Vick - Project

8/8/2019 Vick - Project

1/35

AWARENESS OF SOTC BRAND

1


2/35

TABLE OF CONTENTS.No. Topic Page No1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Introduction

Methodology

Executive Summary

Industry Profile

Forms of Tourism

Types of Tourist

Marketing Mix

PEST Analysis

SWOT Analysis

Company Profile

SOTC Band

Competitor

Outbound Tourism

Types of Passport

Types of VISA

Currency Regulation

Travel Tax

Formalities

Research

Findings

3

4

5

6

7

9

10

15

18

19

21

24

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

35

2


3/35

1. INTRODUCTION

The training was carried out as a partial fulfilment of my PGDBM degreeunder Skyline Business School.

The project has been carried out at SOTC, Gurgaon.My project was based on the study of find out the potential andawareness of SOTC brand as well as creating awareness amongst the

people of NCR region and understanding the whole process of booking.

3


4/35

2. METHODOLOGY

The methodology of my assignment was purely based on personal

observation as well as interaction and discussion with customer and theexecutives of the SOTC Gurgaon.

STUDY AREA:Present study has been carried out at SOTC Franchises, Gurgaon.

NATURE OF DATA: Primary Data: The primary data has been collected through

personal observation as well as through both open and closedended questionnaires with customer and the executives of SOTC.

Secondary Data: The secondary data has been collected from thecompany information system.

4


5/35

3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This is a project which has been carried out at SOTC, Gurgaon. Theproject is conducted on Study of awareness about SOTC brand, atopic which was assigned by the SOTC authority.

In this project we have collected both Primary and Secondary data.The Primary data was collected through questionnaire and personalobservation and the Secondary data was collected from the SOTCinformation system.

5


6/35

4. Introduction

Industry:

The Travel and Tourism industry is still one of the largest single

businesses in world commerce and its importance is widely recognized.The tourism industry is now one of the largest sectors earning foreignexchange. In the face of many benefits, many countries have startedassigning due weight age to the tourism industry in their nationaldevelopment agenda.Tourism is an industry that operates on a massively broad scale: itembraces activities ranging from the smallest sea-side hotel; to air-lines,multi-national hotel chains and major international tour operators.Originally, non-traditional industries such as tourism emerged as asolution to strike a balance between ecology and industry

Tourism is one of the world's fastest growing industries at presentand holds the status of the world's no. 1 industry.

Spending on tourism amounts to 5%-10% of total consumer,spending in a year worldwide.

The industry creates a job every 2.4 seconds with every one ofthose direct jobs creating another 11 indirect ones.

The tourism industry as a whole is presently estimated to earn over

US$ 3.5 trillion worldwide. India's share of the total market is a pittance at 0.51%. The non-tourist countries like Malaysia and Indonesia get much moretourists than India.

India's share of the total market is a pittance at 0.51%. The non-tourist countries like Malaysia and Indonesia get much moretourists than India.

The Tourism industry's foreign exchange earnings in India arearound $3.2 billion. Tourism is the highest foreign exchange earner

if we consider the fact that net value addition in Gems andjewellery is less than 30 % whereas, in tourism it is more than 90%.

Recent statistics have revealed that during the first quarter of 2006, theperformance of the tourism industry has been very encouraging which hasregistered an 11% increase in foreign tourist arrivals.India Tourism office at Tokyo won two International Awards in TourExpo held at Daegu in Korea for excellent tourism promotion. IndianPavilion won the Best Booth Design Award as well as Best FolklorePerformance Award competing with major players in tourism such asChina, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and Canada.

6


7/35

5. SPECIAL FORMS OF TOURISM

For the past few decades many forms of tourism are becoming more

popular, particularly:ADVENTURE TOURISMThis type of tourism involves travel in rugged regions, or adventuroussports such as mountaineering and hiking (tramping).

CULTURAL TOURISM

It includes urban tourism, visiting historical or interesting cities, such asDelhi, Amritsar, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmadabad, etc. andexperiencing their cultural heritages. This type of tourism may alsoinclude specialized cultural experiences, such as art museum tourism

where the tourist visits many art museums during the tour, or operatourism where the tourist sees many operas or concerts during the tour.

EDUCATIONAL TOURISM

It may involve travelling to an education institution, a wooded retreat orsome other destination in order to take personal-interest classes, such ascooking classes with a famous chef or crafts classes.

GARDEN TOURISM

It means visiting botanical gardens, famous places in the history ofgardening, such as Versailles and the Taj Mahal.

HERITAGE TOURISM

It is visiting historical (Rome, Athens, Cracow) or industrial sites, such asold canals, railways, battlegrounds, etc.

HEALTH TOURISM

It means usually to escape from cities or relieve stress, perhaps for some

'fun in the sun', etc. often to "health spas".

MEDICAL TOURISM

It is used for advanced care that is not available in one's own country, inthe case that there are long waiting lists in one's own country for use offree or cheap health care organizations for what is illegal in one's owncountry, e.g. abortion, euthanasia; for instance, euthanasia for non-citizensis provided by Dignitas in Switzerland.

