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About Thomas Cook (India) Limited
About Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited
About Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited
About SOTC Travel Services Pvt Ltd (formerly Kuoni Travel (India) Pvt. Ltd) & SOTC Travel Limited (Formerly SOTC Travel Pvt. Ltd.)
Travel Corporation (India) Limited (TCI)
DEI Holdings Limited (DEI)

About Thomas Cook India

About Thomas Cook (India) Limited

Set up in 1881, Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL) is the leading omnichannel travel company in the country offering a broad spectrum of services including Foreign Exchange, Corporate Travel, MICE, Leisure Travel, Value Added Services, and Visa Services. It operates leading B2C and B2B brands including Thomas Cook, SOTC, TCI, SITA, Asian Trails, Allied TPro, Australian Tours Management, Desert Adventures, Travel Circle International Limited (TCI勝景遊), Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited, Distant Frontiers, TC Tours, Digiphoto Entertainment Imaging (DEI), Go Vacation, Private Safaris East & South Africa.

As one of the largest travel service provider networks headquartered in the Asia-Pacific region, The Thomas Cook India Group spans 28 countries across 5 continents.

TCIL has been felicitated with the award for 'Masters of Risk - Travel & Hospitality' - India Risk Management Awards 2024, MICE Tour Operator of the Year - Outbound at SATTE 2024, Best Tour Operator at India Travel Awards North 2023, MICE Travel Operator of the Year at the Economic Times Travel & Tourism Awards 2023, winner of the Corporate Citizen Award (Travel Tourism & Hospitality) at the Corporate Citizen Conclave & Award 2023, The Outbound Tour Operator of the Year 2022 & 2019 at the SATTE Awards, IAMAI India Digital Awards 2022, CNBC-TV18 & ICICI Lombard India Risk Management Award - Travel & Leisure Category 2022 & 2021, CIO100 Award for digital innovation 2022, ‘Innovation in Omni-experience’ Award at International Data Corporation’s (IDC) Industry Innovation Awards 2021, The Best Travel Agency – India at TTG Travel Awards 2019, The Best Outbound Tour Operator at the Times Travel Awards 2019 & 2018, Silver award for Asia's Best Integrated Report (First Time) category at the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards 2019-2021, Best Risk Management-Framework & Systems at the India Risk Management Awards 2019; The French Ambassador’s Award for Exemplary Achievements in Visa Issuance 5 years in a row and the Condé Nast Traveller – Readers’ Travel Awards from 2011 to 2019.

CRISIL has reaffirmed the rating on debt programs and bank facilities of TCIL - ‘CRISIL AA- / Positive’ on the long-term bank facilities of TCIL and ‘CRISIL A1+’ rating on the short-term bank facilities and short- term debt of the company.

For more information, please visit
www.thomascook.in

Fairbridge Capital (Mauritius) Limited, a subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, is the promoter of TCIL with a shareholding of 63.83% of its paid-up capital.

About Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited

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

About Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited

Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of TCIL is a leading leisure hospitality company with 40+ resorts, hotels and retreats across hills, beaches, jungles, waterfront, adventure, heritage, pilgrimage and drive-to locations. Sterling provides a variety of offerings: Leisure holidays through FIT packages, Meetings & Conferences, Weddings, Reunions, Picnics and Holidays through Memberships.

For more information, please visit
www.sterlingholidays.com

About SOTC Travel Services Pvt Ltd (formerly Kuoni Travel (India) Pvt. Ltd) & SOTC Travel Limited (Formerly SOTC Travel Pvt. Ltd.)

SOTC Travel Limited is a step-down subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings held through its Indian listed subsidiary, Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL). SOTC Travel is a leading omnichannel travel and tourism company active across various travel segments including Leisure Travel, Incentive Travel and Business Travel.

Established in 1949, SOTC is an Indian-grown brand with a legacy of 75 years. Since then, it has escorted millions of travellers across the globe to various destinations around the globe. The Company firmly believes that today, ‘No one understands the Indian Traveller better than SOTC’.

