Thomas Cook sees great future in Mauritius

Mumbai: Thomas Cook is committed to establishing a strong presence in Mauritius as the island republic is an important international business hub in the Indian Ocean region and a gateway for regional investments, says TC (Mauritius) Operations Co Ltd director Ashwini Kakkar.

Kakkar and the board of directors of Thomas Cook India Ltd were in Mauritius recently to underscore their commitment to their business interests in the country. Political stability, efficient telecommunication facilities, ideal living conditions, a pool of qualified professionals and a Freeport status with no exchange control create an environment conducive for growth. And with tourism being one of the mainstays of the countrys economy, Thomas Cook is determined to making its contribution to this sector, says Kakkar.

According to him, the company plans to spearhead its expansion plans and introduce an increasing number of travel related services in the near future that would lead to cascading employment opportunities.

Commenting on Indian operations, Kakkar highlights the fact that Thomas Cook India is the only travel company to be listed on the stock exchanges and that the recently declared results of the company have shown a growth of over 100 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year. “In addition it is also the only travel company to offer a full range of travel products from foreign exchange, corporate travel to holidays and recently even launched its own branded travel insurance products.“

Kakkar was also enthusiastic about the new developments in the global operations of the Thomas Cook AG. Thomas Cook in the UK and Germany collectively own the world's largest charter fleet of 85 aircraft. The group also operates a scheduled airline service between Mauritius and Frankfurt, Germany. Every year, the group sends approximately 50,000 tourists to Mauritius, directly or indirectly.

Thomas Cook India posted a net profit of Rs 54.43 million for the quarter ended 31 July 2002 as compared to Rs 34.88 million for the corresponding period the previous fiscal. The income from domestic operations increased from Rs 232.75 million for quarter ended 31 July 2001 to Rs 258.33 million for quarter ended 31 July 2002. The other income decreased from Rs 5.31 million for the quarter ended 31 July 2001 to Rs 4.52 million in the quarter ended 31 July 2002.

Under the consolidated results, the company posted a net profit of Rs 55.19 million for the quarter ended 31 July 2002. The income from domestic operations was at Rs 266.99 million for quarter ended 31 July 2002. The other income is at Rs 4.71 million for quarter ended 31 July 2002