ACKNOLDGEMENT

I express my sincere thanks to Mr. Inder Lal Bansal Owner of SOTC

Franchisee for giving me an opportunity to undergo a project on “find out
the potential and awareness of SOTC brand as well as creating awareness
amongst the people of NCR region” and understanding the whole process
of booking.

I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Mr. Kapil(Sales

Executives), Mr. Gaurav(Sales Executives-WFT), Mrs. Dimple Mucchal
(FIT), Mrs. Bhavna Tandon(FIT) and all the other employee of the SOTC,
Gurgaon for helping me to complete my training successfully and
extending all cooperation whenever I needed it.

I would also like to thank the faculties and the administration team of the
Skyline Business School.

My deepest regards to my parents who have always encouraged me in

pursuit of higher education.

Thanks to all.

1
 TABLE OF CONTENT
Topic Page No
Introduction 3

Methodology 4

Executive Summary 5

Industry Profile 6

Forms of Tourism 7

Types of Tourist 9

Marketing Mix 10

PEST Analysis 15

SWOT Analysis 18

Company Profile 19

SOTC Band 21

Competitor 24

Outbound Tourism 26

Types of Passport 27

Types of VISA 28

Currency Regulation 29

Travel Tax 30

Formalities 31

Research 32

Findings 35

Bibliography 36

2
 INTRODUCTION

The training was carried out as a partial fulfilment of my PGDBM degree

under Skyline Business School.

The project has been carried out at SOTC, Gurgaon.

My project was based on the study of find out the potential and
awareness of SOTC brand as well as creating awareness amongst the
people of NCR region” and understanding the whole process of booking.

3
 METHODOLOGY

The methodology of my assignment was purely based on personal

observation as well as interaction and discussion with customer and the
executives 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 closed
ended questionnaires with customer and the executives of SOTC.
 Secondary Data: The secondary data has been collected from the
company information system.

4
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This is a project which has been carried out at SOTC, Gurgaon. The
project is conducted on “Study of awareness about SOTC brand”, a
topic 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 personal
observation and the Secondary data was collected from the SOTC
information system.

5
 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 foreign
exchange. In the face of many benefits, many countries have started
assigning due weight age to the tourism industry in their national
development agenda.
Tourism is an industry that operates on a massively broad scale: it
embraces 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 a
solution to strike a balance between ecology and industry

 Tourism is one of the world's fastest growing industries at present

and 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 of
those 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 more
tourists 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 more
tourists than India.
 The Tourism industry's foreign exchange earnings in India are
around $3.2 billion. Tourism is the highest foreign exchange earner
if we consider the fact that net value addition in Gems and
jewellery is less than 30 % whereas, in tourism it is more than 90
%.
Recent statistics have revealed that during the first quarter of 2006, the
performance of the tourism industry has been very encouraging which has
registered an 11% increase in foreign tourist arrivals.
India Tourism office at Tokyo won two International Awards in Tour Expo
held at Daegu in Korea for excellent tourism promotion. Indian Pavilion
won the Best Booth Design Award as well as Best Folklore Performance
Award competing with major players in tourism such as China, Japan,
Thailand, Malaysia and Canada.

6
SPECIAL FORMS OF TOURISM

For the past few decades many forms of tourism are becoming more
popular, particularly:
ADVENTURE TOURISM
This type of tourism involves travel in rugged regions, or adventurous
sports such as mountaineering and hiking (tramping).

CULTURAL TOURISM
It includes urban tourism, visiting historical or interesting cities, such as
Delhi, Amritsar, Mumbai, Banglore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, etc. and
experiencing their cultural heritages. This type of tourism may also
include specialized cultural experiences, such as art museum tourism
where the tourist visits many art museums during the tour, or opera
tourism where the tourist sees many operas or concerts during the tour.

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

GARDEN TOURISM
It means visiting botanical gardens, famous places in the history of
gardening, such as Versailles and the Taj Mahal.

HERITAGE TOURISM
It is visiting historical (Rome, Athens, Cracow) or industrial sites, such as
old 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, in
the case that there are long waiting lists in one's own country for use of
free or cheap health care organizations for what is illegal in one's own
country, e.g. abortion, euthanasia; for instance, euthanasia for non-citizens
is provided by Dignitas in Switzerland.