7


8/35

HOBBY TOURISM

Tourism alone or with groups to participate in hobby interests, to meetothers with similar interests, or to experience something pertinent to thehobby. Examples might be garden tours, square dance cruises, etc.

POP-CULTURE TOURISM

This tourism refers to tourism by those that visit a particular location afterreading about it or seeing it in a film.

PERPETUAL TOURISM

It is mainly for wealthy individuals who are always on vacations; some of

them, for tax purposes or to avoid being resident in any country.

PILGRIMAGE TOURISM

Pilgrimage tourism refers to ancient holy places (Rome and Santiago deCompostela for Catholics, Temples and stupas of Nepal for the Hindusand Buddhist, Mount Athos or Painted churches of northern Moldavia forthe Orthodox), religious sites such as mosques, shrines, etc.

SPORT TOURISM

Skiing, golf and scuba diving are popular ways to spend a vacation. Alsoin this category is vacationing at the winter home of the tourist's favorite

baseball team, and seeing them play everyday.

ECO TOURISM

It means sustainable tourism which has minimal impact on theenvironment, such as Safaris (Kenya), Rainforests (Belize) and Hiking(Lapland), or national parks.

GAMBLING TOURISM

This tourism refers to tourism to Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Macau orMonte Carlo for the purpose of gambling at the casinos there.

8


9/35

6. TYPES OF TOURISTS

One such way of classifying the users is by dividing them into categories

such as General, Sex, Region, Education, etc. General: Domestic, Foreign Kids, Teens, Youths, Seniors

Students, Executives, Artists Politicians, Movie stars Sex: Men, Women Region: Rural, Urban Education: Literate, Illiterate Status: Rich, Poor Profession: Executives, Academics, Sportsmen, Artists Occupation: White collar, Blue collar.

Another method of classifying users of tourism services is on the basis ofthe frequency of usage of services:

Non-users: They lack the willingness, desire and ability(income & leisure time).

Potential Users: They have the willingness but the marketingresources have not been used optimally to influence theirimpulse.

Actual Users: They are already using the services generatedby the tourist organizations

Occasional Users: They have not formed the habit oftraveling

Habitual Travelers: They have formed a habit and avail ofthe services regularly.

9


10/35

7. Marketing Mix

PRODUCT

Product is the combination of tangible and intangible elements. Thetourism product, which is mainly the destination, can only be experienced.The views of the location travel to the destination, the accommodationand facility as well as the entertainment at the destination all form thetourism product.

Thus it is a composite product combination of attraction, facilities andtransportation. Each of these components has its own significance in the

product mix and in the absence of even single components, the productmix is incomplete.

PRICE

Pricing in tourism is a complex process. Pricing includes the prices ofother services like Air travel, Bus, Railways, Hotels, etc. All are includedin tourism package. Pricing also depends on the Geographic location ofthe destination.

Pricing also depends on Seasonality. Seasonality is the most importantfactor in pricing. To match demand and supply tourist managers try to geteither discount. E.g. Taj is the tourist attraction in India. Pricing is also

based on competitors pricing. Pricing is also subject to governmentregulations. E.g. Air price changes tourism package also changes, if Hotelcharges change then also tourism package changes.

Pricing of the tourist product is a complex matter because of its compositenature. Geographical location of the destination affects the pricing

decision. At the same time, seasonality factor and varying demand cannotbe overruled. The objective of pricing in any other firms is to fetch atarget market share, to prevent competition, and to take care of the priceelasticity of demand.

A very important way, in which the travel and tourism business respondedto their highly complex pricing circumstances, is to operate at two levels.The first level is corresponds with the marketing strategy, which concernswith the product positioning, value for the money, long run return on

investments etc. The second level corresponds to the marketing operations

10


11/35

or tactics where the prices are manipulated to match the current demandand competition.

PLACE

Different distribution strategies can be selected for Tourism marketing.Tourism as a product is distributed as a travel. Internet is also usedwidely. There is an also small agent spread all over the town who plays arole of place. Large travel companies like Thomas Cook, Cox & Kings,SOTC, etc they act as a wholesalers and these wholesalers also act as aretailer.

The tourism marketer may not have adequate choice of the tourist center,because in most of the case the tourist destinations many be natural,historical attraction. But, infrastructure facilities, transportation,communication are important for the development of the tourist center.The major decision that the tourism marketer takes regarding distributionis relating to the channel of choice and channel members. The uniquenessof tourism industry is predominant position of intermediaries. The twomajor functions performed by the distribution system in tourismmarketing are:

To extend the number of points of sales or access, away formthe location at which services are performed or delivered

To facilitate the purchase of service in advance

Different distribution strategies may be selected to reflect the companysoverall objectives. The middleman may be tour operators, who buytourism products in bulk and make them available to travel agents whoare retailers. The range of tourist products, which are bought by the touroperators are airline seats, hotel accommodation, bus for local sightseeing, etc. they may also sell directly to customers. The latest mode ofreaching the tourist is through Internet. Ticket booking can also be done

through the Internet and payment is made with credit card.

PROMOTION

Advertising and sales promotion in Tourism can be very effective whensupplemented by publicity and personal selling. They use electronic, printall sorts of media they use; and it is highly promoted industry. Public orPR (Public Relation) plays an important role in tourism. It is also throughrecommendation of friends and relatives this is a biggest promotion.

