Introduction

India’s Leading Tour operator

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.

Escorted Group Holidays

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.

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, we offer you the means to plan your holiday,

your way!

Holidays of India

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 travellers the complete freedom and flexibility to define their preference for the

destination, length of stay and pace of travel.

Corporate Tours

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.

Market

According to the World Travel and Trade Council, Indian tourism – averaged retrospectively

from 2004 – will grow 8.8% until 2013, making India the world's third fastest growing tourist

market. But what has taken the world by surprise is the emergence of the Global Indian.That he

has finally arrived is reflected in the fact that more than twenty countries have set up tourist

promotion boards in India. Countries as far apart as Seychelles, Malaysia, Spain, Egypt, Hong

Kong and New Zealand are competing with each other for the Indian tourist's time and, more

importantly, money. The reason for this interest in Indian tourists is not hard to find: Indians

have emerged as one of the highest spending communities. For instance, the Indian is the highest

spender in Singapore with an average daily expenditure of almost S$ 300 (Rs. 8400). With the

economy growing consistently at over 8%, increasing disposable incomes, a change in spending

habits, liberalisation of exchange controls, increasing affordability, holiday packages and

cheaper air fares, outbound tourist traffic has snowballed. It has been growing at an annual

average of around 25%. In 2007, about eight million Indian tourists ventured abroad. UNWTO

estimates the figure to reach about 50 million by 2020. Along with the rise in the number of

Indians travelling abroad, both the total and per capita expenditure abroad has been increasing.

According to the European Travel Commission, average spend per trip of Indian outbound

tourists has increased from US$ 611 (Rs. 24,440) in 2000 to US$ 822

(Rs. 32,880) in 2006. Similarly, Euromonitor International estimates the outgoing tourism

expenditure from India will grow to US$ 21 billion (Rs. 84,000 crore) by 2011, representing an

annual average increase of over 25.7% beginning 2006. A far-sighted holiday brand, SOTC – the

outbound division of Kuoni Travel (India) Private Limited – had anticipated this phenomenon

way back in 1976 when liberalisation was nothing more than a pipe dream. It is no surprise then,

that this early bird is perched comfortably as India’s largest operator in this

segment and is twice as large as its nearest competitor. With a distribution network of 140 sales

outlets, 3500 travel agents and a million loyal customers across India, SOTC is the king of the

outbound road

Sought after awards and accolades. It had received the Galileo express travel world award for

best national outbound tour operator, five times in a row, in 2008. Both air India and Kenya

airways have honored sotc for its outstanding contribution as the top revenue producer for the

airlines during 2006/07. In 2007 alone, it received the today's traveller leadership award for the

most successful travel company, the Cnbc Awaaz Travel award in the category of the most

preferred tour operator, the Gulliver’s travel associates trophy of achievement and the satte best

outbound tour operator award. In 2008 the tourism authority of Thailand conferred the amazing

Thailand champion agent award on sotc and tourism malaysia tied up with sotc for the great

Malaysia holiday bazaar – a two-day event in july 2009. Sotc sport abroad was the tour partner

for kingfisher airlines for the dlf ipl 2009 and was also the official travel agent for icc world

twenty20 held in England.

Market Long years of travel restrictions had forced many Indians to become armchair travellers

resigned to getting second hand thrills from watching Bollywood heroes cavorting on Alpine

snows or romancing in Paris .The opening up of the Indian economy did not only bring to fore

the Indian spirit of entrepreneurship but it also turned Indians into serial travellers. That more

than twenty countries have set up tourism promotion boards in India is proof that the global

Indian holidaymaker has arrived and is now a force to be reckoned with. For instance, the Indian

is the highest spender in Singapore with an average daily expenditure of almost S$ 300 (Rs.

8400). Euromonitor International estimates that the outgoing tourism expenditure from India will

grow to US$ 21 billion (Rs. 100,800 crore) by 2011, representing an annual average increase of

over 25.70% between 2006 and 2011. Indian tourism itself – averaged retrospectively from 2004

– is slated to grow at 8.80% until 2013, making India the world's third fastest growing tourist

market in the world (Source: World Travel and Trade Council).