7
HOBBY TOURISM
Tourism alone or with groups to participate in hobby interests, to meet
others with similar interests, or to experience something pertinent to the
hobby. Examples might be garden tours, square dance cruises, etc.

POP-CULTURE TOURISM
This tourism refers to tourism by those that visit a particular location after
reading 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 de
Compostela for Catholics, Temples and stupas of Nepal for the Hindus
and Buddhist, Mount Athos or Painted churches of northern Moldavia for
the Orthodox), religious sites such as mosques, shrines, etc.

SPORT TOURISM
Skiing, golf and scuba diving are popular ways to spend a vacation. Also
in 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 the
environment, 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 or
Monte Carlo for the purpose of gambling at the casinos there.

8
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 of

the 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 marketing
resources have not been used optimally to influence their
impulse.
 Actual Users: They are already using the services generated
by the tourist organizations
 Occasional Users: They have not formed the habit of
traveling
 Habitual Travelers: They have formed a habit and avail of
the services regularly.

9
 Marketing Mix

 PRODUCT

Product is the combination of tangible and intangible elements. The

tourism product, which is mainly the destination, can only be experienced.
The views of the location travel to the destination, the accommodation
and facility as well as the entertainment at the destination all form the
tourism product.

Thus it is a composite product combination of attraction, facilities and

transportation. Each of these components has its own significance in the
product mix and in the absence of even single components, the product
mix is incomplete.

 PRICE

Pricing in tourism is a complex process. Pricing includes the prices of

other services like Air travel, Bus, Railways, Hotels, etc. All are included
in tourism package. Pricing also depends on the Geographic location of
the destination.
Pricing also depends on Seasonality. Seasonality is the most important
factor in pricing. To match demand and supply tourist managers try to get
either discount. E.g. Taj is the tourist attraction in India. Pricing is also
based on competitors pricing. Pricing is also subject to government
regulations. E.g. Air price changes tourism package also changes, if Hotel
charges change then also tourism package changes.

Pricing of the tourist product is a complex matter because of its composite

nature. Geographical location of the destination affects the pricing
decision. At the same time, seasonality factor and varying demand cannot
be overruled. The objective of pricing in any other firms is to fetch a
target market share, to prevent competition, and to take care of the price
elasticity of demand.

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

10
or tactics where the prices are manipulated to match the current demand
and competition.
 PLACE

Different distribution strategies can be selected for Tourism marketing.

Tourism as a product is distributed as a travel. Internet is also used widely.
There is an also small agent spread all over the town who plays a role of
place. Large travel companies like Thomas Cook, Cox & Kings, SOTC,
etc they act as a wholesalers and these wholesalers also act as a retailer.

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 distribution
is relating to the channel of choice and channel members. The uniqueness
of tourism industry is predominant position of intermediaries. The two
major functions performed by the distribution system in tourism
marketing are:

 To extend the number of points of sales or access, away form

the 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 company’s

overall objectives. The middleman may be tour operators, who buy
tourism products in bulk and make them available to travel agents who
are retailers. The range of tourist products, which are bought by the tour
operators are airline seats, hotel accommodation, bus for local sight
seeing, etc. they may also sell directly to customers. The latest mode of
reaching 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 when

supplemented by publicity and personal selling. They use electronic, print
all sorts of media they use; and it is highly promoted industry. Public or
PR (Public Relation) plays an important role in tourism. It is also through
recommendation of friends and relatives this is a biggest promotion.

Creation of awareness is an important factor in the formulation of

marketing mix for the tourism industry. The promotion task simplifies the

11
activities 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 product
and their role in buying process. Some of the important aspects of
promotion are advertising, publicity, sales support and public relation.

Advertising and sales promotion activities in tourism can be very effective

when supplemented by publicity and personal selling. Advertising
messages may range from subtly attractive visual messages and symbols
designed to appeal and stimulate travel desire and needs to simple 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 on
the persuasion of their friends and relatives and also their own judgments.
Brochures are another form of communication provided by tour operators
to stimulate customers and motivate them to buy. They are used to
demonstrate 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 very
important, that how they treat tourist. The travel agents, guides, staff of
travel companies, sales staff, etc they are the people. Travel Company also
like Railways, Air, etc. is included in people. Normally a tourist assures a
tourism quality like hotels, Travel Company.