11


12/35

Creation of awareness is an important factor in the formulation ofmarketing mix for the tourism industry. The promotion task simplifies theactivities of informing, persuading and influencing the decisions of

potential tourists. The promotion mix plays a vital role as the users of

service feel high degree of involvement and uncertainty about the productand their role in buying process. Some of the important aspects ofpromotion are advertising, publicity, sales support and public relation.

Advertising and sales promotion activities in tourism can be veryeffective when supplemented by publicity and personal selling.Advertising messages may range from subtly attractive visual messagesand symbols designed to appeal and stimulate travel desire and needs tosimple sales announcements drawing attention to specific product offers.

Word-of-mouth is a very important tool of promotion in tourism.Research shows that about 80% of the tourist visited different places onthe persuasion of their friends and relatives and also their own judgments.Brochures are another form of communication provided by tour operatorsto stimulate customers and motivate them to buy. They are used todemonstrate in pictures and words the images and positioning of the

product and the organizations.

PEOPLE

It plays a most important part in tourism. In people local people are veryimportant, that how they treat tourist. The travel agents, guides, staff oftravel companies, sales staff, etc they are the people. Travel Companyalso like Railways, Air, etc. is included in people. Normally a touristassures a tourism quality like hotels, Travel Company.

The personnel who attend to the needs of the tourists form an essentialingredient in tourism marketing. The sales personnel are responsible for

dealing with the customer behind the counter. The airline andtransportation crew interact with customers while traveling. The resort orhotel representatives enter to the needs of the tourist when they reach thedestination.

The tourist guides, who interact with the customers at the tourist location,all form the people element in tourism marketing. These contract personsmust be trained on interpersonal skills as well as knowledge of the

product. In the tourism industry the travel agents and the travel guides are

the two most important people who speak a lot about the industry. Henceit is imperative that they have to be at their best at all times. Travel guides

12


13/35

especially, are expected to have a lot of patience, good sense of humor,tact to transform the occasional tourists into habitual ones, thoroughknowledge of the places, linguistic skills etc.

PROCESS

The operation process of the tourism firm will depend on the size of thetourism firm. The sequential steps involved in the delivery of the tourist

products are:

Provision of travel information --- The informationregarding the travel is provided at a convenient location where the

potential tourist seeks clarification about his proposed tour.

Preparation of itinerates------ It is a composition of seriesof operations that are required to plan a tour.

Liaison with providers of services--- Before any form oftravel is sold over the counter to a customer; contracts haveto be entered with the providers of various services includingtransportation companies, hotel accommodation, coaches forlocal sightseeing etc.

Planning and costing tours------ Once the contracts andarrangements are entered into, then the task of planning andcosting the tour, this will depend on the tour selected as wellas individual requirements.

`Ticketing----- The computerized reservation system has inrecent years revolutionized the reservation system for bothrail and air travel.

Provision of foreign currency and insurance--- In case offoreign travel the final task provide foreign currency as wellas insurance

PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

The tourist attraction, which is an expensive for the customer must betangibilised with the help of tangible items like, comfortable seats whiletraveling, layout, and design of the resort, natural service scope, etc. the

sign posts that indicate directions, route maps, information regarding rulesand regulations of the tourist spot and the sign regarding the public

13


14/35

utilities like toilets, telephone booth also form a part of the physicalevidence.

Printed matters such as brochures also play an important role in the

development of tourism. As the product, in tourism is intangible. There isa need to describe fully the product, which is done by providing anelaborate brochure, which shows how different elements of the

programmes are carefully planned to include all necessary information tomake holiday establishes expectation of quality value for money, productimage and status, which must be matched when the product is delivered.

SEGMENTATION

Though there are a number of bases for segmentation of tourists, one ofthe most important is Lifestyle. Traveling decisions are fantasticallyinfluenced by changing lifestyles. They are also affected by other factorssuch as level of income, availability of leisure time, etc.

BASE OF

SEGMENTATION

CATEGORIES

Holiday Mass market

Popular market

Individual market

Demand Primary

Secondary

Opportunity

Geography International

On the basis of regions, cities,etc.

Psychographic Lifestyle

Personality motive

Knowledge

Demography Age

Sex

Religion

Socio-economic Rich, Poor

Rural, Urban

Literate, Illiterate

Purpose Business Travel

Cultural Tourism

Common Interest Convention

14


15/35

Age Teens

Youth

Seniors

Such segmentation is useful when deciding the offerings to target a

particular segment. For example,

The mass market consists of vacationists that travel in largegroups and prefer all-inclusive tours. They are generallyconservative.

The popular market consists of smaller groups going oninclusive or semi-inclusive tours. This group includes

pensioners and retired people.

The individual market consists of chairmen, seniorexecutives, etc.

As the lifestyle changes, consumption of services mightchange. For example, a newly married couple might preferromantic holidays, but once they have children they would

prefer family vacations where there are plenty of activities toentertain kids. Teens and youth might prefer adventure

holidays whereas senior citizens would probably prefer morerelaxing vacations.

