Thomas Cook inks MoU with JTB, Japan

Thomas Cook India (TCIL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with JTB Corporation, Japan, one of the largest travel solutions companies in the world.

The alliance will allow TCIL to access the JTB network across 30 countries along with affiliates spreading over 800 offices. For JTB the alliance will provide a ready platform to enter the Indian market. 

Speaking on the occasion Udayan Bose, chairman, TCIL said, "Both, Indian and Japan hope to increase the number of visitors between the two countries to approximately 300,000 by 2010, which will be nearly double the strength of visitors in 2005. Hence, we see great potential in this co-operation across a wide range of travel activities including leisure outbound, corporate travel and inbound travel to India."

Added Madhavan Menon, managing director, TCIL, "With business travel growing at the 20%, this alliance will provide further impetus to our corporate travel business."

Thomas Cook expects to witness growth in areas such as in-bound and out-bound tours. With this alliance, TCIL also expects to see tremendous growth in its corporate travel business as it would now have access to the global relationships of JTB. The arrangements will be for markets across Japan, China, South-East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and America.