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A STUDY ON TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION AND FACILITATION TO SCHENGEN
COUNTRIES WITH REFERENCE TO THOMAS COOK
A summer training and project Report submitted to IITTM University for the
partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the PGDM in
TOURISM & CARGO MANAGEMENT
SUBMITTED BY: K.V.S.KIRAN

REG NO: 5135012
Prepared under the guidance of

Dr.P.Saravanan
Assistant Professor, PGDM Tourism and Cargo Chairperson-Placement
officer
Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management
(An Organization of Ministry of Tourism, Govt. Of India)
Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management

Nellore
Acknowledgement
In order to experience the real facts of Tourism and Cargo industry, Indian
Institute of Tourism and Travel Management Nellore and its management had organized a
proposal for internship program to PGDM in Tourism and Cargo students in various
related TOURISM &CARGO services. Regarding this basis, this report is all about
internship experience, which is essential as per my course of study. I got an opportunity to
work in Tourism industry. So, I greatly and heart fully thanks all the genuine people who
made me gain and well known about the real fact of Tourism industry.
First and foremost I would like to express my warm appreciation for providing such kind
of opportunity to develop our knowledge and experience. I am equally thankful to our
Nodal Officer Mr. A.Vinodan, our internal internship and Exams & Students Cell
Coordinator Mrs.S.Meera Madhavan and especially my PGDM Tourism and Cargo
Chairperson -Placement officer Dr.Saravanan.P and Our professor Shri. Sanjeev
Reddy CK.
I would like to express my Deepest thanks.

Dr. Y Venkata Rao, Dr. Sampad Kumar Swain, Mr. Anu Chandran, Dr. Jitendra
Mohan Mishra, and Mrs. Sherry Abraham and Mr. M Siva and Mr. Sanjeev
Sirnoorkar for their support and valuable suggestions in one or the other occasions to
complete this project and report. It is my duty to convey my sincere thanks to
Mr. Anu Chandran for assisting me in selecting the topic. I thank my friends and
classmates for their support and everyone who have helped directly and indirectly to finish
this project.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER
HEADING
14
INTRODUCTION
Objectives of study
1.
2.
3.
PAGE
Scope of the study
Limitations of study
INTRODUCTION TO TRAVEL MANAGEMENT
6 15
Introduction to Travel Management
1.1 Nature of Travel and Tourism
1.2 Travel Formalities
1.3 Passport
10
1.4 Visa
11
1.5 Travel Insurance
14
1.6 Foreign Exchange
15
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
16 19
DESIGN AND MEDHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH
20 24
Methodology of Research
21
3.1 Research Design
21
3.2 Research Methodology
21
3.3 Data Collection Technique
22
3.4 Data Analysis
4.
5.
6.
7.
23
THOMAS COOK KOLKATA AN OVERVIEW OF

ORGANIZATION
4.1 Company Information
25 36
26
4.2 History Of Thomas Cook
27
4.3 Awards
28
4.4 Thomas Cook Services
30
4.5 Corporate Travel
31
4.6 Mice
32
4.7 Foreign Exchange
34
4.8 Thomas Cook Credit Cards
34
4.9 Travel Insurance
35
TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION AND FORMALITIES

TO SCHENGEN COUNTRIES THE THOMAS
COOK PERSPECTIVE
Thomas Cook India Limited Kolkata
37 45
38
5.1 Schengen Area
38
5.2 Schengen Visa
40
5.3 Document Check-List and Requirement For a Visa
42
DATA ANALYSIS, REVIEW AND DISCUSSIONS
46 75
FINDINGS AND SUGGESTIONS
76 78
8.
9.
SWOT ANALYSIS
79 81
CONCLUSION
82 83
BIBLIOGRAPHY
84
ANNEXURE
85
LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

SERIAL
TABLES AND FIGURES
PAGE NO
NO
47 49
CUSTOMER PROFILE
FREQUENCY OF TRAVEL
50
PURPOSE OF TRAVEL
51
COMPANION OF TRAVEL
52
BRAND IDENTITY OF THOMAS COOK
53
THOMAS COOK REPEATED CUSTOMERS
54
QUALITY OF SERVICES IS SATISFACTORY
55
THOMAS COOK RESPONSE IS QUICK
56
COMMUNICATION IN CUSTOMERS LANGUAGE
57
10
GOOD ASSISTANCE TO CUSTOMERS
58
11
59
13
MAKES CUSTOMERS UNDERSTAND PRODUCTS

