CruiseCurated experiences, including cruises, drive recovery for Thomas Cook India's MICE business.

What's Cooking? Indian MICE groups flock to cruises

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Costa Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Resorts World Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line are popular among Thomas Cook India's corporate groups.
Costa Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Resorts World Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line are popular among Thomas Cook India's corporate groups. Photo Credit: Cheryl Teo

Thomas Cook India has seen significant growth in its MICE business in 2022, reporting more than 100% growth in its MICE offer versus pre-pandemic levels. The travel operator attributes this strong recovery to positive corporate sentiment and growing demand for curated experiences, with MICE travel gaining momentum for both international and domestic destinations.

As part of its MICE offering, Thomas Cook India has delivered events for over 200 physical groups, including cruise trips for over 600 delegates in Italy and groups of 30-300 delegates for India sailings. Popular international cruise liners such as Costa Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Resorts World Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line are among the options available to corporate groups seeking luxury experiences.

In addition to cruises, Thomas Cook India has organised a wide range of unique experiences, including Harley-Davidson biking, helicopter rides with 360° panoramic views, an exclusive flash mob in the middle of Trafalgar Square, an air show in the UK, and gastronomic experiences such as cocktails and dinner at the MCG stadium with an Australian cricket legend, and wine festivals.

For corporate groups looking to live it up, Thomas Cook has also managed premium groups with stays at luxury hotels, dinner at Michelin-star restaurants, vintage plane rides, and private sundowner and dinner sailings with curated local elements and flavours.

Domestic MICE has also been a key focus for the company, with Thomas Cook India managing multiple events across Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Goa. The company’s MICE team has also managed an inbound group of 400 customers in the National Capital Region and 6,000 delegates in Mumbai from across 130 countries including the UK, the US, Africa, Australia and Singapore.

With a robust forward pipeline reflecting a strong and growing appetite for MICE travel in 2023 and beyond, Meera Charnalia, senior vice president and head – MICE, Thomas Cook India said, “We have witnessed the accelerated business revival of our MICE segment by offering unique experiences to corporates.”

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