.1% | 20.6% | March | 5,522 | 7,843 | 9,545 | 42.0% | 21.7% | April | 5,724 | 6,745 | 7,226 | 17.8% | 7.1% | May | 5,047 | 5,562 | 6,627 | 10.2% | 19.1% | June | 5,440 | 6,485 | 7,149 | 19.2% | 10.2% | July | 7,116 | 8,389 | 8,620 | 17.9% | 2.8% | August | 5,734 | 7,260 | 8,351 | 26.6% | 15.0% | September | 5,748 | 6,652 | 7,811 | 15.7% | 17.4% | October | 7,019 | 8,154 | 8,645 | 16.2% | 6.0% | November | 7,941 | 9,723 | 10,663 | 22.4% | 9.7% | December | 8,870 | 10,549 | 11,994 | 18.9% | 13.7% | Total | 77,591 | 94,487 | 1,07,671 | 21.8% | 14.0% |

Foreign Exchange Earnings( in US$ Billion)

Month | Foreign Exchange Earnings (in US$ billion) | Percentage Change | | 2011 # | 2012 # | 2013 #2 | 2012/11 | 2013/12 | January | 1.273 | 1.681 | 1.984 | 32.1% | 18.0% | February | 1.684 | 1.729 | 1.906 | 2.7% | 10.2% | March | 1.227 | 1.559 | 1.755 | 27.1% | 12.6% | April | 1.290 | 1.305 | 1.329 | 1.2% | 1.8% | May | 1.124 | 1.023 | 1.207 | -9.0% | 18.0% | June | 1.213 | 1.158 | 1.227 | -4.5% | 6.0% | July | 1.603 | 1.512 | 1.442 | -5.7% | -4.6% | August | 1.264 | 1.306 | 1.328 | 3.3% | 1.7% | September | 1.208 | 1.219 | 1.224 | 0.9% | 0.4% | October | 1.424 | 1.538 | 1.404 | 8.0% | -8.7% | November | 1.566 | 1.776 | 1.703 | 13.4% | -4.1% | December | 1.688 | 1.931 | 1.936 | 14.4% | 0.3% | Total | 16.564 | 17.737 | 18.445 | 7.1% | 4.0% |

* Four Major Tour Operators in India

1. Thomas Cook

Thomas Cook (India) Ltd 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.
TCIL’s footprint currently extends to over 235 locations (including 15 airport counters) in 99 cities across India, Mauritius & Sri Lanka and is supported by a strong partner network of 114 Gold Circle Partners and 165 Preferred Sales Agents in over 136 cities across India.
Thomas Cook (India) Ltd has been voted as Best Tour Operator - Outbound for two consecutive years at the CNBC AWAAZ Travel Awards 2014 & 2013 and Best Company providing Foreign Exchange at the CNBC AWAAZ Travel Awards 2014; Best Tour Operator at the Lonely Planet Travel Awards 2013, Favourite Specialist Tour Operator at the Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Travel Awards 2013, 2012 & 2011 and recognized for two years in succession as a"Consumer Superbrand" 2013-14 & 2012-2013. In addition, TCIL has been chosen as the Best Corporate Travel Management Company by World Travel Brands 2012,. At the National Tourism Awards 2012-2013, TCIL was the recipient of 3 prestigious awards. Thomas Cook India’s Centre of Learning has received IATA accreditation as "Top 10 South Asia IATA Authorized Training Centers", 2013 & 2012.
Thomas Cook (India) Limited is promoted by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Fairbridge Capital (Mauritius) Limited. Fairbridge is responsible for the execution of acquisition and investment opportunities in the Indian subcontinent on behalf of the Fairfax family of companies.

About Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited:
Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited is a Toronto-based financial services holding company with a global presence in insurance and reinsurance and a portfolio of assets in excess of $30 billion invested worldwide. The Company, founded in 1985 by the present Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PremWatsa, has over the past 25 years, demonstrated a strongfinancial track record to achieve an annual appreciation in Book Value per Share of 24.7% annually.Fairfax has almost 20 general insurance subsidiaries and joint ventures globally, including ICICI Lombard (India). Fairfax is engaged in long term investments from its own resources, with a focus to delivering long term capital appreciation through a flexible and value oriented approach. Fairfax Financial Holdings through Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. owns 74.85% on a fully diluted basis of the IKYA Group, a provider of specialised Human Resource related Services.

