Thomas Cook (India), India’s leading integrated travel services company, along with its group company SOTC Travel, jointly launched ‘Assured’ – a comprehensive programme to safe travel in the COVID-19 era. The companies have partnered with Apollo Clinics – a member of the Apollo Hospitals Group, the expert in the healthcare sector, to jointly set a benchmark for safety in travel.

Thomas Cook India and SOTC, have spent the last few months talking to their customers to understand their concerns and priorities when it comes to travel in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. A significant 75% of the respondents of the ‘Holiday Readiness Survey’ stated that health and safety was their overriding concern.

To build confidence that it is safe to travel again, the companies have worked jointly with partners across the travel eco-system to create the new programme, that ensures meticulous health and safety protocols – at every stage of the customer journey – from the various contactless booking processes, safe physical outlets & processes at the sales/servicing pre tour stage, as well as the on-tour stage.

It also defines a series of comprehensive health and safety measures in place across every travel touch-point from airports, airlines, local transportation, hotels, restaurants and attractions and encompasses employees and suppliers, sellers and channels, including franchisees & customers.

Madhavan Menon, chairman and managing director of Thomas Cook India said: “Our intent is that our programme serve as a handy guide/reference point that would assist all our stakeholders in the tourism Industry achieve a single common goal i.e. ‘safe travel for all Indians’.”