BETTER
ASSIST THE CUSTOMERS WELL IN VISA
APPLICATION
THOMAS COOK DISCOUNTS AND OFFERS
14
ELIGIBILITY FOR VISA SERVICE
62
15
SATISFIED WITH VISA SERVICES
63
16
THOMAS COOK VISA SERVICE HOLD CUSTOMER
64
17
FREQUENT VISIT OF CUSTOMERS
65
18
SUCCESSFUL IN CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS
66
19
DELIVERS BEST EXPERIENCE
67
20
68
21
MAINTAINING RELATION AND RETAINING

CUSTOMERS
EXPLAINS WELL IN DOCUMENTATION
22
CUSTOMERS COMPLAIN TAKEN SERIOUSLY
70
23
CONSIDERATION OF FEEDBACK
71
24
WORKS HARD TO MAKE CUSTOMERS DREAM

COME TRUE
72
12
60
61
69
INTRODUCTION
Tourism is an important catalyst in the socio-economic development in the
modern times, contributing in multiple ways and strengthen the inter-connected
processes. While often portrayed as panacea for many evils such as underdevelopment,
unemployment, poverty eradication, social discrimination and so on; its contribution in
creating a global and regional socio-political environment for peaceful co-existence of
the cultures and societies has been equally established at various levels. Perhaps, this
realisation took many advocators to position tourism as one of the biggest peace
industries, a means to strike equilibrium of global peace process though development.
The phenomenon of tourism since 1950 has been remarkable in terms of growth,
spread and diversification. The international tourist arrivals since then have grown from
mere 25 million to reach 940 million in 2010. The fast growth and spread not only
resulted the globalisation of peoples movements as never before but also contributed in
creating a vibrant industry and opportunities for millions of people.
Thomas Cook is now pioneer in Tourism Industry; I have got an opportunity to

work in this organization for summer training. Now I got a chance to work as an intern
in Thomas Cook India Ltd. in Kolkata. After working here I got an opportunity to work
in Leisure Travels (Outbound) Department in Visa service and this made me to choose
my project topic as Travel Documentation and Facilitation to Schengen Countries
with reference to Thomas Cook.
OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
Thomas Cook is now leading organization in Tourism Industry and has been
getting travelers who travel to various parts of the world. It has also been providing
various services which are related to the travelling of a tourist and the most important
service is that it provides a successful travel documentation which is Passport and Visa
through which a traveler can easily enter into foreign country without any difficulties
for various purposes.
The objectives of this study are:
1. To study the process involved in travel documentation of Thomas Cook

especially to the Schengen countries
2. To learn about Schengen Visa processing and its formalities
3. To know the clientele for Schengen countries and the services design of Thomas
Cook
4. To perform SWOT analysis on Thomas Cook Schengen Operation
10
SCOPE OF STUDY
Travel Document is an identity document issued by a government or
international treaty organization to facilitate the movement of individuals or small
groups of persons across international boundaries. Travel documents usually assure
other governments that the bearer may return to the issuing country, and are often issued
in booklet form to allow other governments to place visas as well as entry and exit
stamps into them. The most common travel document is a passport, which usually gives
the bearer more privileges like visa-free access to certain countries.
Scope of this study is to know the travel documentation and its benefit to enter
into other country and how Thomas Cook (I) Ltd provided services to a traveler in
obtaining a visa for tourism purpose.
11
LIMITATIONS OF STUDY
This study has been conducted with special reference to A STUDY ON
TRAVEL
DOCUMENTATION AND FACILITATION TO SCHENGEN
COUNTRIES WITH REFERENCE TO THOMAS COOK. A survey was

conducted amongst Tourism professionals from Thomas Cook (I) Ltd. Kolkata. The
study has been conducted within a limited period of time. The Respondents profile
varies from executives to top level management in organization. The feedback on
structured questionnaire and interviews were taken as formal manner. Some respondents
were not comfortable to give proper feedback during survey and interviews. The time
has been one limitation of study. Since this is the time of internet, I found less customers
visiting office, where they get their work done through internet, I faced a great difficulty
in collecting information within the office and preparing the Questionnaire because the
employees were not ready to accept the negative Questions regarding Organization. I
had to wait for the time when the managers and other employees were free to ask the
questions which I need.
12
13
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION TO TRAVEL
MANAGEMENT
14
INTRODUCTION TO TRAVEL MANAGEMENT

