Thomas Cook India witnesses strong uptake in Forex expenditure this Durga Puja

Durga Puja is one of the year’s most widely celebrated festivals in India offering a long holiday opportunity, especially in West Bengal.

While Kolkata and West Bengal have been earmarked as an important market for Durga Puja holidays accounting for 10% of Thomas Cook India’s overall leisure travel business, a few trends have been witnessed with regards to the Forex consumption among avid Bengali travellers.

Commenting on the surge in forex spends during Durga Puja, Mahesh Iyer – Chief Operating Officer, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd said, “Durga Puja is one of the most significant festival in India and is widely celebrated in the Eastern region of the country, especially West Bengal. Marked by grand celebrations, the 9-day festive extravaganza is one of the biggest holiday seasons in the state. The demand for outbound leisure travel from the Eastern market has witnessed a significant surge recently resulting in a considerable spike in the consumption of forex making it the 3rd largest forex market in leisure travel segment in the country. We expect a steady growth in the segment over the next one year.”