The personnel who attend to the needs of the tourists form an essential
ingredient in tourism marketing. The sales personnel are responsible for
dealing with the customer behind the counter. The airline and
transportation crew interact with customers while traveling. The resort or
hotel representatives enter to the needs of the tourist when they reach the
destination.

The tourist guides, who interact with the customers at the tourist location,
all form the people element in tourism marketing. These contract persons
must 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. Hence
it is imperative that they have to be at their best at all times. Travel guides
especially, are expected to have a lot of patience, good sense of humor,

12
tact to transform the occasional tourists into habitual ones, thorough
knowledge of the places, linguistic skills etc.

 PROCESS

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

 Provision of travel information --- The information

regarding 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 series

of operations that are required to plan a tour.

 Liaison with providers of services--- Before any form of

travel is sold over the counter to a customer; contracts have
to be entered with the providers of various services including
transportation companies, hotel accommodation, coaches for
local sightseeing etc.

 Planning and costing tours------ Once the contracts and

arrangements are entered into, then the task of planning and
costing the tour, this will depend on the tour selected as well
as individual requirements.

 `Ticketing----- The computerized reservation system has in

recent years revolutionized the reservation system for both
rail and air travel.

 Provision of foreign currency and insurance--- In case of

foreign travel the final task provide foreign currency as well
as insurance

 PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

The tourist attraction, which is an expensive for the customer must be

tangibilised with the help of tangible items like, comfortable seats while
traveling, layout, and design of the resort, natural service scope, etc. the
sign posts that indicate directions, route maps, information regarding rules
and regulations of the tourist spot and the sign regarding the public

13
utilities like toilets, telephone booth also form a part of the physical
evidence.

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

development of tourism. As the product, in tourism is intangible. There is
a need to describe fully the product, which is done by providing an
elaborate brochure, which shows how different elements of the
programmes are carefully planned to include all necessary information to
make holiday establishes expectation of quality value for money, product
image and status, which must be matched when the product is delivered.

SEGMENTATION
Though there are a number of bases for segmentation of tourists, one of
the most important is Lifestyle. Traveling decisions are fantastically
influenced by changing lifestyles. They are also affected by other factors
such as level of income, availability of leisure time, etc.

BASE OF CATEGORIES
SEGMENTATION
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
 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 large

groups and prefer all-inclusive tours. They are generally
conservative.

 The popular market consists of smaller groups going on

inclusive or semi-inclusive tours. This group includes
pensioners and retired people.

 The individual market consists of chairmen, senior

executives, etc.

 As the lifestyle changes, consumption of services might

change. For example, a newly married couple might prefer
romantic holidays, but once they have children they would
prefer family vacations where there are plenty of activities to
entertain kids. Teens and youth might prefer adventure
holidays whereas senior citizens would probably prefer more
relaxing vacations.

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 Indian
tourism industry is built on the backbone of Government support and the
industry cannot sustain itself without it. The various archaeological sites
and the places of historical importance, the roads and the railways are all
in the hands of the Government. All the support services like the hotel
industry, the airlines industry and the tourist operators to name some are
heavily dependent on the support and the cooperation of the Government.
The major reason as to why tourists visit India is for the vast and rich
heritage that our country has. That is under the control of the Government,
through the Archaeological Survey of India. Any policy change that
comes into force can have dramatic effect on the way the industry players
perform. For example, the Government charges high rates of taxes on the
luxury and the star category hotels and this has always been a cause of
disagreement between the hotel associations and the Government. There

15
are many areas where the growth of tourism has not been rapid or has
seen dramatic fall because the political environment has not been
conducive. Examples are the North East for the former and Kashmir for
the latter. The neglect of the Government in developing the North-East
has led to a situation where there is practically no tourism in the seven
states.
Similarly, the political turmoil in the state of Kashmir and now in Gujarat
has caused a virtual decimation of the flourishing tourism industry.
However, there has been a change in many of the policies of the
Government with regard to the tourism industry. The hotel industry has
been getting many incentives and many State Governments are
encouraging the growth of major hotels in their states.