Every day all over the world, innumerable people make their travel plans for a
pleasure or business related trips. The trip may be of a short or long duration, for the
forthcoming weekend, or for a longer holiday sometimes during the coming year. Visas
are applied for, flights are reserved, accommodation is booked, cars are rented, trains
tickets are purchased, itineraries are planned, and the World Wide Web is surfed for
travel related information and availability of seats. Thousands of people are working
round the clock to provide these services and interact with the traveler, while another
couple of thousands work behind the scenes to help the traveler have a safe and
memorable holiday. All these people form a part of one of the largest industry in the
world the tourism industry. When people make travel plans and visit different places,
they contribute directly or indirectly towards the livelihood of millions who work for
this industry.
Over the years, tourism has become meaningful to all economies. The need for
discovery has caused movement of people of differing languages and cultures.
Generation of income has led many governments to seek another way to garner
revenues and development employment opportunities.
There are many places of interest in this world. With the millions of people
around, the desire to learn and see more of the world, people engage in tourism. The
tourism industry is the bedrock of most modern economies for it includes countless
components that influence the survival and livelihood of the residents. Despite the
obvious economic advantages of the industry, the esthetic benefits to the buyer and
service provider cannot be underestimated.
15
1.1. NATURE OF TRAVEL AND TOURISM
What is tourism?
Defining tourism is not a simple matter, as it is a complex industry made up of

many different businesses, the common theme being that they provide products and
services to tourists. The most usually accepted definition of tourism is that provided by
the World Tourism Organisation:
Tourism comprises the activities of persons travelling to and staying in places outside
their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and
other purposes.
This definition includes the word staying and suggests that tourists stay at
least one night. It is acknowledged by the World Tourism Organisation that tourism is
the fastest growing economic sector, bringing foreign exchange earnings to countries
and creating jobs. Jobs are not only created directly in tourism but in related industries,
for example in construction. Much tourism development occurs in developing countries,
bringing economic opportunities to local communities.
Different types of tourism
Tourists are categorised as leisure, business or visiting friends and relatives

(VFR) travellers. Thus, they are categorised by the purpose of their visit.
Leisure tourists (usually described as leisure travellers in statistics) are travelling

for the purpose of leisure so they are likely to be on holiday or taking a short break.
Business tourists are travelling to go to a meeting, conference or event

associated with their business. This is an important and growing market in the UK as
more resorts and hotels provide conference facilities.
Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) tourists are visiting family or relatives and
therefore they are unlikely to spend as much on tourism as they are not using
16
accommodation facilities. There are some other types of tourism that you should know
about.
Incoming tourists or inbound tourists are those who visit a country which is not
their country of residence for the purposes of tourism. If the tourist comes from France
to the UK then they are outbound from France and incoming to the UK.
Domestic tourists are those people who are travelling within their own country
for tourism purposes.
We have already noted in the tourism definition that, strictly, people are only
tourists if they stay in a place outside their usual environment. This means that people
on day trips are not officially tourists, which statistics count as those who stay at least
one night in a place. A day-tripper is also known as an excursionist.
1.2.TRAVEL FORMALITIES
Travel formalities are necessary for the security of the country being visited.
They protect the country from the entry of illegal migrants, terrorists, and criminals, and
illegal traffic of banned goods such as narcotics and drugs, explosive, arms, etc.
Certain formalities need to be completed by tourist before they can leave their
country or enter another country. This is in the interest of the tourist as well as the
country being visited. These formalities are in the form of official documents and
endorsements which need to be procured well in advance. Completing the necessary
formalities in the form of obtaining a valid passport or getting a visa should be
completed before finalizing other details of travel, as these processes are time
consuming and may take a couple of weeks. Without the requisite documents, travel is
not possible abroad. Generally there are no restrictions on Indian and foreign nationals
visiting any state in India except for the Border States and Islands, for which a special
entry permit is required.
Most travel formalities are compulsory while others are desirable. The travel
agent should discuss the benefits of completing all formalities before the client embarks
17
on a trip. Travel formalities which need to be completed before taking any travel abroad
are as follows:
1. Passport
2. Visa
3. Travel insurance
4. Foreign exchange
5. Restricted area permits
Tourists should be familiarized with custom regulations, baggage allowed, and
goods permitted to be carried in their hand baggage to avoid offloading of items at the
airport.
1.3.PASSPORT
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies the
identity and nationality of its holder for the purpose of international travel. The elements
of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth.
A passport does not of itself entitle the passport holder entry into another
country, nor to consular protection while abroad or any other privileges. It does,
however, normally entitle the passport holder to return to the country that issued the
passport. Rights to consular protection arise from international agreements, and the right
to return arises from the laws of the issuing country. A passport does not represent the
right or the place of residence of the passport holder in the country that issued the
passport.
Regional Passport Officer or the consular/Indian Embassy abroad issues passport to
the Indian citizens as per section 3 of the passports Act 1967. A Passport applicant should
fill in the prescribed form accompanied by the fees and submit to the RPO with the proof of
residence, date of birth and education qualifications.
Types of passports
Ordinary passport (Tourist passport, Regular passport, Passport)

