Thomas Cook India Signs Strategic Partnership with OYO Rooms

By BW Hotelier THOMAS COOK (India) Ltd, India’s leading integrated travel and travel related financial Services Company has announced a strategic partnership with OYO Rooms, India's largest branded network of hotels offering access to over 3200 hotels, spread across over 140 cities pan India. The agreement, the first of its kind between a travel services company and OYO, offers India’s leisure and business travellers a unique standardised stay experience. According to Thomas Cook India’s research and analytics, India’s travellers today present a high potential market for standardised and value driven accommodation options. The Company’s data highlights a significant and increasing appetite from not merely leisure travellers (family and ad hoc groups), but clearly also from India’s business segment- the SME and corporate traveller. With clear customer demand for elements like complimentary breakfast, WiFi and AC rooms, Thomas Cook India’s partnership with OYO Rooms aims at addressing this untapped market and with 3 fold benefits- wide range of standardised stay options, optimal locations (both business and leisure areas) and maximised savings. Commenting on the partnership, Abraham Alapatt, Chief Innovation Officer and Head -Marketing & Service Quality, Thomas Cook India (see photo) said ’Domestic Indian travellers today are demanding better value in the form of good quality, conveniently located, standardised accommodation and access to this, is in woefully short supply. Data also indicates, that the number of middle class Indian households is expected to grow exponentially- from 8.8 million in 2015 to 43.6 million in 2025 - in turn, driving this need further. Our partnership with OYO Rooms, offers us a wonderful platform to tap this need & opportunity.’ He added, ’Our pilot offering via this partnership, has seen a very positive response from across the corporate, leisure and business-cum-leisure segments, reinforcing our belief.’ Kavikrut, Chief Growth Officer, OYO Rooms said, ’We are absolutely thrilled to join hands with one of the leading tour and travel operators in the country. We have seen a large number of corporate and leisure travellers choosing to travel with reputed partners like Thomas Cook, and through this partnership we hope to bring to them a great hotel experience which is predictable, affordable and easily accessible. At OYO Rooms, we are always looking for ways to enhance the travelling experience of customers, and our partnership with Thomas Cook is another step in that direction.’