For more information, please visit
www.sotc.in

Travel Corporation (India) Limited (TCI)

Travel Corporation (India) Limited (TCI) (operating brands Sita, TCI and Distant Frontiers), a wholly owned subsidiary of TCIL, is the leading Destination Management Company in India that offers tailor-made travel and related services to India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.

For more information, please visit
www.tci.co.in

DEI Holdings Limited (DEI)

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

For more information, please visit
www.deiglobal.com

Thomas Cook History

In 1841, young Thomas Cook arranged an 11-mile train journey for a motley group of passengers from Leicester to Loughborough. And it marked the beginning of a chapter in history. He went on to introduce a railway tour of Europe. But it wasn't until the early 1860s that he began the travel firm, Thomas Cook & Son, which included tours of the USA. The Company also started operations for military transport and postal services for England and Egypt during the 1880s.

The Company also started operations for military transport and postal services for England and Egypt during the 1880s.

For Media Enquiries please contact

Thomas Cook (India) Limited:

Suzanne Pereira Suzanne.Pereira@thomascook.in +91 22 42427380 +91 9820297665

Thomas Cook Board of Directors

Mr. Mahesh Iyer

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd.

Mr. Mahesh Iyer, is the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Thomas Cook (India) Limited and been with the company for 29 years. Prior to his appointment as Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, he has held multiple roles in the Company including that of Head of Foreign Exchange, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Iyer holds direct responsibility for the company’s P&L, strategic planning, operations, nurturing and building key relationships as well as building a sustainable growth oriented organization that maximizes value for all its stakeholders. He holds a Master’s degree in Marketing Management from JBIMS (Mumbai) and has successfully completed a Business Management degree from IIM-Calcutta. Mr. Mahesh Iyer joined the Board of Thomas Cook (India) Limited with effect from May 29, 2018.

Mr. Chandran Ratnaswami

Non-Executive Director

Mr. Chandran Ratnaswami is a Managing Director of Hamblin Watsa Investment Counsel Limited, a wholly-owned investment management company of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited. Hamblin Watsa provides discretionary investment management to all of the insurance and reinsurance subsidiaries of Fairfax and currently manages approximately $ 50 Billion of assets. At Hamblin Watsa, he is responsible for all Fairfax and subsidiary investments in Asia. He is also the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Fairfax India Holdings Corporation, a company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Mr. Ratnaswami serves on the Boards of ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited, Fairbridge Capital Private Limited, and IIFL Holdings Limited (formerly India Infoline Limited), Quess Corp Limited (Formerly known as IKYA Human Capital Solutions Limited), First Capital Insurance Limited in Singapore, Thai Reinsurance Public Company Limited in Thailand, Union Assurance General Limited in Sri Lanka and Zoomer Media Limited in Canada. Mr. Ratnaswami joined the Board of Thomas Cook (India) Limited with effect from 22nd August, 2012.

Mr. Sumit Maheshwari

Non-Executive Director

Mr. Maheshwari joined Fairbridge Capital in 2011 and has been the Managing Director of Fairbridge Capital since May 2018. His key responsibilities include sourcing, evaluating, negotiating, executing and exiting investment opportunities. He also monitors portfolio companies. Mr. Maheshwari has been closely involved in the investments of Bangalore Airport, Sanmar Group, CSB Bank, Fairchem Organics, Seven Islands Shipping, Thomas Cook, Quess Corp, Sterling Holidays amongst others. He also serves on the Board of Directors of many of Fairfax’s portfolio companies. Prior to joining Fairbridge Capital, Mr. Maheshwari worked with KPMG in India and UK in their audit and accounting advisory functions. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant, completed a Post Graduate Programme in Management from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, and holds a degree in Masters of Commerce from the University of Mumbai.