 Economic:
The tourism industry not unlike the other industries grows with the
increase in the spending of the people. The more the people spend the
more the industry grows. The spending power of the people has been
increasing in the country and all over the world. Since we are
concentrating on the international tourists, the large increase in the
spending power in most developed countries has left a large amount of
idle cash in their hands. This has led to a tourism boom the world over
and India has been no exception. There have been more people coming
into the country with more cash than ever before. This has lead to an
increase in the demand for better hotels. People who previously used to
come to the country on a shoestring budget and hunt around for the
cheapest accommodation can now afford to go in for luxury hotels. This
has led to an increase in the number of hotels in the country. However, an
increase in spending does not only limit itself to accommodation. The
increase in the spending is also evident in the increase in the number of
people traveling by air. Even the number domestic tourists traveling by air
has dramatically gone up.

 Social:
Tourism was always looked upon as something that led to the destruction
of the social fabric of a place. The more the amount of outside people
coming into a place, the more the perceived risk of that place losing its
identity. A good example is Goa. From the late 60's to the early 80's when
the Hippy culture was at its height, Goa was a haven for such hippies.
Here they came in thousands and changed the whole culture of the state.
This had a ripple effect on the country. People became cautious,
especially of the international tourists. Whenever a certain place became
famous, the example of Goa was cited to discourage the inflow of

16
international tourists.
However some places such as Kerala and Rajasthan have been able to
strike a balance between their own culture and the demands of the
international tourists and have profited handsomely in the bargain. People
are now adopting themselves to the fact that tourism pays and it can be a
major source of income for them.
In addition, tourism as a form of recreation has really caught on. People
themselves have started traveling and are willing to travel to a place that
is out of the way and exotic. While traditionally traveling on a holiday
meant going to a hill station or a beach, now people are willing to go in
for adventure tourism and also visit places that might be exotic and cannot
really be called hospitable. For example, now places like Leh and
Lakshwadeep 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 communication
facilities are one of the first prerequisites for growth in the inflow of
tourists. This has been made possible with technology. Improved
technology in the field of communication at cheaper costs has resulted in
many remote and inaccessible areas of the country getting connected to
the rest of the world. This connectivity has made these places visible to
the 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 increase
in the number of tourists visiting any particular place. The presence of an
airport and the availability of frequent flights are a great convenience to
any traveler.

India: Tourism Revenues and Expenditures 1990-2010

17
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 in
the market such as Taj and Oberoi. Thus, the needs of the
international tourists and travelers are seen to while they are on a
visit to India.
Weakness:
Lack of adequate infrastructure. The airlines in India, for example,
are inefficient and do not provide basic facilities at airports. The
road 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 places
where the image of India is one of poverty, superstition, and
diseases. The case of Plague in Surat in 1994 led to a decrease of
36% in arrival of foreign tourists in India.

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

18
 Allowing entry of more multinational companies into the country
giving 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.

SOTC – India’s No. 1 Holiday Company

Established in 1949 with just five employees at an office in Cawasji

Hormusji Street, Mumbai, it has grown to become one of India’s largest
travel 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 ten
travel agents in Mumbai, with a turnover touching Rs 25 million
A major turning point came in 1976 when SOTC handled its first group
tour to the US during the bicentennial celebrations. Within three years,
SOTC had taken about 500 passengers to Europe, the US, Singapore and
Japan. In 1981, came another breakthrough when SOTC Package Tours
began active advertising, with the first ad hitting the newspapers
Between the years 1983 and 1995, SOTC grew by leaps and bounds. It
moved to new premises at Church gate, Mumbai, installed the first
computer for sales and operations, and went through a management
metamorphosis with a complete restructuring of the business into
autonomous Strategic Business Units (Subs) with a state-of-the-art call
centre. SOTC has been fulfilling the travel needs of Indians for over five
decades now. It continues to seek out new and exciting destinations to
offer to outbound travelers

SOTC’s outbound business operations broadly encompass Packaged

Group Tours for Indians and Individual Holidays. SOTC World Famous
Tours caters to those who seek comfort in group travel. It is widely
acknowledged to be the most successful package tour brand in India.
Recognizing the importance of language markets, SOTC also pioneered
tours conducted in Marathi and Gujarati under the SOTC brand
extensions: SOTC BhramanMandal and SOTC GurjarVishwadarshan.

