Kochi, Oct 9: The tourism potential of Kerala is making Thomas Cook consider expanding its operations in Kerala. Company executive director Madhavan Menon who was here in connection with the just-concluded Kerala Travel Mart told mediapersons here that the four offices in Kerala - two in Kochi and two in Thiruvananthapuram - were catering to the needs of Kerala with transactions worth around Rs 20 crore a month.As part of its Kerala operations, Thomas Cook plans to introduce its MoneyGrab scheme in major towns of the state through tie-ups with banks.
However, Mr Menon refused to divulge details as he felt that discussions were at a preliminary stage. But the tie-up would be concretised in a couple of months, he added.
MoneyGram is a `fast, safe and convenient way' to receive money from anywhere abroad. With a lot of money flowing into Kerala from the Gulf, this scheme should be a major attraction, sources said. Anyone abroad can send money from a company office or any of the 30,000 MoneyGram agents around the world. The money can be received from any of the nearest Thomas Cook offices in a few minutes, Mr Menon said.
It plans a relaunch of its Visa TravelMoney which presently has 4.4 lakh Visa ATMs in 117 countries and is a `convenient way' to get cash during overseas travel. The scheme to meet the cash demands of students who wish to go abroad is also to be introduced in a big way. Students are a chunk of the company's business activities, Mr Menon said. Early next year, Thomas Cook is to come out with roadshows all over the country for its students' schemes.
Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.