Mr. Gopal Soundarajan

Non-Executive Director

Mrs. Sharmila Karve

Non Executive Independent Director

Mr. Rahul Narain Bhagat

Non Executive Independent Director

Mr. Bhagat aged 61 years is a versatile Consumer Banking professional with close to 3 decades of experience. He is a BA graduate from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University and holds a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from the College of William & Mary, USA. Mr. Bhagat began his career as a management trainee at ANZ Grindlays Bank (1989-1997) before joining Bank of America as Vice President (1997-1999). He later joined HDFC Bank where he spent the next 16 years (1999-2015) playing a significant role in building the retail banking business into a dominant market leadership position. As Country Head – Retail Liabilities, Marketing & Direct Banking Channels, Mr. Bhagat reported to the CEO for 10 years and was a member of the Senior Leadership Team. He thereafter partnered Vodafone India Ltd in successfully applying for a Payments Bank license in 2015 and was appointed CEO (designate) of the then proposed Bank. During his extensive banking career, Mr. Bhagat’s contribution and leadership has been recognised through invitation to numerous Boards and Committees, including: Standing Committee on Retail Banking, Indian Bank’s Association; Executive Committee - National Securities Depository Limited; Customer Global Advisory Board, NCR Corp (USA); Global Advisory Board, Diebold Inc (USA); and Member of Indian Public Schools’ Society.

Mr. Sharad Kumar Saxena

Non Executive Independent Director

Mr. Gurumoorthy Mahalingam

Additional, Non-Executive Director (Independent)

Mr. Gurumoorthy Mahalingam has more than 40 years of experience spanning across the financial sector regulators, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and the Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI). While being in RBI and SEBI, he was associated with important committees in the area of forex markets, financial benchmarks, corporate bond markets, etc. He has taken on varied roles in RBI encompassing financial market development, regulation and operations, foreign exchange reserves management, debt management, and regulation and supervision of banks. In his role as a Whole-time Board Member of SEBI (between 2016 and 2021), which carried Executive responsibilities as well, he has had a wide experience regulating Mutual Funds, Stock exchanges, Listed companies, foreign portfolio investors, corporate governance aspects, stock and derivatives markets, corporate bond market, amongst others. He has supervised the conduct of investigations and enforcement actions in regard to violations of securities laws and regulations. He was a quasi-judicial authority for a little over 500 cases involving market misdemeanors. While being in RBI and SEBI, he was associated with important committees in the area of forex markets, financial benchmarks, corporate bond markets, etc. Mr. Mahalingam holds a Master’s Degree in Science (Statistics) from Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and a Master’s degree in Business Administration (International Banking and Finance) from the University of Birmingham.

Year

2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003

02 Jan, 2024

Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel Unveil Winter Travel Trends 2025 Introduction of new air routes and improved/direct connectivity with attractive early-booker pricing inspires travel interest

Top searches highlight an increase by 20% for winter experiences; 25% for cruises

Top searched destinations: Dubai, Europe (Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria),Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan (International); Andamans, Kerala, Sri Lanka, Rajasthan, Bhutan, Rann of Kutch, Goa (Domestic)
Our internal data indicates a strong travel appetite for Europe’s winter wonderland and snow adventures in the alpine routes of Switzerland, France, Austria and Germany; Northern Lights in Scandinavia and Russia
Easy visa/visa-free and direct connectivity driving interest by 20-25% for South East Asia’s Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore; Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman; Japan-South Korea and China for snow festivals
Central Asia’s Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan signal interest for emerging unique short hauls with easy access and affordability

Mumbai, December 02, 2025: Winter travel is witnessing growing interest from Indian travellers showcasing a mix of winter adventures, cultural/festive celebrations and exceptional experiences. Thomas Cook (India) Limited, India’s leading omnichannel travel services company, and its group company, SOTC Travel, announced their Winter travel trends 2025, unveiling evolving traveller preferences for the winter/end-of-year season.

A notable highlight this year is the extension of winter holiday travel timelines – till March—providing travellers with an expanded window to explore winter destinations and experiences. Alongside Europe’s alpine routes, Northern Lights and iconic Christmas markets, Indians are showing strong interest in global cultural calendars including the Rio Carnival in February and snow festivals across Japan, South Korea and China in January–February. This evolution reflects how diverse traveller segments—from families and couples to millennials, Gen Z and professionals—are making travel a year-round pursuit, with winter 2025 offering a rich blend of adventure, culture, wellness and luxury. We are also witnessing a growing interest towards closer-to-home destinations with easy visa/visa-free processes and improved connectivity.