About IKYA Group:
The IKYA Group, established in 2007, has over the last 6 years, evolved into a diversified provider of Business Services with interests in Human Resources (Recruitment & General Staffing), IT Staffing & Services, Facilities Management, Food & Hospitality services and Training & Skill Development through a combination of organic and inorganic methods. The Group operates out of 33 offices across 22 cities and employs 65,000 personnel.
About Sterling Holiday Resorts (India) Limited:
Sterling Holiday Resorts (India) Limited, a pioneer in vacation ownership and a leading leisure hospitality company in India, was incorporated in 1986 with the vision of delivering great holiday experiences to Indian families. Sterling Holidays’ network includes 1512 rooms across 19 resorts in 16 scenic holiday destinations pan India. The company also has 15 additional sites where it plans to add new resorts in the coming years.

2. Cox n 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.

3. SOTC-Kuoni

Kuoni-SOTC is Kuoni India’s key outbound travel brand. Kuoni-SOTC, India’s leading outbound tour operator, was acquired by Kuoni Travels – World’s leading premium Tour Operator in the year 1996 and is a leader in all travel segments namely Escorted Tours, Free Individual Travel and Domestic Holidays amongst others. Kuoni-SOTC Corporate Tours is the leader in Incentive, Trade Fair tours and Sports. We have served travelers for years and won their smiles and hearts. SOTC’s vast array of holiday services is taking holidaying to an entirely new level.
Kuoni-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 Kuoni-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.
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, we offer you the means to plan your holiday, your way!
Kuoni-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. Kuoni-SOTC Holidays of India also offers a wide range of customised holidays thereby giving individual travelers the complete freedom and flexibility to define their preference for the destination, length of stay and pace of travel.
With Kuoni-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. Kuoni-SOTC is a specialist in MICE Tours. Kuoni-SOTC Corporate Tours provide customised solutions for various MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events) related travel needs. It will assist you at every stage of planning your travel including pre-tour familiarization visits, booking of air seats, arranging accommodation at the finest hotels, gala dinners, collateral preparation, technical back up, meal arrangements and event management. We ensure the highest quality of service for your incentive programs, conference, meetings, across the globe.
Kuoni-SOTC Trade Fair Tours caters exclusively to the needs and requirements of the keen businessman visiting or exhibiting in International trade fairs. Increase in the number of Indian participants & visitors to various International exhibitions to compete at a global level confirm huge potential for Group Outbound Travel. In the past few years SOTC Trade Fair Tours has successfully organized delegations to various International trade fairs, which has helped in creating awareness and earning a reputation in the market. Kuoni-SOTC Trade Fair Tours has given a new dimension to the trade fair visitors by providing value added services such as confirmed accommodation during the fair period, Indian meals, option to pay in easy monthly installments, factory visits and more at extremely attractive and competitive prices.
Background Literature

1) Thomas Cook India’s ‘Through the Crystal Ball’ Online Survey uncovers emerging trends with next Gen Indian travelers
Thomas Cook (India) Ltd, India’s leading integrated travel and travel related financial services company, undertook the ‘Through the Crystal Ball’ Survey to help identify emerging trends, opportunities and needs of the emerging Indian traveler via the logical route of digital via email, web and social media to reach out to this “digital natives” generation. The survey results were presented at Thomas Cook India’s recent event ‘Disha 2013’, organized by its educational arm Thomas CookCentre of Learning (CoL) to present to the young students, the realities that they, as next generation travel professionals passing out from CoL, would have to deal with. Over 3800 respondents were reached via the ’Through the Crystal Ball’ online survey administered via Thomas Cook’s Social Media platforms primarily Facebook & Twitter, and Thomas Cook’s email database of young independent customers. Respondents, from both metros and non-metros who participated were encouraged to share and refer and received gratification via online travel coupons redeemable on www.thomascook.in.