SOTC – the outbound division of Kuoni Travel (India) Private Limited – had anticipated this

phenomenon as far back as 1976 when liberalisation was not even a gleam in the collective

Indian eye.Today, it is India's No. 1 holiday brand and, at last count, was twice as large as its

nearest competitor. According to UNWTO international tourists are expected to number around

1.6 billion by the year 2020 (Source: UNWTO – Tourism 2020 Vision). Of these a very

substantial percentage are expected to be Indians in search of relaxation or in quest of a new

place to explore.

Achievements

SOTC World Famous Tours has had a distinguished track record. SOTC's dedicated service to

ensure hiccup-free travel for thousands has been recognised by the world's most eminent travel

and tourism bodies who have showered it with the industry's most sought after awards and

accolades. It had received the Galileo Express Travel World Award for Best National Outbound

Tour Operator, five times in a row, in 2008. Both Air India and Kenya Airways have honored

SOTC for its outstanding contribution as the Top Revenue Producer for the airlines during

2006/07. In 2007 alone, it received the Today's Traveller Leadership award for the Most

Successful Travel Company, the CNBC Awaaz Travel award in the category of the Most

Preferred Tour Operator, the Gulliver's Travel Associates Trophy of Achievement and the

SATTE Best Outbound Tour Operator award. In 2008 the Tourism Authority of Thailand

conferred the Amazing Thailand Champion Agent award on SOTC and Tourism Malaysia tied

up with SOTC for the Great Malaysia Holiday Bazaar – a two-day event in July 2009. SOTC

Sport Abroad was the tour partner for Kingfisher Airlines for the DLF IPL 2009 and was also the

official travel agent for ICC World Twenty20 held in England.

Company profile

History

The year 2009 marked the diamond jubilee for SOTC – a company that began operations in 1949

from Cawasji Hormusji Street in Mumbai with just five employees. For the next 25 years the

company functioned from the same premises. By 1974 it was clocking annual turnover of more

than Rs. 2.50 crore (now US$ 520,000) and was ranked amongst the top ten travel agencies in

Mumbai.To accommodate its growing needs it moved to a larger office on Mint Road. The US

bicentennial celebrations in 1976 was a watershed year for SOTC; for that year the company

handled its first tour group.There has been no looking back since. In the next three years SOTC

had taken about 500 tourists to Europe, the US, Singapore and Japan.The success of these and

the positive feedback from its clients encouraged SOTC to make their tours more widely

known.The company began extensively advertising them in 1981. The 1983/95 phase was one of

uninhibited growth when the company leapfrogged over several competitors. Spurred by these

triumphs, SOTC moved to new premises in Churchgate. It was here that the

company installed its first computer to track sales and operations and metamorphosed into a

completely restructured organisation with autonomous strategic business units (SBUs).

Kuoni Travel Holding, Switzerland, acquired 100% equity in SOTC in May 1997. Now

supported by the powerful Kuoni brand, SOTC's flagship product World Famous Tours had

begun to offer a variety of travel choices to destinations across the world. By 2006 SOTC had

surged far ahead of competitors. To celebrate this, the company invited customers to 'Expect

More' from them – more value, superior customer service, consistently better quality. The results

have been spectacular: SOTC has escorted over 400,000 passengers across the globe.Today, the

company has a distribution network comprising 71 sales outlets and 102 premium travel agents

Product

SOTC products are varied and designed to fulfill the needs of a cross-section of people. Cost-

Saver Tours, Do-It-Yourself Holidays, Women's Tours, Sports Tours – SOTC has all of them,

and more, on offer. Common to them are exciting holidays and the comfort of the finest hotels

all over the world, plus a group of carefully vetted families. The company's Cost Saver Tours

have been planned keeping in mind the budget of the traveller – but without compromising on

the sightseeing and basic holiday needs.This fine balance of price and quality provides

unmatched value to the customer. SOTC's Do-It-Yourself Holidays, with highly innovative

product offerings, allow individual travellers the freedom to work out their own itinerary, at their

own pace.The company also offers a number of customised products for

special interest groups.These include SOTC Sport Abroad – a unique product developed

especially for sports lovers by SOTC.The company's Trade Fairs and Corporate Tours offer an

unmatched package

for travels related to meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE). Realising that

sometimes ethnic groups find comfort in a common language and common traditions, SOTC

developed two special tours – Bhraman Mandal for the Marathi-speaking tourist and Gurjar

Vishwadarshan for the Gujarati market. The company also realised the huge potential that exists

within India.To fulfill the needs of the India-bound traveller, SOTC created the Holidays of India

These allow every kind of traveller – be it families, youth, students, honeymooners and groups –

to experience the magnificence and grandeur of this vast country. SOTC Holidays of India

include holiday options

such as Classic Holidays, Fun-Filled Beaches, Hill Stations, Wildlife Holidays, Soft Adventures,

Wellness Holidays and Spiritual Retreats. All tour packages have the built in option to holiday

now and pay later.This simply means that travellers can have fun today and discharge their

financial obligations in convenient monthly installments.