Issued to citizens and other nationals, and generally the most-issued type of
passport. Sometimes it is possible to have children registered within the ordinary
18
passport of the parent, rendering the passport functionally equal to a family

passport.
Official passport (Service passport, also Special passport)
Issued to government employees for work-related travel, and to accompanying

dependents.
Diplomatic passport
Issued to diplomats and other government officials for work-related international

travel, and to accompanying dependents. Although most persons with diplomatic
immunity carry diplomatic passports, having a diplomatic passport is not the
equivalent of having diplomatic immunity. Having a diplomatic passport does
not mean visa-free travel. A holder of a diplomatic passport must obtain a nondiplomatic visa when traveling to a country where he is not currently nor is
going to be accredited as a diplomat, if visas are required to nationals of his
country.
Emergency passport (Temporary passport)
Issued to persons whose passports were lost or stolen, and who do not have time
to obtain replacement passports.
Collective passport
Issued to defined groups for travel together to particular destinations, such as a

group of school children on a school trip to a specified country.
Family passport
Issued to family membersfather, mother, son, daughter. There is one passport

holder. The passport holder may travel alone or with one or more other family
members. A family member who is not the passport holder cannot use the
passport for travel unless accompanied by the passport holder.
1.4.VISA
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory
for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of
19
actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp
endorsed in the applicant's passport. Some countries do not require a visa in some
situations, such as a result of reciprocal treaty arrangements. The country issuing the
visa typically attaches various conditions of stay, such as the territory covered by the
visa, dates of validity, period of stay, whether the visa is valid for more than one visit,
etc.
A visa generally gives non-citizens clearance to enter a country and to remain
there within specified constraints, such as a time frame for entry, a limit on the time
spent in the country, and a prohibition against employment. The possession of a visa is
not in itself a guarantee of entry into the country that issued it, and a visa can be revoked
at any time. A visa application in advance of arrival gives the country a chance to
consider the applicant's circumstance, such as financial security, reason for applying,
and details of previous visits to the country. A visitor may also be required to undergo
and pass security and/or health checks upon arrival at the border.
Visas are associated with the request for permission to enter (or exit) a country,
and are thus, for some countries, distinct from actual formal permission for an alien to
enter and remain in the country.
Some countries require that their citizens, and sometimes foreign travelers,
obtain an "exit visa" in order to be allowed to leave the country.
Types of visa
Each country has a multitude of categories of visas and with various names. The
most common types and names of visas include:
Transit visa, for passing through the country to a destination outside that
country. Validity of transit visas are usually limited by short terms such as 1 to
10 days depending on the size of the country and/or the circumstances of a
particular transit itinerary.
Tourist visa, for a limited period of leisure travel, no business activities allowed.
Business visa, for engaging in commerce in the country. These visas generally
preclude permanent employment, for which a work visa would be required.
20
Student visa, which allows its holder to study at an institution of higher learning
in the issuing country. Students studying in Algeria, however, are issued tourist
visas.
Working holiday visa, for individuals traveling between nations offering a
working holiday program, allowing young people to undertake temporary work
while traveling.
Temporary worker visa, for approved employment in the host country. These
are generally more difficult to obtain but valid for longer periods of time than a
business visa. Examples of these are the United States' H-1B and L-1 visas.
Spousal visa or partner visa, granted to the spouse, civil partner or de facto
partner of a resident or citizen of a given country, in order to enable the couple
to settle in that country.

Marriage visa, granted for a limited period prior to intended marriage or civil
partnership based on a proven relationship with a citizen of the destination
country. For example, a German woman who wishes to marry an American man
would obtain a Fiancee Visa (also known as a K-1 visa) to allow her to enter the
United States. "A K1 Fiancee Visa is valid for four months from the date of its
approval."
Immigrant visa, granted for those intending to immigrate to the issuing country.
They usually are issued for a single journey as the holder will, depending on the
country, later be issued a permanent resident identification card which will allow
the traveler to enter to the issuing country an unlimited number of times. (for
example, the United States Permanent Resident Card).