19
SOTC Do-It-Yourself Holidays caters to seasoned individual travelers
who want to see the world at their own pace. And for domestic
vacationers 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 travel
agents across India, it is more than double the size of the next biggest
competitor

SOTC - India's Leading Outbound Tour operator

SOTC is the Outbound Travel Division of Kuoni India and the country’s
largest outbound tour operator. World Famous Tours is the flagship brand
of SOTC, which pioneered the designing and marketing of escorted tours
to cosmopolitan travelers in India. SOTC World Famous Tours has
escorted over 3,00,000 travelers across the globe, for more than 50 years
to various destinations including Europe, Australia, New Zealand, USA,
Africa, Mauritius, South Asia, and the Far East. 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 customers dream holiday. To begin with, SOTC
ensures that customer’s family travel safe, sure and secure with the finest
Indian families.

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

SOTC – Voted The Best Outbound Tour Operator 2004, 2005 & 2006
SOTC has been voted the Best Outbound Tour Operator 2004, 2005 and
2006 in India 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. The advisory board formulated the criteria for the award
in 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 judgment
and took into consideration factors including revenue generated,
operational efficiency, perceived service levels, and the ability to retain
and increase market share.

20
It is also significant to note that Kuoni India, the parent company of
SOTC has won all the 3 top awards in the travel operations category at the
prestigious Galileo Express Travel and Tourism awards for all its three
core activities.

Kuoni was presented the highly prestigious World’s Leading Tour

Operator 2006 award ' World's leading tour operator ' at WTM, London in
November 2005. The World Travel awards, which are bestowed for
exceptional services in the travel sector, have evolved into one the
industry’s most important annual events over the past few years. The
awards are voted on by thousands of travel – sector specialist from over
80,000 agencies in more that 200 countries. And winning one is clear
confirmation of a company’s excellence within the travel sector.

SOTC’s Brands

1)-SOTC World Famous Tours

SOTC World Famous Tours is the flagship brand of SOTC, which

pioneered the designing and marketing of escorted tours for cosmopolitan
travelers in India. SOTC World Famous Tours has escorted over 3, 00,000
travelers across the globe for more than 30 years, to various destinations
including Europe, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Africa, Mauritius, South
Asia, and the Far East 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 has built a reputation that it
lives up to its promise to take Indians around the world, while making
them feels completely at home, no matter where they are.

2)-SOTC BhramanMandal

In 2002, SOTC BhramanMandal was launched exclusively for

Maharashtrian, to cater to their specific needs and requirements. SOTC
BhramanMandal offers 'All-inclusive' exciting package tour options to
Europe, 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 dislikes
Prominent features of SOTC BhramanMandal Europe and Australia tours
are the Predeparture meeting, Travel Kit and an experienced Marathi
speaking Tour Manager who accompanies them all the way from Mumbai

21
to the destination and back. Within just five years of existence, SOTC
BhramanMandal has become a household name amongst the
Maharashtrian

On 14th January in the year 2002, BhramanMandal was born. It was the
auspicious day of Sankranti. But more importantly, it was a moment of
reckoning for Tourism. As SOTC, India’s Greatest Packaged Tour
Company launched BhramanMandal, a packaged tour division
exclusively to cater to the needs of Maharashtrians. While designing the
tours, every single need of Maharashtrian was kept in mind. Be it their
eating habits or their likes and dislikes, every aspect was taken into
consideration. But it was the experience of traveling with them, that was
even more enriching, for both, the travelers and us
Within just over a year of our existence, BhramanMandal has become a
household 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 Gujarati

community residing in India, to cater to their needs of having a Pure
Indian Vegetarian Meal with a Gujarati flavor, Gujarati speaking tour
manager at your service right from India to India and traveling with the
finest Gujarati families makes your holiday the most memorable and
comfortable one. Gurjar Vishwadarshan launched in the year 2004
received an overwhelming response from the Gujarati's staying all over
India. Since then it has been scaling heights year after year today in its 4th
year of existence it has become a household name for Gujarati's and is
fondly rembererd by Gujarati holiday goers, this has been possible
because of all of those fellow Gujarati's who chose to travel with us. With
the new positioning of our brand "Expect More" ....in Gujarati which
means "Apeksha Thi Vadhare" we assure our patrons that every time they
can 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 unparallel
expertise devised over last 50 years. 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.