8. PEST ANALYSIS

Environmental influences can be analyzed by using the PEST analysis.

Political

The political factors are the main driving force of the industry. The Indiantourism industry is built on the backbone of Government support and theindustry cannot sustain itself without it. The various archaeological sitesand the places of historical importance, the roads and the railways are allin the hands of the Government. All the support services like the hotelindustry, the airlines industry and the tourist operators to name some areheavily dependent on the support and the cooperation of the Government.The major reason as to why tourists visit India is for the vast and richheritage that our country has. That is under the control of theGovernment, through the Archaeological Survey of India. Any policychange that comes into force can have dramatic effect on the way theindustry players perform. For example, the Government charges high

rates of taxes on the luxury and the star category hotels and this hasalways been a cause of disagreement between the hotel associations and

15


16/35


17/35

international tourists.However some places such as Kerala and Rajasthan have been able tostrike a balance between their own culture and the demands of theinternational tourists and have profited handsomely in the bargain. People

are now adopting themselves to the fact that tourism pays and it can be amajor source of income forthem.In addition, tourism as a form of recreation has really caught on. Peoplethemselves have started traveling and are willing to travel to a place thatis out of the way and exotic. While traditionally traveling on a holidaymeant going to a hill station or a beach, now people are willing to go infor adventure tourism and also visit places that might be exotic and cannotreally be called hospitable. For example, now places like Leh andLakshwadeep are mentioned in the same breath as Goa or Kashmir.

Technology:

Although technology does not seem to be a major influence at first glance,it plays a major part in the promotion of a place. Better communicationfacilities are one of the first prerequisites for growth in the inflow oftourists. This has been made possible with technology. Improvedtechnology in the field of communication at cheaper costs has resulted inmany remote and inaccessible areas of the country getting connected tothe rest of the world. This connectivity has made these places visible tothe world. Better communication means access to media. And that is very

important if any place wants to be on the world tourist map.Similarly better transportation facilities have lead to a dramatic increasein the number of tourists visiting any particular place. The presence of anairport and the availability of frequent flights are a great convenience toany traveler.

India: Tourism Revenues and Expenditures 1990-2010

17


18/35

9. SWOT Analysis of Tourism in India:

Strength: India's geographical location, a culmination of deserts, forests,

mountains, and beaches. Diversity of culture i.e. a blend of various civilizations and their

traditions. A wealth of archaeological sites and historical monuments.Manpower costs in the Indian hotel industry are one of the lowest

in the world. This provides better margins for the industry. A very wide variety of hotels is present in the country that can

fulfill the demand of the tourists. There are international players inthe market such as Taj and Oberoi. Thus, the needs of theinternational tourists and travelers are seen to while they are on avisit to India.

Weakness: Lack of adequate infrastructure. The airlines in India, for example,

are inefficient and do not provide basic facilities at airports. Theroad condition in India is very bad.

A xenophobic attitude among certain sections of people.No proper marketing of India's tourism abroad. Foreigners still

think of India as a land of snake charmers. There are many placeswhere the image of India is one of poverty, superstition, anddiseases. The case of Plague in Surat in 1994 led to a decrease of36% in arrival of foreign tourists in India.

Opportunity:More proactive role from the government of India in terms of

framing policies.

18


19/35

Allowing entry of more multinational companies into the countrygiving us a global perspective.

Growth of domestic tourism. The advantage here is that domestic

tourism and international tourism can be segregated easily owing

to the difference in the period of holidays.

Threat: Economic conditions and political turmoil in other countries

affects tourism. Political turbulence within India in Kashmir and Gujarat has also

reduced tourist traffic. Aggressive strategies adopted by other countries like Australia,

Singapore in promoting tourism.

10. SOTC Indias No. 1 Holiday Company

Established in 1949 with just five employees at an office in CawasjiHormusji Street, Mumbai, it has grown to become one of Indias largesttravel companies. By the year 1968, the Company had moved to a much

bigger office at Mint Road and was also counted as one of the top tentravel agents in Mumbai, with a turnover touching Rs 25 millionA major turning point came in 1976 when SOTC handled its first grouptour to the US during the bicentennial celebrations. Within three years,SOTC had taken about 500 passengers to Europe, the US, Singapore andJapan. In 1981, came another breakthrough when SOTC Package Tours

began active advertising, with the first ad hitting the newspapersBetween the years 1983 and 1995, SOTC grew by leaps and bounds. Itmoved to new premises at Church gate, Mumbai, installed the firstcomputer for sales and operations, and went through a managementmetamorphosis with a complete restructuring of the business intoautonomous Strategic Business Units (Subs) with a state-of-the-art callcentre. SOTC has been fulfilling the travel needs of Indians for over five

decades now. It continues to seek out new and exciting destinations tooffer to outbound travelers

SOTCs outbound business operations broadly encompass PackagedGroup Tours for Indians and Individual Holidays. SOTC World FamousTours caters to those who seek comfort in group travel. It is widelyacknowledged to be the most successful package tour brand in India.Recognizing the importance of language markets, SOTC also pioneeredtours conducted in Marathi and Gujarati under the SOTC brand

extensions: SOTC BhramanMandal and SOTC GurjarVishwadarshan.