RESULTS:
72% of young Indians will travel on a holiday irrespective of the economy/currency.
Young Indian travelers want an option to connect with their travel service providers, online as well as offline with 66% travelers preferring a flexible mix of online & offline touch points.
43% of the young travelers make at least one international trip annually.
66% of the young Indian travelers said that they would take two short haul trips in a year instead of one long haul trip annually.
62% of the young travelers are open to spend up to 15%of their annual income on travel.

2) 20 of the most outrageous, ridiculous and stupid travel complaints made to tour operators
A recent survey from Thomas Cook and ABTA reveals 20 of the most ridiculous complaints by holiday-makers made to their travel agent.
1. "I think it should be explained in the brochure that the local store does not sell proper biscuits like custard creams or ginger nuts."
2. "It's lazy of the local shopkeepers to close in the afternoons. I often needed to buy things during 'siesta' time - this should be banned."
3. "On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don't like spicy food at all."
4. "We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our swimming costumes and towels."
5. A tourist at a top African Game Lodge overlooking a water hole, who spotted a visibly aroused elephant, complained that the sight of this rampant beast ruined his honeymoon by making him feel "inadequate".
6. A woman threatened to call police after claiming that she'd been locked in by staff. When in fact, she had mistaken the "do not disturb" sign on the back of the door as a warning to remain in the room.
7. "The beach was too sandy."
8. "We found the sand was not like the sand in the brochure. Your brochure shows the sand as yellow but it was white."
9. A guest at a Novotel in Australia complained his soup was too thick and strong. He was inadvertently slurping the gravy at the time.
10. "Topless sunbathing on the beach should be banned. The holiday was ruined as my husband spent all day looking at other women."
11. "We bought 'Ray-Ban' sunglasses for five Euros from a street trader, only to find out they were fake."
12. "No-one told us there would be fish in the sea. The children were startled."
13. "It took us nine hours to fly home from Jamaica to England it only took the Americans three hours to get home."
14. "I compared the size of our one-bedroom apartment to our friends' three-bedroom apartment and ours was significantly smaller."
15. "The brochure stated: 'No hairdressers at the accommodation’. We’re trainee hairdressers - will we be OK staying there?"
16. "There are too many Spanish people. The receptionist speaks Spanish. The food is Spanish. Too many foreigners now live abroad."
17. "We had to queue outside with no air conditioning."
18. "It is your duty as a tour operator to advise us of noisy or unruly guests before we travel."
19. "I was bitten by a mosquito; no-one said they could bite."
20. "My fiancé and I booked a twin-bedded room but we were placed in a double-bedded room. We now hold you responsible for the fact that I find myself pregnant. This would not have happened if you had put us in the room that we booked."