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 wide

22
range of customized holidays that allows individual travelers the freedom
to define their preferences of the destination, length of stay and pace of
travel
Following high-quality standards, SOTC Do-it- Yourself Holidays have
ensured 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 single
city. Or focus on all key cities of a particular country. They can even
combine 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 it

families, youth, students, honeymooners, groups or individuals. SOTC
Holidays of India offers packages 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 an opportunity to visit and explore all the
splendors of India through various categories of holiday packages. SOTC
Holidays of India has categorized all holiday packages into Standard, First
and Deluxe Class categories.
It also offers a wide range of customized holidays thereby giving
individual travelers the complete freedom and flexibility to define their
preference of the destination, length of stay and pace of travel
SOTC Holidays of India has something for every kind of traveler - be it
families, youth, students, honeymooners - groups or individual. SOTC
Holidays of India has a range of holiday options namely: Classic Holidays
of India, Fun-filled Beaches of India, Hill Stations & Quick Getaways and
Spiritual Retreats.

SOTC Holidays of India is a division of Kuoni 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 the
SOTC World Famous Tours brand in India and in the big NRI markets of
the Middle East, USA and UK. It currently operates from 120 sales points
across India and boasts of more than 250,000 loyal customers.

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SOTC Holidays of India offers packages 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 through various categories of holiday packages
Classic Holidays of India are time tested popular attractions like
Kashmir, Himachal, Rajasthan and Kerala those have proved their ability
to completely satisfy the traveler
Fun-filled Beach Holidays offers not just sun and sand but also cool
lagoons, clear waters, corals, reefs and beach resorts.
Hill Stations & Quick Getaways offer a break through a multitude of
retreats at a short distance from home.
Spiritual Retreats to Rediscover Your Soul provide excursions to various
spiritual and hallowed sites
SOTC Holidays of India has categorized all holiday packages into
Standard, First and Deluxe Class categories.
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 & Kings
has offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Calcutta,
Ahmedabad, Cochin, Hyderabad, Pune, Goa and Jaipur and one satellite
office in Andheri in Mumbai and Gurgaon.

Thomas Cook is one of the world's leading international travel and

financial services groups and serves over 20 million customers a year.
They provide services to customers at 4,500 locations in more than 100
countries and employee over 20,000 people.
The Thomas Cook Holiday comes with a 150-year-old guarantee of
eternally sunlit memories. They couldn't expect any less from the people
who invented travel for leisure. They offer the world's most enjoyable
holidays, to exotic destinations in India and abroad where everything is
taken care of from beginning to end.

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 Established in 1984, Kesari Tours is a premium travel company, which
offers world-class holidays in India and around the world. Kesari have
perfected their tour itineraries to meet the special needs of the Indian
tourist abroad. The motto of organization is 'No compromise on quality'.
At Kesari Tours, they have made a motto that if they make a promise to
their 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's
what 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 a
very modest way in Mumbai’s Masjid Bunder.

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

Latest Trends in Outbound Tourism

• Indian society is increasingly being driven by consumerism. Foreign

holidays are becoming more of an aspiration. As a result, the society-
conscious Indian is making an international holiday an essential part of
his/her annual plan.

• As the average Indian’s spending power has gone up, so too has his
interest in overseas travel and the willingness to spend money the rise in
disposable incomes has led to more families opting for annual foreign
holidays with a large number of international airlines entering the Indian

25
skies, there has been a rise in capacity. Air fares too have become more
competitive, 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’, ‘Take
your Partner Free’ Holiday Vouchers, etc. So overall, a booming economy,
affordable air fares, better connectivity, increased seat capacities, and a
prospering middleclass have together contributed to the large number of
holiday-seekers.