Key Winter travel trends

Soft adventure & Outdoor winter activities: Skiing, snowshoeing, Tobogganing/sledding, snowmobiling, husky/reindeer safaris across Europe’s Alpine regions of Switzerland, France, Austria and Germany, witnessing Northern Lights in Scandinavia and Russia’s Murmansk
Direct connectivity, no-visa or easy visas and attractive pricing inspiring travel to short haul destinations like Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Morocco and long haul favourites like Australia, New Zealand
India and Indian subcontinent’s Andamans, Kerala, Rajasthan, Goa, North East and Sri Lanka
Winter wellness experiences like thermotherapy and cold plunges, ice bathing in Sweden’s Uppsala and Fjällnora; Norway’s Tjuvholmen and Svalbard, renowned Swiss spa town of Bad Zurzach, Japanese onsen, Korean jjimjilbang, mineral mud baths in New Zealand & Vietnam, wellness retreats in Bali & Thailand; Himalayan spa retreats and Ayurvedic centers in Kerala
Distinctive stays: eco-friendly glamping in geodesic domes amidst the Swiss Alps; stargazing through glass igloos in Lapland; châteaux/palaces in France, Italy and Austria; traditional mountain lodges in Scandinavia/Georgia; wooden cabins in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, havelis and luxury tents in Rajasthan
Event/Cultural calendars: Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in China, the Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan, Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival in South Korea, Winter Lights Festival in Reykjavík, Amsterdam Light Festival, New Year's Eve fireworks celebrations in Sydney Australia, USA’s Las Vegas, San Francisco and California; Christmas markets/ winter wonderland in Europe’s Switzerland, France, Austria, UK and Scandinavia; Rann Utsav in Gujarat, Hornbill festival in Nagaland, Bikaner Camel Festival in Rajasthan
Wildlife safaris are gaining interest: reverse migration season in Kenya and South Africa; wildlife spotting and trekking in Australia and New Zealand; India’s national parks and sanctuaries like Ranthambore National Park, Periyar National Park and Kaziranga National Park opening up for the winter season
Cruises continue to be the flavor of the season: domestic and international sailings – Resort World Cruise sailings in Singapore, Disney Cruise Line in Australia & New Zealand, MSC sailings in Dubai-Abu Dhabi; river cruising in Egypt

Mr. Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Limited, said, “Winter travel is shaping up as a season of discovery for Indian travellers. With the introduction of new air routes, improved direct connectivity and attractive early-booker pricing, we are seeing strong demand across diverse segments—from multigenerational families and couples to millennials and working professionals. While Europe’s alpine adventures and Scandinavia’s Northern Lights remain timeless favourites, there is rising interest in closer-to-home destinations across South East Asia, Central Asia and India, driven by easy visa access and direct/improved connectivity. From a domestic front, Andamans, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kashmir, Kerala, Rajasthan, Goa and North East continue to be the top destinations. What excites us most is the appetite for unique experiences—whether it’s winter wellness in Japan and Scandinavia, distinctive stays from igloos to palaces, vibrant cultural festivals, or wildlife safaris and luxury cruises in Antarctica.”

Mr. S D Nandakumar, President & Country Head - Holidays & Corporate Tours - SOTC Travel, said, “Travel is increasingly becoming a year-round pursuit, and Winter 2025 reflects this evolution with a rich blend of adventure, culture and wellness. Europe’s winter wonderland and iconic Christmas markets continue to inspire festive travel, while unique experiences like witnessing the Aurora Borealis across Scandinavia and Russia are gaining traction. Cruising too has emerged as a strong favourite—whether international sailings across Singapore, Australia and Abu Dhabi, or river cruises in Egypt. This growing appetite underscores how Indian travellers are seeking distinctive experiences across destinations and formats, making winter travel more diverse and dynamic than ever. What’s especially encouraging is the rising interest from India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, along with strong growth in the MICE segment, signaling a broader shift in travel aspirations across the country.”