Recent Developments

SOTC Holiday Bazaar, a consumer road show in seven cities across India, was a pioneering

event in the Indian tour operator market. In association with tourism boards, cruise liners and

airlines, the road show offered spectacular deals and prices. In order to increase customer access

points and enhance satisfaction through a contemporary IT-enabled ambience,

SOTC has successfully opened 47 outlets. Simultaneously

SOTC Gold launched a holiday package covering visits to the ‘New Seven Wonders of the

World.’ Celebrity Mandira Bedi played brand ambassador and host for this innovative product.

Each year, SOTC creates a package of must see offerings – each dripping with excitement and

promising fun for the entire family. The most recent of these value-added packages includes

three nights on a Mediterranean Cruise to Greece and Turkey plus one night in Athens worth Rs.

46,000 (US$ 1150) absolutely free when a traveller books the company’s Grand Tour of Europe.

Similarly, there’s a bonus offer of two additional nights in Helsinki, Finland, free – including

meals and sightseeing – on booking the Magnificent Europe tour; and a four-night Royal

Caribbean Cruise to the Bahamas for just US$ 99 (Rs. 3960) on booking the fifteen-day All of

USA package. SOTC’s Boom-A Rang offer for Australia carries with it a bonus worth Rs.

56,000 (US$ 1400) of six exciting thrills and conveniences: a hot air balloon ride; a two-day stay

at the picturesque Blue

Mountains; a magnificent Zingara show; free upgrade to the finest deluxe hotels all over

Australia; an exciting ATV ride and a seaplane jaunt over Sydney. Keeping in tune with the

aspirations of SOTC’s up market clientele, it has launched European Royale – a luxurious

holiday experience with extraordinary standards in group holidaying.The tour experience

includes a gala dinner with cocktails right next to the Coliseum in Rome, a

horse-drawn carriage ride through Innsbruck, sipping champagne and a trip to Brugge.

Promotion

SOTC is an active participant in promoting tourism .Towards this end, it uses both conventional

media channels as well as below the-line promotions. But perhaps, its most vociferous support

comes from word-of-mouth endorsements from clients who have experienced SOTC's

hospitality. Periodically, it develops in conjunction with tourism boards and actively promotes a

destination in a show called SOTC Holiday Bazaar. The Great Singapore Holiday Bazaar, the

Great Malaysia Holiday Bazaar ,Thailand Holiday Bazaar and Hong Kong Holiday Bazaar held

across India have all been immensely successful. The brand also participates in various fairs and

travel-related events. Its participation in The Times Travel Fair, Times Lifestyle Fair, Times

Summer Fest in Mumbai, Times Lifestyle Fair Mumbai, India International Travel Mart in

Mumbai, Holiday Expo in Coimbatore, Travel & Tourism Fair – Outbound Travel Mart, Times

Utsav across India and SATTE in New Delhi have all been enthusiastically supported by visitors.

SOTC believes that travel should be a sensory experience. The company provides readers a

glimpse into destinations through a superbly designed brochure printed with the highest

standards of quality. In addition, a quarterly newsletter, Let's Go, is a veritable goldmine of

information for customers, travel agents, business associates and loyalty programme members.

For a world increasingly comfortable with the internet, SOTC bundles this

same wealth of information on its website

Brand Values

SOTC is a people's company. It is driven by an urge that accepts that people dream and harbour

ambitions to travel and explore. This is the fuel that impels SOTC to make accessible the world's

most exotic destinations, at a price that makes the fulfillment of these dreams possible. The

company follows a policy of complete transparency, eschewing hidden costs and delivering a

product that travellers will remember. 'Expect More' is not just a slogan that sounds good when

rolled over the tongue. It is the soul of the company and is designed to encapsulate its brand

philosophy. At SOTC, when a traveller literally asks for more, he gets it.

