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SOTC Travel inaugurates a new store in Bhopal, expanding its presence in Central India. This aligns with the company’s strategic focus on tier 2 and 3 markets, catering to evolving travel preferences such as personalized and experiential holidays.
SOTC Travel, India’s travel and tourism company, expands its retail footprint in Central India with the inauguration of its new store in Bhopal’s renowned Arera Colony. This new addition increases SOTC’s network strength to 2 stores in Madhya Pradesh (1 retail and 1 franchise). The new outlet will also cater to nearby areas of Narmadapuram, Vidisha, Raisen, Beena, Sehore etc.
With a legacy of 75 years, SOTC firmly believes that today, ‘No one understands the Indian Traveller better than SOTC’. Bhopal features among the Company’s top 10 source markets, and the newly inaugurated outlet, reiterates the SOTC’s strategic Regional focus to expand its footprint in India’s high-potential tier 2 and 3 markets.
Madhya Pradesh/Bhopal Travel Trends
· Increased travel intent in 2024: 20% YoY
· Desire for longer stays: 32% higher compared to pre-pandemic
· Higher spends: 20-30% compared to pre-pandemic
· Top destinations
o Domestic: Kashmir, Leh-Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Goa, Andamans, Kerala, North East; Bhutan and Sri Lanka in the Indian subcontinent
o International: Europe’s Switzerland, France, Finland, Austria; Turkiye, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, USA (for visa holding customers), Japan, South Korea, Abu Dhabi, Mauritius, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore
· Unique preferences: increased demand for personalized holidays and group tours, and high interest in experiential holidays, spiritual journeys, domestic cruises, eclectic stays, safaris and biking trips
· Top customer segments: families, Gen S/seniors, millennials and new age travellers/Gen Z
The Company is popularly known for its group escorted tours – international and domestic. To boost demand, SOTC Travel has also introduced value-driven offers like Buy One Get One Free, Early Bird discounts, complimentary cruise experience on European holidays and cashback offers.
Mr. Daniel D’souza President & Country Head – Holidays, SOTC Travel said “Central India is a high potential market and Madhya Pradesh and Bhopal are among our top ten source markets at SOTC. We are witnessing brisk demand of over 20% YoY from this region, and the addition of our new store in Bhopal increases our network strength and caters to customers from Narmadapuram, Vidisha, Raisen, Beena, Sehore as well. This year we celebrate SOTC’s legacy of 75 years, and this store opening is truly a special one as it marks the first store inauguration of the year for us. Our new store in Bhopal is centrally located and allows us to target valuable segments of families, Gen S/seniors, millennials and new-age travellers/Gen Z. We extend a warm welcome to our customers, and we look forward to planning their next holiday with us.”
George, in his capacity as an intern, diligently oversees the flow of news, assists in the publication of content, and delves into the strategies of social media distribution. He is currently pursuing his studies in Business Administration at the Athens University of Economics and Business.
