‘Very hopeful for M!CE’

Thomas Cook India is cautiously optimistic about this segment’s recovery. And though travel to foreign countries has begun to resume, one mustn’t forget the diversity that India offers

Hazel Jain

‘I have always been very hopeful of the M!CE segment in India,” says Madhavan Menon, Chairman and MD, Thomas Cook India, adding, “Year 2019 for Thomas Cook was a record year for M!CE. But, the disruption took us from there to zero. And now we are seeing a bounce back. Our sister concern SOTC took 750 people from Chennai to Dubai on an incentive trip in January 2021, which was probably the first incentive out of the country and the first into Dubai. I know of companies that are clients of ours who have already done trips and some are already planning M!CE trips this year. Within India I can see corporates wanting to go back to normal.”

However, Menon adds, “I would caution everybody: please don’t jump from being zero to saying we’re going to travel abroad. I think this needs to be done in stages. India, ironical as it may sound from a healthcare point of view, is among the safest places in the world at the moment. And we have so much diversity in the country, we must use that opportunity. There are enough properties in India that can host M!CE events safely.” Thomas Cook India had recently conducted a roadshow dedicated to M!CE for its corporate clients, at the Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel.

“We have reached an inflection point where we are able to move from fear to caution,” explains Menon, adding that in the months ahead, they will move from caution to a degree of flexibility and willingness to take trips. “This hypothesis stems from interacting with corporate clients. Within India, I can see corporates wanting to go back to normalcy.” Underlining the need for creating opportunities during these times, he says, “The reality is, if we don’t do something about it, somebody else will.”