2006 marked the birth of a new SOTC. The spirit of this event is best captured by the brand

positioning ‘Expect More.’

This is an articulation of a more contemporary expression of its brand philosophy .The

distinctive positioning commits the company to give to the customer more – more value, superior

customer service, consistently better quality. The company’s fundamental strengths form the

guiding principles by which it conducts its business. These include a commitment to making

worldwide travel accessible, being customer centric, making holidays affordable and bringing

the magic of travel to the customer’s doorstep. Being the pioneer and market leader in the travel

industry, SOTC believes in creating affordable, innovative value-based offers to suit the needs of

various travellers. Following price transparency and believing in offering the

best value in the market, with no hidden costs, has led to huge brand loyalty. For SOTC

employees keeping clients happy is part of the challenge; meeting their expectations is reward.

Things you didn’t know about SOTC

SOTC was the first travel group to create a tour around the Seven New Wonders of the World It

was SOTC which first conceptualized a Holiday Bazaar The town of Engel berg in Switzerland

was renamed SOTC Indian Village in 1999 SOTC is the only Indian tour operator to be given the

prestigious Friends of Thailand award Cost Saver Tours were first introduced by SOTC Holiday

Now Pay Later was an SOTC initiative The concept of setting up franchisees of Holiday World

Outlets was introduced by SOTC to cater to the increasing demand of Indian travellers

Awards for Excellence

SOTC – Voted The Best Outbound Tour Operator 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 SOTC has been voted the Best Outbound Tour Operator 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 by the Galileo Express Travel & Tourism Awards Committee. The Galileo Express Travel & Tourism awards have been designed to give recognition to the trade for outstanding achievements during the year. This award was based on various parameters of judgment and took into consideration factors including revenue generated, operational efficiency, perceived service levels, and the ability to retain and increase market share.

Other Major Awards:

Kuoni India wins the 2014 PATA Gold Award for Marketing – Industry

Kuoni-SOTC wins the Best Foreign Tour Operator – South Asia 2012 & 2013 Award by

Malaysian Tourism

Kuoni India MD honoured with Most Influential Persons Award by Outbound

Travel Mart (OTM)

Best Foreign Tour Operator – South Asia for year 2012-13 by Malaysian Tourism

Kuoni India wins TAAI Travel Awards 2013 for Best Domestic Tour Operator

Kuoni India wins TAAI Travel Awards 2013 for Best Outbound Tour Operator

Kuoni India wins Today’s Traveller Award 2012 for Best Outbound Tour Operator

SOTC wins the prestigious PowerBrands 2012 Award

Lonely Planet Magazine India Travel Awards 2012 to Kuoni India for the Best Tour Operator

Travel + Leisure India & South Asia’s India’s Best Award for Best Tour Operator India to Kuoni

India

5th Loyalty Awards for Customer & Brand Loyalty in Travel & Hospitality Sector to Kuoni

Travel Group, India

Kuoni Travel India Pvt. Ltd./ SOTC as a Sentosa Star Preferred Partner Sep 2011 to Aug 2012

TAAI Travel Awards 2011 for Most Outstanding Business Innovation Award to Kuoni-SOTC

7th Hospitality India and Explore the World Annual International Awards 2011 for ‘The Best

Travel Company for Customer Satisfaction’

CNBC Awaaz Travel awards 2011 for ‘Most Preferred Tour Operator for Outbound Travel’ to

Kuoni & SOTC India

Today’s Traveller Award for Best Outbound Tour Operator 2011 to Kuoni India

2009 – Pacific Asia Travel Association Gold Award (PATA) award in the

Marketing – Industry category.

2009 – Leadership in Integrated Travel Operations at The Economic Times Travel Awards to

Kuoni India.

2009 – Abacus-TAFI Award 2009 for Business Leadership in Tour Operating to Kuoni & SOTC

in the category Best Outbound Tour Operator.

2009 – PATWA International Award 2009 to Kuoni for Best Travel Company of the year in

India.

2009 – Kuoni Travel Group, India wins the award for promoting South African Airways &

Tourism to South Africa.

2009 – TTG Travel Awards 2009 for Best Travel Agency – India.

2009 – SOTC winner of CNTO Top 10 Travel Awards 2008 – 2009.

2009 – Best Outbound Tour Operator for the year 2009 by Safari India.

2009 – Consumer Super brands.