OUTBOUND TOURISM

Outbound tourism is growing at the rate of 25% touching 6.2 million in

2006-07 booking increased to 30% compared to the corresponding period
in the previous year Domestic tourism has also witnessed an annual
growth of 20% from 2006 to 2007.

POPULAR SEGMENTS

Two segments in domestic tourism which have been showing exceptional

upward turn are Medical tourism and adventure tourism. India is rapidly
growing into a major health destination, targeting one million additional
medical tourists by 2010. These arrivals are expected to increase foreign
exchange up to Rs. 5000-10000 crore.
India has also become known for adventure tourism with the excellent
facilities 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 attract
another half a million foreign adventure tourists and the domestic
adventure tourism market can see a 10-fold growth in the next five years.

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  Document Required for Outbound Tour:

 Passport: A passport is a travel document issued by a national

government that usually identifies the bearer as a national of the issuing
state and requests that the bearer be permitted to enter and pass through
other countries.
Passports are connected with the right of legal protection abroad and the
right to enter one's country of nationality. Passports usually contain the
holder's photograph, signature, date of birth, nationality, and sometimes
other means of individual identification. Many countries are in the process
of developing biometric properties for their passports in order to further
confirm that the person presenting the passport is the legitimate holder.

Types of passport:

1) - Ordinary Passports are the normal passports issued to most citizens

and have no special connotations.

2)-Diplomatic Passports are issued to diplomats and diplomatic

representatives of a home country, and other state employees according to
the rules of a particular country. Having a Diplomatic passport does not
necessarily accord the bearer diplomatic immunity. Some countries' visa
requirements may have different requirements for Diplomatic and non-
Diplomatic passports.

3)-Official or Service Passports are issued to employees (or "Technical

and Administrative Staff Members") of a government traveling for work
related reasons who either do not qualify as Diplomats or are not entitled to
Diplomatic Status under the Vienna Convention.

4)-Special Passports are issued to high-ranking state officers and their

dependents 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. All
children on the trip would be covered by the group passport for the duration
of the trip.

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 6)-Internal passports have been issued by some countries, as a means of
controlling the movement of the population. Examples include the iqama in
Saudi Arabia, the Soviet internal passport system, and the hukou residency
registration system used in the People's Republic of China.

7)-Emergency or Temporary Passports are issued to persons whose

original 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 to
family units.

 Visa: is an authorized given by a state to a foreigner to enter its territory

for a designated period and for a special purpose. It is not equivalent to a
passport and it differs in as much as it is issued by the country to which or
through which the visitor will travel out not by the state of which he is a
national.

Types of Visa:

1) - Tourist Visa
Is given for 6 months normally; rest specifically depends on the country
of 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. A
letter 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

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

3)-Transit Visa
Are issued for a maximum period of 15 days with single / double entry
facilities to bona fide transit passengers only.

4)-Visa To Missionaries
Are valid for single entry and duration as permitted by government of
India. A letter in triplicate from sponsoring organization indicating
intended destination in India, probable length of stay and nature of duties
to be discharged should be submitted along with guarantee for applicant’s
maintenance while in India.

5)-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 India’s Press Information bureaus.

6)-Conference Visa
Are issued for attending conferences / seminars / meeting in India. A letter
of invitation from the organizer of the conference is to be submitted along
with the visa application. Delegates coming to attend conference may
combine tourism with attending conferences.

7)-Employment Visa
Are issued to skilled and qualified professionals or person who are
engaged or appointed by the companies, organizations, economic
undertakings 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 to
the period of contract.

8)-Collective Visa
The facility also exists for the issues of collective visas to group tours
consisting of not less than four members and sponsored by a travel agency
recognized by the government of India. Such groups may split into
smaller groups for visiting different places in India after obtaining a

29
 collective “license to travel” from the immigration authorities in India.
However, they must reassemble and depart as the original group.