19


20/35

SOTC Do-It-Yourself Holidays caters to seasoned individual travelerswho want to see the world at their own pace. And for domesticvacationers we have Holidays of India.SOTC has been the pioneer in the development of organized leisure travel

in India. With a sales turnover of Rs 400 crores (2005), growing at 30%p.a., and a wide distribution network of 130 sales outlets and 3500 travelagents across India, it is more than double the size of the next biggestcompetitor

SOTC - India's Leading Outbound Tour operatorSOTC is the Outbound Travel Division of SOTC India and the countryslargest outbound tour operator. World Famous Tours is the flagship brandof SOTC, which pioneered the designing and marketing of escorted toursto cosmopolitan travelers in India. SOTC World Famous Tours hasescorted over 3,00,000 travelers across the globe, for more than 50 yearsto various destinations including Europe, Australia, New Zealand, USA,Africa, Mauritius, South Asia, and the Far East. Being a 100% subsidiaryof SOTC Travel Holding, Switzerland one of the worlds largest travelcompanies - SOTC leverages the advantage of the buying power andtravel services to provide customers value-for-money packages. SOTCendeavors to bring alive customers dream holiday. To begin with, SOTCensures that customers family travel safe, sure and secure with the finestIndian families.

SOTC has a wide distribution network of 130 sales outlets and 3500travel agents across India to retail our range of products and servecustomers better.

SOTC Voted The Best Outbound Tour Operator 2004, 2005 & 2006SOTC has been voted the Best Outbound Tour Operator 2004, 2005 and2006 in India by the Galileo Express Travel & Tourism AwardsCommittee. The Galileo Express Travel & Tourism awards have been

designed to give recognition to the trade for outstanding achievementsduring the year. The advisory board formulated the criteria for the awardin consultation with the renowned audit firm, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu,which used both a subjective and objective methodology that included a

polling process. This award was based on various parameters of judgmentand took into consideration factors including revenue generated,operational efficiency, perceived service levels, and the ability to retainand increase market share.

It is also significant to note that SOTC India, the parent company ofSOTC has won all the 3 top awards in the travel operations category at the

20


21/35

prestigious Galileo Express Travel and Tourism awards for all its threecore activities.

SOTC was presented the highly prestigious Worlds Leading Tour

Operator 2006 award ' World's leading tour operator ' at WTM, London in November 2005. The World Travel awards, which are bestowed forexceptional services in the travel sector, have evolved into one theindustrys most important annual events over the past few years. Theawards are voted on by thousands of travel sector specialist from over80,000 agencies in more that 200 countries. And winning one is clearconfirmation of a companys excellence within the travel sector.

11. SOTCs Brands

1)-SOTC World Famous Tours

SOTC World Famous Tours is the flagship brand of SOTC, whichpioneered the designing and marketing of escorted tours for cosmopolitantravelers in India. SOTC World Famous Tours has escorted over 3,00,000 travelers across the globe for more than 30 years, to variousdestinations including Europe, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Africa,

Mauritius, South Asia, and the Far East Being a 100% subsidiary ofSOTC Travel Holding, Switzerland - one of the world's largest travelcompanies SOTC leverages the advantage of the buying power and travelservices to provide customers value for- money packages. SOTC has builta reputation that it lives up to its promise to take Indians around theworld, while making them feels completely at home, no matter where theyare.

2)-SOTC BhramanMandal

In 2002, SOTC BhramanMandal was launched exclusively forMaharashtrian, to cater to their specific needs and requirements. SOTCBhramanMandal offers 'All-inclusive' exciting package tour options toEurope, Far East, Australia and New Zealand. While designing the tours,every single need of the Maharashtrian is kept in mind - their culture,eating habits and likes and dislikesProminent features of SOTC BhramanMandal Europe and Australia toursare the Predeparture meeting, Travel Kit and an experienced Marathi

speaking Tour Manager who accompanies them all the way from Mumbaito the destination and back. Within just five years of existence, SOTC

21


22/35

BhramanMandal has become a household name amongst theMaharashtrian

On 14th January in the year 2002, BhramanMandal was born. It was the

auspicious day of Sankranti. But more importantly, it was a moment ofreckoning for Tourism. As SOTC, Indias Greatest Packaged TourCompany launched BhramanMandal, a packaged tour divisionexclusively to cater to the needs of Maharashtrians. While designing thetours, every single need of Maharashtrian was kept in mind. Be it theireating habits or their likes and dislikes, every aspect was taken intoconsideration. But it was the experience of traveling with them, that waseven more enriching, for both, the travelers and usWithin just over a year of our existence, BhramanMandal has become ahousehold name among Maharashtrians. And this has been possible

because of all of those fellow Maharashtrians who chose to travel with us.3)-SOTC Gurjar Vishwadarshan

