Thomas Cook India takes wait and watch strategy on brand use

PTI, Oct 20, 2019, 10:44 AM IST

Kolkata: Thomas Cook India Ltd (TCIL) has taken a strategy of “wait and watch” on the use of brand, as the travel and leisure company is striving to clear the air that the financial collapse of the iconic British firm, Thomas Cook PLC, has no bearing on it, a company official said on Friday.

TCIL will weigh whether the development relating to the UK-based firm has any negative perception on the brand- Thomas Cook, the official said.

TCIL is a completely different entity owned by Canada-based Fairfax Financial Holdings but it has the right to use the brand for only India and Hong Kong markets, the company official said.

“The development related to the UK-based firm does not affect us and we have the right to use Thomas Cook brand till 2025. However, we are closely monitoring the developments and in the wait and watch mode. “Going forward, we will see whether the development will have any negative impact on the brand or not,” Thomas Cook India Sr VP (leisure travel) Romil Pant told PTI.

He said the senior officials in the management will “take a call on brand strategy at a right time, if required”.

Thomas Cook UK had ceased to be the promoter of TCIL after it transferred its entire stake in 2012 to Fairfax.

Pant said there had been “no impact” on the business but it received anxious calls after the development to Thomas Cook PLC.

“We have already achieved 60 per cent of our internal target for the Sepetmber-December 2019 quarter,” Pant said.

TCIL also organised events where Puja vacation travellers spoke about their experience with the company to alleviate fear among future customers.

Meanwhile,the travel services firm said its first Antarctica tour in association with National Geographic is already a hit and they are planning to market the second such tour.