3) 79% Indian travellers skeptical of safety equipment used by domestic adventure tour operators: TripAdvisor
As per the Adventure Travel Survey 2014 conducted recently by TripAdvisor India, most Indian travelers feel that the safety equipment used for adventure activities in India are not efficient, and that is the most crucial reason for a majority of the respondents steering clear of undertaking adventure trips within the country. TravelBiz Monitor presents key findings of the survey:
Most Indian travelers believe that adventure tour operators in the country do not employ safety measures that are at par with international standards, which makes Adventure Tourism in India not a very viable option for travelers. According to the survey by TripAdvisor India, 79.35% of the 1,034 Indian respondents are skeptical of the safety equipment made available by Indian tour operators for adventure activities. Over 73% are of the opinion that the safety equipment available for adventure activities in India are of inferior quality. Over 53% of the respondents admitted to checking the credentials or certifications of Indian adventure tour operators before undertaking any adventure trip in the country. Forty-six per cent prefer undertaking adventure activities at international destinations managed by foreign operators, a release states.
The Survey, now in its second year, is aimed at understanding the preferences and concerns of Indian travelers with respect to adventure travel in the country. A majority of the respondents to the survey (38.47%) belong to the age group of 25-35 years, and 63.16% of the respondents are working professionals.
Sharing his thoughts on the findings of the survey this year, Nikhil Ganju, Country Manager, TripAdvisor India, said, “It is disheartening that a majority of the respondents do not consider India safe enough to undertake adventure activities. However, what is encouraging is the upward trend of increasing number of Indians wanting to participate in extreme sports. As per the survey findings, 61% respondents are willing to participate in an extreme sport while on holiday this year versus 47% last year.”
More than 50% of the respondents had, in the last six months, engaged in an adventure activity while on a holiday, and not as the purpose of the trip. However, over 67% said that they would try out an adventure sport on a holiday, but not as the sole purpose of the trip, in the next six months. The most popular adventure activities undertaken by the respondents in the last six months were birdwatching (46%), trekking/hiking (41%), safaris (37%), camping (34%) and horseback riding (26%). The top adventure activities that the respondents would like to indulge in the next six months are hot air ballooning (38%), camping (38%), safaris (36%), scuba diving (35%), paragliding (33%), and trekking/hiking (33%). Fifty-nine per cent of the respondents indulge in adventure activities for gaining varied experiences in life, while 32% like the thrill, excitement and sense of risk attached with them. Thirty-one per cent feel that such sports give them a sense of achievement and accomplishment. Fifty-nine per cent would not go for cheap trips offered by tour operators. They would rather pay a high price and choose a trip offered by a certified operator.
Commenting on the perception of India as an unsafe Adventure Tourism destination, Akshay Kumar, President, Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI), said, “ATOAI understands that safety is of primary importance where adventure travel is concerned. Our top adventure travel companies in India have high regard for safety issues and follow risk mitigation policies that are comparable to the best in the world. We recognized that there is need to bring smaller operators into the system and make them equally competitive on safety issues. To address this issue, ATOAI has laid down basic minimum standards and best practices to be implemented at the state level through tourism bodies and at the regional level through tourism associations. ATOAI also organizes a series of wilderness safety workshops across the countries, which help enhance safety standards at the ground level. At the same time, it is equally important for the adventure travel enthusiast to check the credentials of the tour operator before undertaking any such activity. While the industry is still in its nascent stage, we are confident, with these measures, we will soon be able to transform this perception.”
While fifty-eight per cent of the respondents agree that they hold themselves back from undertaking adventure activities because of the high cost involved for certain outdoor sports like high-altitude trekking. While 62.98% of the respondents feel they are physically prepared to participate in an adventure activity or extreme sport, 40.27% undergo a fitness routine when planning to engage in a strenuous physical adventure activity/extreme sport on holiday.
A healthy majority (69.84%) said that they are most comfortable taking such trips with their friends, while 40.27% of the respondents prefer their spouses. Among the preferred adventure destinations in India, Goa tops the list for the second consecutive year. USA is the most favorite international destinations for adventure sports this year.

4) Cox & Kings Wins Prestigious Outlook Traveller Awards on 4th, April 2014
Cox & Kings Ltd, the leading holidays and education travel group with operations in 26 countries across continents has been voted as the Favorite Inbound and Outbound Tour Operator by readers of Outlook Traveller magazine.
Every year, Outlook Traveller asks its readers to share their travel experiences and preferences, as part of the annual Outlook Traveller survey. This year, Cox & Kings was unanimously voted as the best Inbound and Outbound Tour Operator by over 7500 respondents, in a survey that was validated by IPSOS, a leading market research company. It is a credible benchmark of consumer preferences in the areas of travel and tourism across 40 categories, including hotels, airlines and holiday destinations.
According to Peter Kerkar, Director, Cox & Kings Ltd, “As the world's oldest travel company, it is our constant endeavor to create spectacular holiday experiences for our customers. Awards wins such as this reinforce our passion towards creating memorable escapades and delighted travelers.”
The Outlook Traveler Awards 2014 were held at The Dusit Devarana, New Delhi on 28th March 2014. Chief Guest of the event was Shri Parvez Dewan, Secretary Tourism, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

5) Why tour operators need to take Facebook seriously
Authored by Avijit Arya, founder and CEO, Internet Moguls.