 Currency Regulation:

There are no restrictions on the amount of foreign currency or travelers’

cheque a tourist may bring into India provided he makes a declaration in the
Currency Declaration Form given to him on arrival. This will enable him
not only to exchange the currency bought in, but also to take the unspent
currency out of India on departure. Cash, bank notes and travelers’ cheque
up 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. in
convertible currencies, which tourists wish to convert into Indian currency,
should be exchanged only through authorized money changers and banks
that will issues an encashment certificates that is required at the time of
recon version of any unspent money into foreign currency. Exchanging of
foreign currency other than banks or authorized money changers is an
offense under Foreign Exchange Regulation Act 1973.

 Foreign Travel Tax:

Passengers embarking on journeys to any place outside India from a
customs 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 of transit
passengers, provided they do not leave the customs barrier. Transit sea
passengers leaving the ship for sightseeing, shopping etc. during the ships’
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 period

are not required to register themselves with any authority in India. They
can move about freely in India, expect to restricted/protected areas and
prohibited places. Nationals of Bangladesh are exempted from registration
up to six months. If their stay exceeds six months, they have to register
themselves. Individuals without nationality (stateless persons; IRO
refuges, persons receiving legal or political protection, holders of Nansen
passport etc.) should have valid passport, identify documents or sworn
affidavits along with the visa for which they should apply two months in
advance. Pakistan nationals are required to register themselves within 24
hours of their arrival with the nearest police station. Those holding a long-
term multiple entry visas do not require ‘Intended Departure Clearance’
from the city office when leaving the country. Accredited journalists are

30
 given the ‘Intended Departure Clearance’ at the airport family passport
issued by other governments are recognized without discrimination.

 LANDING PERMIT FACILITY

Tourists may note the no Landing Permit Facility is available to any

foreign tourist landing without a visa. A limited facility exists only for
groups tours consisting of four or more members and sponsored by a
travel agency recognized by the Government of India. Children of
foreigners of Indian origin below the age of 12 may be granted a landing
permit by the immigration authorities up to a period of 90 days to see
their relatives, in case they happen to come without a visa.

 TOURIST GROUPS

A tourists group arriving by air, ship or by a chartered or scheduled flight

may be granted a collective landing permit for a period of up to 30 days
by the immigration authorities on landing, provided the group is
sponsored by a recognized travel agency and a pre- drawn itinerary is
presented along with details of passport etc. of the members, and travel
agency gives an undertaking to conduct the group together.

 FORMALITIES

Arrival Formalities
If the visa, for stay in India, is for more than 180 days, a Registration
Certificate and Residential Permit should be obtained from the nearest
Foreigners’ Registration office within 15 days of arrival. All persons
including Indian nationals are required to fill in a Disembarkation Card, at
the time of arrival. Four photographs are also required for registration.
The foreigners registered at Foreigners’ Registration Office are required to
report change of their addresses.

Departure from India

All persons, expect nationals of Bhutan & Nepal, leaving by air, road or
rail have to fill in an Embarkation Card at the time of departure.

Exit Formalities
Every foreigner who is about to depart finally from India shall surrender
his Certificate of registration either to the Registration Officer of the place
where he is registered or of the place from where he intends to depart or
to the Immigration Officer at the Port/ Check post of exit from India.

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 RESEARCH

Potential and awareness of SOTC and other tour operators amongst the
people of Gurgaon.

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

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

Questionnaire:-

Questionnaire analysis
Q1)-Are you aware about that SOTC provides?

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 Are you aware about that SOTC provides ?

WFT

FIT
11%
10%
Domestic tours
7%

0% Conference & Exhibition

66% 6% tours
All of the above

None of these

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

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

9%
6%

1
2
3- Have you ever taken the services of SOTC? 3

85%

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

Have you ever taken the services of SOTC?

6%

Yes
No

94%

4) - Do you have any future travel plan?

Do you have any future travel plan?

16, 20%

Yes
No

64, 80%

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 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 Cook
than SOTC.

 80% people do not have any future plan.

 In Udyog Vihar there is more potential of ticketing than package

tours.

 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 for

tours.

 Middle class people are less interested in package tour.

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Bibliography:-

 www.google.com
 www.wikipedia.org
 www.sotctours.com
 Personal observation.
 Help of SOTC staff.

36
AWARENESS OF SOTC BRAND

Submitted By:-
AFM Modassar Islam
SBS/smu08mba-1270
Sec-A

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