Celebrating 75 years of remarkable journeys, SOTC stands as a testament to resilience, innovation, and unwavering dedication. As we mark this significant milestone, we requested Managing Director Vishal Suri to share some thoughts with us.
Here is a reflection on the company’s momentous journey, and the way ahead to an exciting future. Join us in commemorating this momentous occasion and embracing the spirit of exploration that has defined SOTC for seven and a half decades.
“2024 marks a momentous occasion as SOTC celebrates 75 years of enriching travel experiences. Starting in the by-lanes of Mumbai in 1949 with just 5 employees, we do take immense pride in being an Indian-grown brand, born of Indian entrepreneurship, dedicated to serving the diverse travel needs of Indian travellers.
Tracing our journey, we pioneered group travel in India, sending our first group to the USA in 1976 and then extending our holiday packages to other countries over next few years. We were taken over by the Kuoni Group in 1997, where we expanded our services across MICE, followed by Business Travel, fostering partnerships with BTI & HRG in the early 2000s. Now, as part of Fairfax and the Thomas Cook (India) Group, we have evolved into a formidable omnichannel player in the Indian and NRI markets.
The core to our success over these years is definitely the dedication of our employees, and our pioneering spirit, which has helped us tide over tough times like the pandemic. It has resulted in re-imagining our businesses and leveraging opportunities arising out of the evolving and ever changing travel needs of the Indian consumer.
We firmly believe that today, ‘No one understands the Indian traveller better than team SOTC.’ We know their travel preferences and inclinations. Consequently, our holidays and travel services are curated to appeal to our customers from varied Indian states and NRI markets, strongly considering their cultural nuances.
Re-enforcing our customer-centric approach, we were honoured to win the prestigious Economic Times Travel & Tourism Annual Awards 2023 in MICE, Outbound and Domestic categories. These awards recognised our focus on regional markets, and our seamless omnichannel experience with continuous investments in technology, including a multi-lingual website, and our video chat assisted virtual store.
This summer, as part of our 75th Anniversary celebrations, we are truly delighted to collaborate with the Mumbai Indians in the capacity of an ‘Official Partner’, bringing together two passions of our country, cricket and travel! The Mumbai Indians team is multi-starred with key Indian team players such as Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya and Surya Kumar Yadav. We do plan to leverage this association with our campaigns and customer communication, featuring these cricketers.
Moving ahead, we will continue to evolve, letting our customers define what SOTC means to them, delivering unforgettable journeys and travel solutions and exceeding their expectations.”
Here’s to many more years of excellence, rewards and countless victories for SOTC.