SOTC Gurjar Vishwadarshan was launched especially for Gujaraticommunity residing in India, to cater to their needs of having a PureIndian Vegetarian Meal with a Gujarati flavor, Gujarati speaking tourmanager at your service right from India to India and traveling with thefinest Gujarati families makes your holiday the most memorable andcomfortable one. Gurjar Vishwadarshan launched in the year 2004

received an overwhelming response from the Gujarati's staying all overIndia. Since then it has been scaling heights year after year today in its 4thyear of existence it has become a household name for Gujarati's and isfondly rembererd by Gujarati holiday goers, this has been possible

because of all of those fellow Gujarati's who chose to travel with us. Withthe new positioning of our brand "Expect More" ....in Gujarati whichmeans "Apeksha Thi Vadhare" we assure our patrons that every time theycan just expect more with SOTC.Gurjar Vishwadarshan is one of the business units of SOTC. SOTC has

pioneered its position in the packaged tour segment with its unparallelexpertise devised over last 50 years. Being a 100% subsidiary of SOTCTravel Holding, Switzerland - one of the worlds largest travel companies- SOTC leverages the advantage of the buying power and travel servicesto provide customers value-for-money packages.

4) - SOTC Do-it-Yourself Holidays

SOTC Do-it-Yourself Holidays caters exclusively to the needs and

requirements of the discerning Free Individual Traveler. It offers a widerange of customized holidays that allows individual travelers the freedom

22


23/35

to define their preferences of the destination, length of stay and pace oftravelFollowing high-quality standards, SOTC Do-it- Yourself Holidays haveensured accommodation at some of the world's finest hotels allowing for

proximity to city centre attractions such as shopping malls, pubs, cafes,restaurants and scenic delights. An individual traveler on SOTC Do-it-Yourself Holidays has the option to explore all the attractions of a singlecity. Or focus on all key cities of a particular country. They can evencombine two to eight countries in their holiday, depending on their tastes,time and budget.

5) - SOTC Holidays of India

SOTC Holidays of India has something for every kind of traveler - be itfamilies, youth, students, honeymooners, groups or individuals. SOTCHolidays of India offers packages that cover every conceivable tourrequirement - whether it is an extended vacation with the family, a

paragliding spree with friends or simply a rejuvenating weekend break.SOTC Holidays of India offers an opportunity to visit and explore all the

splendors of India through various categories of holiday packages. SOTCHolidays of India has categorized all holiday packages into Standard, Firstand Deluxe Class categories.It also offers a wide range of customized holidays thereby givingindividual travelers the complete freedom and flexibility to define their

preference of the destination, length of stay and pace of travelSOTC Holidays of India has something for every kind of traveler - be itfamilies, youth, students, honeymooners - groups or individual. SOTCHolidays of India has a range of holiday options namely: Classic Holidays

of India, Fun-filled Beaches of India, Hill Stations & Quick Getaways andSpiritual Retreats.

SOTC Holidays of India is a division ofSOTC Travel (India) Pvt. Ltd.,India's Largest Travel and Tourism Company. A market leader in its field,this division markets and operates foreign holiday packages under theSOTC World Famous Tours brand in India and in the big NRI markets ofthe Middle East, USA and UK. It currently operates from 120 sales pointsacross India and boasts of more than 250,000 loyal customers.

23


24/35

SOTC Holidays of India offers packages that cover every conceivabletour requirement; whether it is an extended vacation with the family, a

paragliding spree with friends or simply a rejuvenating weekend breakSOTC Holidays of India offers you an opportunity to visit and explore all

the splendors of India through various categories of holiday packagesClassic Holidays of India are time tested popular attractions likeKashmir, Himachal, Rajasthan and Kerala those have proved their abilityto completely satisfy the travelerFun-filled Beach Holidays offers not just sun and sand but also coollagoons, clear waters, corals, reefs and beach resorts.

Hill Stations & Quick Getaways offer a break through a multitude ofretreats at a short distance from home.

Spiritual Retreats to Rediscover Your Soul provide excursions to variousspiritual and hallowed sitesSOTC Holidays of India has categorized all holiday packages intoStandard, First and Deluxe Class categories.

12. ABOUT THE COMPETITOR

Cox & Kings is the longest established travel company in the world.At present, the COX & KINGS group has offices in UK (2 offices), USA,

Japan, Germany Italy, Turkey, Pakistan and Nepal. In India, Cox & Kingshas offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Calcutta,Ahmedabad, Cochin, Hyderabad, Pune, Goa and Jaipur and one satelliteoffice in Andheri in Mumbai and Gurgaon.

Thomas Cook is one of the world's leading international travel andfinancial services groups and serves over 20 million customers a year.They provide services to customers at 4,500 locations in more than 100countries and employee over 20,000 people.The Thomas Cook Holiday comes with a 150-year-old guarantee ofeternally sunlit memories. They couldn't expect any less from the peoplewho invented travel for leisure. They offer the world's most enjoyableholidays, to exotic destinations in India and abroad where everything is

taken care of from beginning to end.

24


25/35

Established in 1984, Kesari Tours is a premium travel company, whichoffers world-class holidays in India and around the world. Kesari haveperfected their tour itineraries to meet the special needs of the Indiantourist abroad. The motto of organization is 'No compromise on quality'.At Kesari Tours, they have made a motto that if they make a promise totheir customers, they honor it. They believe in honest, transparent deals.

No hidden costs and no compromise on sightseeing. They strive for 100%satisfaction of tourists. The company enjoys an immense goodwill. That'swhat they earned out of their beliefs.

