Mumbai, November 4, 2026: In line with its strategic expansion into viable emerging markets, Thomas Cook (India) Limited, India’s leading omnichannel services company, has strengthened its network with the opening of its first outlet in the city of Gorakhpur. This newly launched outlet broadens the Company’s access to 12 outlets across the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Located in Taramandal, South-East Gorakhpur, the outlet is situated in an established commercial and residential neighbourhood with a growing base of affluent households, business professionals and outbound travellers. Its proximity to key commercial and lifestyle landmarks, coupled with good connectivity to surrounding areas, gives it access to a wider customer catchment. The outlet is well-positioned to cater to diverse customer segments, including multi-generational families, corporate professionals, couples, Millennials and Gen Z, as well as GenS (seniors).
The outlet will offer a comprehensive portfolio spanning International and Domestic Holidays, Group Tours, Personalised Holidays, Cruises and value-added services such as Travel Insurance. Customers can also access Thomas Cook’s AI-powered booking platform, which enables personalised vacation planning by checking availability and making reservations in real time.
Gorakhpur/Uttar Pradesh Travel Trends
-
- Year-round travel: Travellers from Gorakhpur are increasingly leveraging public holidays and weekends to take multiple short breaks and mini-cations throughout the year, extending travel beyond traditional holiday seasons.
- Preference for experiential holidays: Travellers are increasingly looking for holidays that offer distinctive experiences and greater personalisation, moving beyond conventional destination-based itineraries.
- Diverse travel formats: Cruise holidays and charter-led journeys are gaining traction among travellers, with Thomas Cook India launching exclusive charter flights to Lakshadweep and Bhutan for the year-end holiday season.
- Growing demand for pilgrimage and spiritual tourism: Pilgrimage and spiritual travel continue to gain momentum, with Thomas Cook India strengthening its Spiritual Tourism portfolio ‘Bhakti’ to cater to this growing segment. Key spiritual hubs include Kailash Mansarovar, Char Dham, Vaishnodevi, Ujjain, Puri, Kashi and Ayodhya.
- Top destinations:
-
- International: Europe’s Switzerland, France, Austria, Italy, Spain; the Scandinavian countries of Finland, Norway and Sweden; Eastern European destinations such as the Czech Republic and Hungary; Australia and New Zealand; South America; Vietnam, Indonesia, China, Japan and South Korea; as well as Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
- Domestic and Indian subcontinent: Rajasthan, Kerala, Andamans, Lakshadweep, Northeast India, and Sri Lanka.
Mr. Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Limited said,
“Uttar Pradesh is an important source market for us at Thomas Cook India. The launch of our first outlet in Gorakhpur enables us to deepen our presence in the state and strengthen our reach across the region. Selected for its strategic location, this new outlet will enhance our ability to serve the growing and diverse travel needs of customers, offering convenient access to our services and a wide range of group and customised holiday solutions, right at their doorstep. My team and I look forward to co-curating memorable holidays for our customers, across destinations in India and overseas.”
About Thomas Cook (India) Limited:
Set up in 1881, Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL) is the leading omnichannel travel company in the country offering a broad spectrum of services including Foreign Exchange, Corporate Travel, MICE, Leisure Travel, Value Added Services, and Visa Services. It operates leading B2C and B2B brands including Thomas Cook, SOTC, TCI, SITA, Asian Trails, Allied TPro, Australian Tours Management, Desert Adventures, Travel Circle International Limited (TCI 勝景遊), Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited, Distant Frontiers, TC Tours, Digiphoto Entertainment Imaging (DEI), Go Vacation, Private Safaris East & South Africa.
As one of the largest travel service provider networks headquartered in the Asia-Pacific region, The Thomas Cook India Group spans 28 countries across 5 continents.
TCIL has been felicitated with ET Edge’s Best Organizations for Women (BOW) 2026, MICE Powerhouse at MaxiiiMICE Awards 2025, Outbound Travel Operator of the Year (2024) and MICE Travel Operator of the Year (2024 & 2023) at The Economic Times Travel & Tourism Annual Awards, MICE Travel Agency (Outbound) at the Economic Times MICE & Wedding Tourism Awards 2024, ‘Masters of Risk – Travel & Hospitality’ at India Risk Management Awards 2024, MICE Tour Operator of the Year – Outbound at SATTE 2024, Best Tour Operator at India Travel Awards North 2023, winner of the Corporate Citizen Award (Travel Tourism & Hospitality) at the Corporate Citizen Conclave & Award 2023, The Outbound Tour Operator of the Year 2022 at the SATTE Awards, IAMAI India Digital Awards 2022, CNBC-TV18 & ICICI Lombard India Risk Management Award – Travel & Leisure Category 2022 & 2021, CIO100 Award for digital innovation 2022.
CRISIL has reaffirmed the rating on debt programs and bank facilities of TCIL – ‘CRISIL AA/Stable’ 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. The highest rating for a travel & tourism company in India.
For more information, please visit www.thomascook.in
Fairbridge Capital (Mauritius) Limited, a subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, is the promoter of TCIL with a shareholding of 64.77% of its paid-up capital.
About Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited:
Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited is a holding company which, through its subsidiaries, is primarily engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance and the associated investment management. Founded in 1985 by the present Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. V. Prem Watsa, the company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Its common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol FFH and in U.S. dollars under the symbol FFH.U.
About Subsidiaries of Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL):
Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited
Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of TCIL is a leading leisure hospitality company with over 78 resorts, hotels and retreats across 48 locations in India covering hills, beaches, jungles, waterfront, adventure, heritage, pilgrimage and drive-to locations. Sterling provides a variety of offerings: Leisure holidays through FIT packages, Meetings & Conferences, Weddings, Reunions, Picnics and Holidays.
SOTC Travel Limited
SOTC Travel Limited is a step-down subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings held through its Indian listed subsidiary, Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL). SOTC Travel is a leading omnichannel travel and tourism company active across various travel segments including Leisure Travel, Incentive Travel and Business Travel.
