Thomas Cook & Sotc Extend Their Assured Safe Travel Program With Launch Of Doctor On Call 24×7

Mumbai: Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., India’s leading integrated travel services company, along with its Group Company SOTC Travel Ltd., announced the extension of their Assured Safe Travel Program with the launch of a complimentary Doctor on Call 24×7 service, exclusively for their customers. The companies have partnered with Apollo Clinics – a member of the Apollo Hospitals Group, the leader in the Indian healthcare sector, to reassure and assist customers while traveling.

The Doctor on Call service is a meaningful initiative to support and reassure customers by addressing their health and medical queries via tele-consultation, by ensuring an effective way to connect with top-quality doctors while on holiday.

To avail of the exclusive Doctor on Call service (24×7) in association with Apollo Clinics, the customer merely follows 2 simple steps while on holiday:

• Call 1860 500 7788
• Share your Booking File Number for verification and phone and email id to be contacted by the doctor

Post verification, the customer will receive a one-time free consultation call from an Apollo Clinics Doctor within 45 minutes. If required, a prescription will be emailed by the Apollo Clinics Team.

Even as travel recovery is being enabled again, the biggest challenge now is the challenge to re-instil confidence and a positive sentiment towards leisure travel in most customers, who remain worried and cautious. As leaders, Thomas Cook & SOTC have taken this challenge head-on and put together a holistic three-pronged customer confidence-building program in the form of the “Assured-Insured-Secured” Program that covers every aspect of physical safety as well as mental and financial security to give the customer complete peace of mind.

The Assured Safe Travel Program developed and rolled out in association with Apollo Clinics is the most comprehensive set of travel safety protocols in the new normal, encompassing not only internal processes, retail outlets etc., but also every partner and service provider across airlines, local travel service partners, hotels, attractions etc.

Insured in partnership with ICICI Lombard & Go Digit General Insurance Limited has customers fully covered with possibly the most comprehensive retail travel insurance program that includes COVID-19 related hospitalization up to sum assured.

As part of the Secured aspect, to ensure customer confidence from a money and security point of view, the companies offer flexible date changes, rescheduling, cancellations, and even guaranteed, accelerated refunds (subject to certain minimum criteria).

The companies also launched the country’s first Safe Holiday Helpline to offer free Holiday expert consultation to help customers navigate the maze of confusing and changing information about state regulations, International travel guidelines, etc, to instil confidence and make the best and safest choice for their travel.

Mr. Madhavan Menon, Chairman & Managing Director, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. said, “As leaders in the travel industry, our teams across Thomas Cook India and SOTC are focused on ensuring the health and safety of our customers and our endeavour is to provide them the confidence to travel. Our Doctor on Call service in association with Apollo Clinics – a member of the Apollo Hospitals Group, is an extension of our Assured Safe

Travel Program and yet another step towards reassuring our customers with dedicated and meticulous health care services, should the need arise at any point in time on tour. Through this initiative, combined with our Assured, Insured & Secured program, we seek to cover every aspect of physical safety as well as mental and financial security – to give customers the total peace of mind they deserve when planning a holiday in the new normal.”

Mr. Anand Wasker, Chief Operating Officer, Apollo Clinic, said, “We provide all Primary Healthcare services under one roof via Apollo Clinic format and are committed to offering world-class healthcare services to our customers. We are delighted to partner with Thomas Cook and SOTC to offer teleconsultation services to customers who are in need while travelling.”

About Thomas Cook (India) Limited:

Set up in 1881, 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, Value Added Services, Visa and Passport services and E-Business. It operates leading B2C and B2B brands including Thomas Cook, SOTC, TCI, SITA, Asian Trails, Allied T Pro, Australian Tours Management, Desert Adventures, Luxe Asia, Kuoni Hong Kong, Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited, TC Forex, Distant Frontiers, TC Tours, TC Visa, Travel Circle International Limited, Ithaka, Digiphoto Entertainment Imaging (DEI), Private Safaris East & South Africa.

As one of the largest travel service provider networks headquartered in the Asia-Pacific region, The Thomas Cook India Group spans 25 countries across 5 continents, a team of over 8388 and a combined revenue in excess of Rs. 6948.3 Cr. (over $ 0.93 Bn.) for the financial year ended March 31, 2020.

TCIL has been felicitated with The Best Travel Agency – India at TTG Travel Awards 2019, The Best Outbound Tour Operator at the Times Travel Awards 2018 & 2019 and Leading Company with Cutting Edge Travel Innovation at the Times Travel Awards 2018, Silver award for Asia’s Best Integrated Report (First Time) category at the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards, Best Risk Management-Framework & Systems at the India Risk Management Awards 2019; Best Cash Management Solution – India at the Asset Triple A Treasury, Trade, Supply Chain & Risk Management Awards 2018, Best Outbound Tour Operator at the SATTE awards 2019, Excellence in Domestic Tour Operations at the SATTE Awards 2018, The French Ambassador’s Award for Exemplary Achievements in Visa Issuance – 2015 to 2019 and the Condé Nast Traveller – Readers’ Travel Awards from 2011 to 2019.

CRISIL has revised the rating on debt programs and bank facilities of Thomas Cook (India) Ltd to ‘CRISIL A+/Negative on the long-term bank facilities of TCIL and CRISIL A1 rating on the short-term bank facilities and short- term debt of the Company.

For more information, please visit www.thomascook.in

Fairbridge Capital (Mauritius) Limited, a subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited promotes TCIL by holding 65.60% of its paid-up capital and is responsible for the execution of acquisition and investment opportunities.

About Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited:

Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited is a holding company which, through its subsidiaries, is engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance and investment management. Founded in 1985 by the present Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Prem Watsa, the company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.  Its common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol FFH and in U.S. dollars under the symbol FFH.U.

About Subsidiaries of Thomas Cook (India) Ltd.:

Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of TCIL is engaged in the timeshare and resort business.

SOTC Travel Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of TCIL is a leading travel and tourism company active across various travel segments including Leisure Travel, Incentive Travel, and Business Travel.

TCI, a brand owned by TCIL of its wholly-owned subsidiary company – Travel Corporation (India) Limited, is the leading Destination Management Company in India that offers tailor-made travel and related services to India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka.

Thomas Cook India Group holds a 51% stake in DEI Holdings Limited (DEI), one of the world’s leading imaging solutions and services providers.