A survey by TourRadar which covered 1,500 organized tour operators indicates that almost 70% of those surveyed did not have a Facebook page, at least not an active one. Moreover: * All the tour operators surveyed were in the business for more than a year. * The tour operators were large in size, with a large number of itineraries offered to groups of people between 6 to 50. * None of the operators had more than 1, 000 fans. * A few pages had 10 posts made within a short span, followed by a long dormant period.
From this, we can easily make out that either the tour operators are ignoring the power of social or are making half-hearted attempts to be social. My answer to the operators that we met recently were: * Most travelers are influenced by their peers’ choice of holiday destinations; it is the single biggest source of influence in the contemporary period and is made possible by social networks. Right from the time of panning a travel, during the travel and afterwards, travelers keep posting their experience on sites like Facebook. Imagine one of your customers taking a trip with you and writing about it, day after day. And then relate it with the fact that peers are most influenced by social mentions and rest is easy. Without a Facebook page, how will you find a mention? * Majority of the spare time is spent on social networks by travelers, some spend up to 90% of all their “online” time connecting and socializing on Facebook. Your potential customers are here and they are looking for that one perfect offer which will define their vacation. How will they find you? * Penetration of social networks, especially Facebook, is fast growing, even in India. When you relate it to the behavior of internet users and the time spent on social platforms, it is vital that your presence in social domain is strong, visible and attractive. As the age old saying in Hindi goes, jodikhtahai, wobiktahai. * The cost: It is peanuts. I am not saying it because I stand to make business out of it. The amount of money spent per capita on Facebook, when compared to ANY other media, is only a fraction and is almost negligible. In a recent campaign for a 5 Star luxury hotel in Delhi, Internet Moguls calculated the cost of sending the message to a potential client at Rs. 0.03 with more than 3.5 lac people reached. It was quick, it was effective and the cost was a mere fraction of other media campaigns.
A lot can be said about why tour operators should join the bandwagon but I hope the above points will do for now. I am sure that sooner than later the importance of marketing on social media will catch on among travel & tour operators for their own benefit.

Methodology

* Exploratory design. * Simple Random Sampling technique used. * Both primary and secondary data were used. * Company’s internal sources were used.

Scope Of Study:

The scope of this study is to understand the needs of the travelers and make travel houses competent with world class services.

Purpose Of Research:

There is a rise in Travel Management Organizations in recent years. Thus with competition in mind, there is always race to attract more customers. This study was initiated to explore the various dimensions of the market and identify new areas where tour operators can effectively position its services, based on consumer perceptions and needs.

Sampling Technique:

A convenient random sampling technique was used to collect data from the respondents. A convenient random sample is a sample selected from a population in such a way that it is selected on basis of our convenience which also has certain limitations of due to method of selection of samples.

Sample:

A sample is a representative part of its population. Consumer survey conducted by personal interviews with the help of ex-senior executives of tour operators.

Sample Size:

Sample size denotes the number of elements selected for the study. For the present study, 56 respondents were selected at random who are the customers of respective tour operators. So, we will carry primary survey on above tour operators by

* Carrying informal interview with employees of tour operators by visiting them * By getting specific designed questionnaire filled up by their customers about their experience with the service provided by operator. * By using the above latest secondary data collected from Ministry Of Tourism (GOI), and various governmental initiative like VoA (Visa on arrival) and other campaigns to boost tourism in India.

Hence, we will analyze the data thus collected in this manner on various parameters and factors regarding service and try to find out importance of each service provided by operator and satisfaction derived thereby by the customer.

Analysis
(Of Tour Operator Industry) PEST

* Political

* Hefty Taxation * Diktat of local or state government * Political Stability * Govt. spending on tourism & travel

* Economical

* Foreign Exchange Rate * Elasticity of Demand * Efficiency of Economy * Business Cycle

* Social

* Different languages, cultures, traditions, cuisines * Respect & entertainment of guests embedded in culture itself

* Technology

* Increasing role of web & internet * Facilities Online Booking * Efficiency of Economy * Providing customers with easy payment facility via online and use of credit cards and wifi facility on the go, easy recharge of mobile phones, etc.
SWOT

* Strengths * India’s geographical location * Rich culture heritage and colorful festivals. * A wealth of archeological sites and historical monuments. * Well known Indian hospitality

* Weakness

* Inadequate infrastructure to match the expectation. * Restrictive Airline Policy of the Government of India. * Overcrowding of popular tourist Centre. * Inadequate marketing and information channels. * Some places are inaccessible, especially in winter.

* Opportunities

* More proactive role from the government of India in terms of framing policies. * Growth of domestic tourism. * Potential for private sector’s investment in tourism projects. * Availability of high quality human resource.