A passion for Travel & a vision for creating innovative travel packages

were the two driving forces saw the beginning of a Travel Company in avery modest way in Mumbais Masjid Bunder.

The tremendous success & satisfaction of their tours paved way for Raj tohold its banner high & it continues to do so till date. They are proud to saythat year after year they have improved on the product, adding newdestinations, new attractions, pro-active marketing, & building customerconfidence.

Latest Trends in Outbound Tourism

Indian society is increasingly being driven by consumerism. Foreignholidays are becoming more of an aspiration. As a result, the society-conscious Indian is making an international holiday an essential part ofhis/her annual plan.

As the average Indians spending power has gone up, so too has hisinterest in overseas travel and the willingness to spend money the rise in

disposable incomes has led to more families opting for annual foreignholidays with a large number of international airlines entering the Indian

25


26/35

skies, there has been a rise in capacity. Air fares too have become morecompetitive, thereby benefiting the customer.

Over the last few years, there has been stability in tour prices and

increase in value-added offers such as Holiday now, Pay later, Takeyour Partner Free Holiday Vouchers, etc. So overall, a boomingeconomy, affordable air fares, better connectivity, increased seatcapacities, and a prospering middleclass have together contributed to thelarge number of holiday-seekers.

13 . OUTBOUND TOURISM

Outbound tourism is growing at the rate of 25% touching 6.2 million in2006-07 booking increased to 30% compared to the corresponding periodin the previous year Domestic tourism has also witnessed an annualgrowth of 20% from 2006 to 2007.

POPULAR SEGMENTS

Two segments in domestic tourism which have been showing exceptionalupward turn are Medical tourism and adventure tourism. India is rapidlygrowing into a major health destination, targeting one million additionalmedical tourists by 2010. These arrivals are expected to increase foreignexchange up to Rs. 5000-10000 crore.India has also become known for adventure tourism with the excellentfacilities that it offers for Water sports, Trekking, rock Climbing,mountaineering, Aero sports, Safaris, Motor Sports etc.Two million tourists are participating in adventure tourism annually. The

market is growing at 35% but given the right impetus, it can attractanother half a million foreign adventure tourists and the domesticadventure tourism market can see a 10-fold growth in the next five years.

Document Required for Outbound Tour:

Passport : A passport is a travel document issued by anational government that usually identifies the bearer as a

national of the issuing state and requests that the bearer bepermitted to enter and pass through other countries.

26


27/35

Passports are connected with the right of legal protection abroad and theright to enter one's country of nationality. Passports usually contain theholder's photograph, signature, date of birth, nationality, and sometimesother means of individual identification. Many countries are in the process

of developing biometric properties for their passports in order to furtherconfirm that the person presenting the passport is the legitimate holder.

14 . Types of passport:

1) - Ordinary Passports are the normal passports issued to most citizensand have no special connotations.

2)-Diplomatic Passports are issued to diplomats and diplomaticrepresentatives of a home country, and other state employees according tothe rules of a particular country. Having a Diplomatic passport does notnecessarily accord the bearer diplomatic immunity. Some countries' visarequirements may have different requirements for Diplomatic and non-

Diplomatic passports.

3)-Official or Service Passports are issued to employees (or "Technicaland Administrative Staff Members") of a government traveling for workrelated reasons who either do not qualify as Diplomats or are not entitled toDiplomatic Status under the Vienna Convention.

4)-Special Passports are issued to high-ranking state officers and theirdependents as a means of officially guaranteeing their sustenance to have

them exempted from visa requirements.

5)-A collective passport may be issued, for example, for a school trip. Allchildren on the trip would be covered by the group passport for the durationof the trip.

6)-Internal passports have been issued by some countries, as a means ofcontrolling the movement of the population. Examples include the iqama inSaudi Arabia, the Soviet internal passport system, and the hukou residency

registration system used in the People's Republic of China.

27


28/35

7)-Emergency or Temporary Passports are issued to persons whoseoriginal passport has been lost or stolen and who need to urgently travel.

8) -Business Passports are passports with extra pages issued to frequent

travelers.

9)-Family Passports are passports that are not issued to individuals but tofamily units.

Visa: is an authorized given by a state to a foreigner to enter itsterritory for a designated period and for a special purpose. It is notequivalent to a passport and it differs in as much as it is issued bythe country to which or through which the visitor will travel outnot by the state of which he is a national.

15 . Types of Visa:

1) - Tourist VisaIs given for 6 months normally; rest specifically depends on the countryof residence. The applicant is required to produce / submit documents in

proof of his financial standing.

2) - Business

Visa is valid for one or more years up to 5 years with multiple entries. Aletter from a sponsoring organization indicating nature of business,

probable duration of stay, places and organization to be visited,

incorporating therein a guarantee to meet maintenance expenses, etc.should accompany the application.

3)-Student Visa

Are issued for the duration of the academic course of study or for a periodof five years whichever is less, on the basis of firm letters of admissionfrom universities / recognized colleges or educational institution in India.Change of purpose and institutions are not permissible.

