Thomas Cook India Opens First Outlet in Gorakhpur, 12th in Uttar Pradesh

Thomas Cook (India) Limited has opened its first outlet in Gorakhpur, taking its Uttar Pradesh network to 12 outlets as the omnichannel operator pushes deeper into India's tier-two source markets.

The new outlet sits in Taramandal, South-East Gorakhpur, a commercial and residential district the company describes as having a growing base of affluent households, business professionals and outbound travellers. Thomas Cook India, founded in 1881 and majority-owned (64.77%) by Fairbridge Capital (Mauritius), a subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings, says the location's connectivity gives it access to a wider customer catchment.

The outlet will sell International and Domestic Holidays, Group Tours, Personalised Holidays, Cruises and value-added services including Travel Insurance. Customers will also access the company's AI-powered booking platform, which checks availability and makes reservations in real time for personalised vacation planning.

What is driving the expansion?

Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa at Thomas Cook India, framed the state as a demand centre rather than a frontier. "Uttar Pradesh is an important source market for us at Thomas Cook India. The launch of our first outlet in Gorakhpur enables us to deepen our presence in the state and strengthen our reach across the region," he said.

He added that the outlet, selected for its strategic location, would offer customers "a wide range of group and customised holiday solutions, right at their doorstep."

The company cited four demand trends it says justify the retail footprint:

• Year-round travel: Gorakhpur travellers increasingly use public holidays and weekends for multiple short breaks and mini-cations, extending bookings beyond peak seasons.
• Experiential demand: customers are moving beyond conventional destination-based itineraries toward greater personalisation.
• Diverse formats: cruise and charter-led journeys are gaining traction; Thomas Cook India has launched exclusive charter flights to Lakshadweep and Bhutan for the year-end holiday season.
• Pilgrimage growth: the company is scaling its 'Bhakti' spiritual tourism portfolio around hubs including Kailash Mansarovar, Char Dham, Vaishnodevi, Ujjain, Puri, Kashi and Ayodhya.

Where are Gorakhpur travellers going?

Top international destinations booked from the market include Switzerland, France, Austria, Italy and Spain; Finland, Norway and Sweden; the Czech Republic and Hungary; Australia and New Zealand; South America; Vietnam, Indonesia, China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Domestic and subcontinental demand centres on Rajasthan, Kerala, the Andamans, Lakshadweep, Northeast India and Sri Lanka.

The mix matters for sellers: long-haul European and Scandinavian itineraries carry higher ticket sizes, while the charter product to Lakshadweep and Bhutan gives the operator exclusive inventory it controls end-to-end.

How big is the platform behind the outlet?

Thomas Cook India operates B2C and B2B brands including Thomas Cook, SOTC, TCI, SITA, Asian Trails, Allied TPro, Australian Tours Management, Desert Adventures, Travel Circle International, Sterling Holiday Resorts, Distant Frontiers, TC Tours, Digiphoto Entertainment Imaging, Go Vacation and Private Safaris East & South Africa. The group spans 28 countries across five continents, making it one of the largest travel service provider networks headquartered in the Asia-Pacific region.

Sterling Holiday Resorts, a wholly owned subsidiary, runs more than 78 resorts, hotels and retreats across 48 locations in India. SOTC Travel, a step-down Fairfax subsidiary held through TCIL, competes across leisure, incentive and business travel.

CRISIL has reaffirmed 'CRISIL AA/Stable' on TCIL's long-term bank facilities and 'CRISIL A1+' on short-term facilities and short-term debt — which the company says is the highest rating for a travel and tourism company in India.

The company's recent awards include ET Edge's Best Organizations for Women 2026, Outbound Travel Operator of the Year 2024 at The Economic Times Travel & Tourism Annual Awards, and MICE Tour Operator of the Year – Outbound at SATTE 2024.

The claims are company statements, not audited results; CRISIL's ratings, the 64.77% Fairfax shareholding and the 12-outlet Uttar Pradesh count are the independently verifiable markers. What the Gorakhpur launch signals, beyond one storefront, is that Thomas Cook India sees measurable outbound demand in Uttar Pradesh's smaller cities — and expects tier-two retail distribution to convert it before online-first rivals do.