About Thomas Cook (India) Limited:

Set up in 1881, Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL) is the leading omnichannel travel company in the country offering a broad spectrum of services including Foreign Exchange, Corporate Travel, MICE, Leisure Travel, Value Added Services, and Visa Services. It operates leading B2C and B2B brands including Thomas Cook, SOTC, TCI, SITA, Asian Trails, Allied TPro, Australian Tours Management, Desert Adventures, Travel Circle International Limited (TCI 勝景遊), Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited, Distant Frontiers, TC Tours, Digiphoto Entertainment Imaging (DEI), Go Vacation, Private Safaris East & South Africa.

As one of the largest travel service provider networks headquartered in the Asia-Pacific region, The Thomas Cook India Group spans 28 countries across 5 continents.

TCIL has been felicitated with MICE Powerhouse at MaxiiiMICE Awards 2025, Outbound Travel Operator of the Year (2024) and MICE Travel Operator of the Year (2024 & 2023) at The Economic Times Travel & Tourism Annual Awards, MICE Travel Agency (Outbound) at the Economic Times MICE & Wedding Tourism Awards 2024, 'Masters of Risk - Travel & Hospitality' at India Risk Management Awards 2024, MICE Tour Operator of the Year - Outbound at SATTE 2024, Best Tour Operator at India Travel Awards North 2023, winner of the Corporate Citizen Award (Travel Tourism & Hospitality) at the Corporate Citizen Conclave & Award 2023, The Outbound Tour Operator of the Year 2022 at the SATTE Awards, IAMAI India Digital Awards 2022, CNBC-TV18 & ICICI Lombard India Risk Management Award - Travel & Leisure Category 2022 & 2021, CIO100 Award for digital innovation 2022.

CRISIL has upgraded the rating on debt programs and bank facilities of TCIL - ‘CRISIL AA/Stable’ on the long-term bank facilities of TCIL and ‘CRISIL A1+’ rating on the short-term bank facilities and short- term debt of the company. The highest rating for a travel & tourism company in India.

For more information, please visit www.thomascook.in

Fairbridge Capital (Mauritius) Limited, a subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, is the promoter of TCIL with a shareholding of 63.83% of its paid-up capital.

About Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited:

About Subsidiaries of Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL):

Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited

Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of TCIL is a leading leisure hospitality company with over 55 resorts, hotels and retreats across 48 locations in India covering hills, beaches, jungles, waterfront, adventure, heritage, pilgrimage and drive-to locations. Sterling provides a variety of offerings: Leisure holidays through FIT packages, Meetings & Conferences, Weddings, Reunions, Picnics and Holidays.

SOTC Travel Limited

Established in 1949, SOTC is an Indian-grown brand with a legacy of over 75 years. Since then, it has escorted millions of travellers across the globe to various destinations around the globe. The Company firmly believes that today, ‘No one understands the Indian Traveller better than SOTC’.

Travel Corporation (India) Limited

DEI Holdings Limited

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

For more information, visit:

Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited: http://www.sterlingholidays.com

SOTC Travel Limited: http://www.sotc.in

Media Enquiries:

Suzanne Pereira | +91 9820297665 | suzanne.pereira@thomascook.in

Shourya Rawool | +91 9619745154 | shourya.rawool@thomascook.in

Ancy Johnas | +91 7678042720 | ancy.johnas@sotc.in

1800-2099-100

About Thomas Cook India

About Thomas Cook (India) Limited

About Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited

About Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited

About SOTC Travel Services Pvt Ltd (formerly Kuoni Travel (India) Pvt. Ltd) & SOTC Travel Limited (Formerly SOTC Travel Pvt. Ltd.)

Travel Corporation (India) Limited (TCI)

DEI Holdings Limited (DEI)

Thomas Cook History

For Media Enquiries please contact

Thomas Cook Board of Directors

Mr. Mahesh Iyer

Mr. Chandran Ratnaswami

Mr. Sumit Maheshwari

Mr. Gopal Soundarajan

Mrs. Sharmila Karve

Mr. Rahul Narain Bhagat

Mr. Sharad Kumar Saxena

Mr. Gurumoorthy Mahalingam

Year

Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel Unveil Winter Travel Trends 2025 Introduction of new air routes and improved/direct connectivity with attractive early-booker pricing inspires travel interest

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