* Threats

* Strong Competition within states of India and abroad. * Economic conditions and political turmoil in other countries affects tourism * Terrorism is a major setback of the region. * Disorganized tourism development. * Environmental factors also impose a threat. Analysis & Interpretation
(Of Our Survey)
Q. Which mode of travel do you prefer most?

Air – 54% | Land – 27% | Sea – 20% | Interpretation – According to the collected responses we have seen that most of these people prefer to travel airways. And travelling from airways need them to act in an economical way. And so they have to consult or take help of some tour planner and so they go to a tour planner so that their trip is planned in an economical and systematic way. | | |

Q. What is the purpose of your tour?

Business – 11% | | | Personal Leisure – 38% | | | Both – 52%Interpretation – Out of the responses taken only business travelers were less as compared to only leisure travelers. Or there were people who use to travel for both purposes equally. For basically a person who goes for leisure travel needs to get it planned. Lack of the knowledge of places is also a major issue. So consulting tour operators gets them acquainted to the place and builds a confidence in their own trip. | | |
Q. How often do you travel in a year?

1-2 – 16% | 3-5 – 36% | 5-10 – 30% | more than 10 – 18% | Interpretation – according to the responses we see a different kind of trend as to how people travel. Average of how people travel is like 3 to 5 times a year and that is quite a time. So people who travel this frequently need to get an itinerary and schedule as how they are travelling. It can depend on the income and the disposable income of people. |
Q. What's your monthly income?

<25000 – 9% | | | 25000-50000 – 18% | | | 50000-75000 – 39% | | | >75000 – 34%Interpretation – As we look at the people we surveyed, people who have a decent amount of monthly income were the people who went for these tour operators. Even if we want to deal with these operators we need to spend a good amount. It does get economical overall but initially you need to spend money. Average income of these people were around 50000 – 75000. So income was directly proportional to the consultation with tour operators. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Q. Which packages have you availed?

Business Tours – 43% | | | Adventure holidays – 55% | | | Heritage holidays – 23% | | | Hill station – 68% | | | Honeymoon holidays – 27% | | | Luxury holidays – 55% | | | Wildlife holidays – 38% | | | Religious holidays – 38% | | | Medical tour – 21% | | | Educational tour – 14% | | | Other – 0%Interpretation – People who took packages, and if we consider the data most of the people are inclined towards hill stations, adventure holidays, luxury holidays and business tours. And some people have some other reasons. Some reasons which are mentioned above are major reasons why people go to tour operators. | | |
Q. What kind of accommodation do you choose?

Hotel – 57% | | | Camp site – 9% | | | Apartments – 14% | | | Villa – 20%Interpretation – Most of the travelers prefer to stay in hotels rather than any other place. But some would even prefer apartments or villas. Staying in a hotel is always convenient and economical. | | |

Q. During last year in which month your travelling frequency was high?

Jan -54% | | | Feb – 39% | | | March – 4% | | | April – 34% | | | May – 39% | | | June – 36% | | | July – 27% | | | August – 23% | | | September – 23% | | | October – 50% | | | November – 66% | | | December – 80% | | | Interpretation – Most of the surveyed people prefer to travel in the later months of the year. October November December are mostly the months that are preferable. May be because the work load of people would be less that time. | | |

Q. Which tour operator you prefer most often?

Thomas Cook – 29% | | | Cox and Kings – 30% | | | Sotc-Kuoni – 41%Interpretation – Most of the respondents preferred SOTC due to a better performance of the operators. Thomas cook and cox and kings are also not very much behind but have a little smaller market share. | | |

Q. From where you come to know about tour operator?

Television – 52% | | | Radio – 23% | | | Hoardings – 46% | | | Internet – 70% | | | Other – 4%Interpretation – Most popular way of knowing about these tour operators is internet. The discounts, the schemes are advertised in a viral manner on internet through pop ups and search engines. That the major way they promote. | | |

Q. Does discounts and offers provided by your tour operator change your preference for tour operator?

| | | | | |

Yes – 57%
No – 43%

Interpretation - People in this regard are quite subjective. Almost it is fifty fifty. It does matter to more than half of the people and did not to others. Looking more deeply into the matter it did make a difference when people were offered discounts.