4)-Transit Visa

28


29/35

Are issued for a maximum period of 15 days with single / double entryfacilities to bona fide transit passengers only.5)-Visa to Missionaries

Are valid for single entry and duration as permitted by government ofIndia. A letter in triplicate from sponsoring organization indicatingintended destination in India, probable length of stay and nature of dutiesto be discharged should be submitted along with guarantee for applicantsmaintenance while in India.

6)-Journalist Visa

Are issued to professional journalists and photographers for visiting India.The applicant are required to contact on arrival in New Delhi, the external

publicity division of the ministry of external affairs and in other places,the office of the government of Indias Press Information bureaus.

7)-Conference Visa

Are issued for attending conferences / seminars / meeting in India. Aletter of invitation from the organizer of the conference is to be submittedalong with the visa application. Delegates coming to attend conferencemay combine tourism with attending conferences.

8)-Employment Visa

Are issued to skilled and qualified professionals or person who areengaged or appointed by the companies, organizations, economicundertakings a technicians technical export, senior executives, etc.Applicants are required to submit proof of contract / employment /engagement of foreigner nationals by the company or organization.Initially granted for a period of one year, it can be extended in India up tothe period of contract.

9)-Collective Visa

The facility also exists for the issues of collective visas to group toursconsisting of not less than four members and sponsored by a travel agencyrecognized by the government of India. Such groups may split intosmaller groups for visiting different places in India after obtaining acollective license to travel from the immigration authorities in India.However, they must reassemble and depart as the original group.

16.Currency Regulation:

29


30/35

There are no restrictions on the amount of foreign currency or travelerscheque a tourist may bring into India provided he makes a declaration in theCurrency Declaration Form given to him on arrival. This will enable himnot only to exchange the currency bought in, but also to take the unspent

currency out of India on departure. Cash, bank notes and travelers chequeup to US$ 1,000 or equivalent, need not be declared at the time of entry.Any money in the form of travelers cheque, drafts, bills, cheques, etc. inconvertible currencies, which tourists wish to convert into Indian currency,should be exchanged only through authorized money changers and banksthat will issues an encashment certificates that is required at the time ofrecon version of any unspent money into foreign currency. Exchanging offoreign currency other than banks or authorized money changers is anoffense under Foreign Exchange Regulation Act 1973.

17.Foreign Travel Tax:

Passengers embarking on journeys to any place outside India from acustoms airport/seaport will have to pay a foreign travel tax (FTT) of Rs.500 and Rs. 150 o journey to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan,Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Srilanka and Maldives. No tax is payable on

journeys performed by ship from Raeshwari to Talaimanar and in case oftransit passengers, provided they do not leave the customs barrier. Transitsea passengers leaving the ship for sightseeing, shopping etc. during theships call at any of the Indian ports will not be required to pay FTT

EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION

Foreigners coming to India on tourist visa on 180 days or shorter periodare not required to register themselves with any authority in India. Theycan move about freely in India, expect to restricted/protected areas and

prohibited places. Nationals of Bangladesh are exempted from registrationup to six months. If their stay exceeds six months, they have to registerthemselves. Individuals without nationality (stateless persons; IRO

refuges, persons receiving legal or political protection, holders of Nansenpassport etc.) should have valid passport, identify documents or swornaffidavits along with the visa for which they should apply two months inadvance. Pakistan nationals are required to register themselves within 24hours of their arrival with the nearest police station. Those holding a long-term multiple entry visas do not require Intended Departure Clearancefrom the city office when leaving the country. Accredited journalists aregiven the Intended Departure Clearance at the airport family passportissued by other governments are recognized without discrimination.

LANDING PERMIT FACILITY

30


31/35


32/35

19. RESEARCH

Potential and awareness of SOTC and other tour operators amongst thepeople of Gurgaon.

To find out the awareness level about SOTC and create awareness aboutSOTC amongst the people of Sushant Lok, Gurgaon.

To find out the potential for tour and travel industry amongst the peopleof Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon.

Questionnaire:-

Questionnaire analysis

Q1)-Are you aware about that SOTC provides?

32


33/35

2)-Are you aware about that SOTC is the largest tour and travel company of India for?

3- Have you ever taken the services of SOTC?

Are you aware about that SOTC provides ?

11%10%

7%

0%6%66%

WFT

FIT

Domestic tours

Conference & Exhibitiontours

All of the above

None of these

33

Are you aware about that SOTC is the largest tour and travel

company of India for?

9%6%

85%


34/35

Q3)-Have you ever taken the services of SOTC?

Have you ever taken the services of SOTC?

6%

94%

Y

N

4) - Do you have any future travel plan?

34

Do you have any future travel plan?

16, 20%

64, 80%

Y

N


35/35

20. Findings

In Udyog Vihar only 34% people are aware about SOTC

SOTC is perceive by people as a brand name

People are more aware about Cox and Kings and Thomas Cookthan SOTC.

80% people do not have any future plan.

In Udyog Vihar there is more potential of ticketing than packagetours.

90% companies in Udyog Vihar book their ticket online.

10% people book their tour ticket through travel agents.

No body is taking services of travel agencies for their tour.

Most probably Managing director and General Managers go fortours.

Middle class people are less interested in package tour.

Vick - Project

Documents

Transcript of Vick - Project