2009 – Top Revenue Performer for the year April 2008- March 2009 by Kenya Airways.

2009 – Certificate of Recognition by Cathay Pacific Airways to Kuoni India.

2009 – Reliance General Insurance Outstanding Performance Award to Kuoni India.

2008 – Today’s Traveller’s Diamond Award to Kuoni India.

2008 – Business Superbrands India Award for 2007 – 2008.

2008 – Tourism Authority of Thailand conferred SOTC with Amazing Thailand Champion

Agent.

2008 – Kuoni India was conferred with Appreciation of your support for

Tourism New South Wales Australia.

2007 – Galileo Express TravelWorld Award for Best National Outbound Tour Operator Award.

2006 / 2007 – Air India Outstanding Contribution Passenger Sales India Region.

2006 / 2007 – Top Revenue Producer for April 2006 – March 2007 by Kenya Airways.

2007 – Today’s Traveller Leadership Award for the Most Successful Travel Company.

2007 – CNBC Awaaz Travel Award 2007 in the category Most Preferred Tour Operator in June

07.

2007 – GTA (Gulliver’s Travel Associates) Trophy of Achievement in April 2007.

2007 – Consumer Superbrand India Award for 2006 – 2007.

2007 – GTA (Gulliver’s Travel Associates) Trophy of Achievement in April 2007.

2007 – SATTE Best Outbound Tour Operator Award.

2006 – Galileo Express TravelWorld Award for Best National Outbound Tour Operator Award.

2006 / 2007 – Certificate of Appreciation to SOTC HOI in recognition of being partners in

excellence 2006 – 2007.

2006 / 2007- Top Ten Agent Award by Air Mauritius 2006 – 2007.

2005 – Galileo India Express Award for ‘Best Outbound Tour Operator’.

2005 – Malaysian Airlines Gold Award for Outstanding Sales.

2005 – Qantas High Flier Award.

2005 – Top Revenue Producer for the financial year April 2005 – March 2006 by Kenya

Airways.

2005 – Air India Outstanding Passenger Sales.

2005 – Austrian Award for Outstanding Performance.

2005 – Business Superbrand.

2004 – Galileo India Express Award for ‘Best Outbound Tour Operator’.

2004 – Malaysia Tourism Award for ‘Best Foreign Tour Operator’.

2004 – Singapore Tourism Board Award for ‘Best Travel Experience in india’.

2004 – Star Cruises The Top Agents Award for 2004.

2004 – Star Cruises Appreciation of Support for 2004.

2004 – South African Airways Travel & Tourism Award.

2003 / 2004 – Sri Lankan Airlines Bronze Award Passenger.

2003 / 2004 – Qantas High Flyer Award.

2003 / 2004 – Malaysia Airlines Gold Award for ‘Outstanding Sales Achievement’.

2003 – Star Cruises Appreciation Award.

2003 – Alitalia ‘Outstanding Support and Sales Performance’.

2002 / 2003 – Sri Lankan Bronze Award – Kuoni Travel (India) Pvt. Ltd.

2002 / 2003 – Air India Outstanding Performance in Passenger sales.

2002 – Regional Director’s Tourism Award – 3rd Position in Electric Parade.

2002 – Malaysia Airlines Gold Award for ‘Outstanding Sales Achievement’.

2001 / 2002 – Sri Lankan Gold Award.

2001 / 2002 – Malaysia Airlines Gold Award for ‘Outstanding Sales Achievement’.

2001 / 2002 – KLM Top Series Performance Award & Top Leisure Traffic Contributor.

2001 – TAAI’s Appreciation Award for Active Support.

2001 – Le Meridian Top Producers for ‘Outstanding Support’.

2001 – Star Cruises Agent Performance Awards – Top Performing Agents 1st.

2000 – Star Cruises to SOTC WFT for support to Star cruises.

2000 – Friends of Thailand for International Tour Operator.

2000 – Switzerland Tourism Key Account Award.

2000 / 2001 – Sri Lankan Airways Bronze Top Agents Award.

1999 / 2000 – Qantas – Hi Flier Award.

1999 – Award for Outstanding performance South Asia Region, at Worlds Travel Mart Global

Awards.

Our vision

Manifesto

SOTC types of Holidays

Customized holidays

Escorted Group Holidays

Gujrati Groups Holidays

Marathi Groups Holidays

Holiday of india

cruises