Q. Air Ticketing [How would you rate your level of satisfaction with your tour operator in accordance with following factors?]

1 | 0 | 0% | 2 | 2 | 4% | 3 | 8 | 14% | 4 | 25 | 45% | 5 | 21 | 38% |

Q. Rail Ticketing [How would you rate your level of satisfaction with your tour operator in accordance with following factors?]

1 | 2 | 4% | 2 | 5 | 9% | 3 | 13 | 23% | 4 | 27 | 48% | 5 | 9 | 16% |

Q. Destination Management [How would you rate your level of satisfaction with your tour operator in accordance with following factors?]

1 | 1 | 2% | 2 | 1 | 2% | 3 | 7 | 13% | 4 | 31 | 55% | 5 | 16 | 29% |

Q. Food [How would you rate your level of satisfaction with your tour operator in accordance with following factors?]

1 | 2 | 4% | 2 | 10 | 18% | 3 | 14 | 25% | 4 | 15 | 27% | 5 | 15 | 27% |

Q. Safety Measures [How would you rate your level of satisfaction with your tour operator in accordance with following factors?]

1 | 0 | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0% | 3 | 8 | 14% | 4 | 29 | 52% | 5 | 19 | 34% |

Interpretation – In most of the factors people are almost satisfied with whatever services they look for like railways, airways, food management, destination management and safety. SOTC is said to be more satisfactory for people.

Q. How do you prefer to book your tour with your tour operator?

Online – 66% | | | Offline – 34%Interpretation – Most of the people prefer to book online with these operators. So one reason for one tour operator to be famous and not may account to the online presence. | | |

Please specify reasons for using offline booking service over online booking service of your tour operator
Confirmation and payment options
Office nearby
Ease of payments and no risk
Cousin works with company
We have branch nearby our home.
Manager is a friend
Ease of access
Due to payment options
Due to Payment options
Flexibility in payment options and discounts

Do you feel that your tour operator provide value for money?

Strongly Agree – 34% | | | Agree – 50% | | | Nuetral – 16% | | | Disagree – 0 | | | Strongly Disagree – 0Interpretation – Most of the respondents agree that these tour operators do provide value for the money. Some are neutral to it but none of the respondents said that they don’t provide value for money. | | |

Gender

Male – 64% | | | Female – 36% | | |
Age

11-20 | | 11% | 21-30 | | 25% | 31-40 | | 38% | 41-50 | | 20% | More than 50 | | 7% |

Education

Graduate -57% | | | Post Graduate – 29% | | | Professional – 14% | | |
Marital Status

Single – 25% | | | Married – 75% | | | | | |

Employment Status

Government | | 13% | Private | | 43% | Self | | 41% | Retired | | 4% |

Findings of Study * Cox and Kings * Better products * Wider distribution * Lacks strong online presence * Thomas Cook * Focuses more on Brick and Mortar model rather than online platform. * Their Customers mainly opt for Hotel accommodations so they should tie-up with more no of hotels. * They have vast reach in network with more no of offices as they have strong network agents associated with them along with their own franchise stores. * They have good relations with customers as they provide flexible customized packages to them. * SOTC – Kuoni * It should open new branches, more effective online ticket booking facilities and focus on small cities and towns. * SOTC should make proper food arrangement like while traveling many people prefer Indian food only & many times this arrangement is not done. * It should focus on its online ticket booking facilities to restrict online tourism provider likemakemytrip.com, yatra.com. * SOTC should make proper arrangement & schedules for air ticketing, rail ticketing, destination management & safety for its customers as some of them are unsatisfied with these services

Limitations Of Study No research is without limitations, but their number can be reduced to achieve accuracy. The survey conducted within the limited period, so shortcomings may be expected. * The respondent’s personal bias is uncontrollable. The findings of the survey is strictly based on responses of the respondents. * It is difficult to find the euthenics be true, so they are assumed to be true. * It was difficult to find respondents as they were busy in their schedule, and collection of data was very difficult. Therefore, the study had to be carried out based on the availability of respondents. * The respondents were not comfortable, they showed non-cooperative approach and rude behavior while revealing their information. Some respondents responded half-heartedly and gave incomplete information.

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