Pensioner visa (also known as retiree visa or retirement visa), issued by a
limited number of countries (Australia, Argentina, Thailand, Panama, etc.), to
those who can demonstrate a foreign source of income and who do not intend to
work in the issuing country. Age limits apply in some cases.

Diplomatic visa (sometimes official visa), is normally only available to bearers
of diplomatic passports.
Courtesy visa issued to representatives of foreign governments or international
organizations who do not qualify for diplomatic status but do merit expedited,
courteous treatment - an example of this is Australia's Special purpose visa.

Journalist visa, which some countries require of people in that occupation when
traveling for their respective news organizations. Countries which insist on this
21
include Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, the United States (I-visa) and
Zimbabwe.
By method of issuance:
On-arrival visa (also known as Visa On Arrival, VOA), granted at a port of

entry. This is distinct from not requiring a visa at all, as the visitor must still
obtain the visa before they can even try to pass through immigration.
Electronic visa. The visa is stored in a computer and is electronically tied to the
passport number; no label, sticker or stamp is placed in the passport prior to
travel. Australia pioneered electronic visa issuance with the Electronic Travel
Authority for tourists. Recent changes in immigration law mean that almost all
visas (including those for permanent residency) are issued electronically by
default unless a label is required (for example to board an airplane.) New
Zealand is now also issuing some visas electronically. The United States has a
similar internet system called Electronic System for Travel Authorization, but
this is a security pre-screening only and does not technically qualify as a visa
under US immigration law.
1.5.TRAVEL INSURANCE
Travel insurance is insurance that is intended to cover medical expenses,
financial default of travel suppliers, and other losses incurred while traveling, either
within one's own country, or internationally. Temporary travel insurance can usually be
arranged at the time of the booking of a trip to cover exactly the duration of that trip, or
a "multi-trip" policy can cover an unlimited number of trips within a set time frame.
Coverage types
The most common risks that are covered by travel insurance are:
Medical/dental expenses
Emergency evacuation/Medical Air Evacuation/repatriation of remains
Return of a minor child
Trip cancellation/interruption
Accidental death, injury or disablement benefit

22
Overseas funeral expenses
Curtailment
Delayed departure, missed connection
Lost, stolen or damaged baggage, personal effects or travel documents
Delayed baggage (and emergency replacement of essential items)
Legal assistance
Trip Cancellation
Flight Connection was missed due to airline schedule
Travel Delays due to weather
Medical Emergency and hospital care (Accident or Sickness)
Compassionate visit(Two way)
1.6.FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Foreign exchange, or Forex, is the conversion of one country's currency into that of
another. In a free economy, a country's currency is valued according to factors of supply
and demand. In other words, a currency's value can be pegged to another country's
currency, such as the U.S. dollar, or even to a basket of currencies. A country's currency
value also may be fixed by the country's government. However, most countries float
their currencies freely against those of other countries, which keeps them in constant
fluctuation.
The value of any particular currency is determined by market forces based on trade,
investment, tourism, and geo-political risk. Every time a tourist visits a country, for
example, he or she must pay for goods and services using the currency of the host
country. Therefore, a tourist must exchange the currency of his or her home country for
the local currency. Currency exchange of this kind is one of the demand factors for a
particular currency. Another important factor of demand occurs when a foreign
company seeks to do business with a company in a specific country. Usually, the foreign
company will have to pay the local company in their local currency. At other times, it
may be desirable for an investor from one country to invest in another, and that
investment would have to be made in the local currency as well. All of these
requirements produce a need for foreign exchange and are the reasons why foreign
exchange markets are so large.
23
CHAPTER II
24
One of the important consequences of the completion of the single market in the
European Community was the need to abolish all obstacles and barriers preventing the
movement of persons including checks at the borders. Thus, the old internal border
controls carried out by the competent national authorities for third country nationals
needed to be abolished too. The legal basis for doing this was provided in Article 14 of
the Single European Act, which entered into force in July 1987. This coincided with
intergovernmental efforts among some members of the European Community to
develop the Schengen regime to enable the actual free movement of persons. Since the
signing of the Schengen Convention in June 1990, most EU members have become part
of the Schengen club. With the coming to force of the Amsterdam Treaty in 1999, the
Schengen regime was moved into the European Unions legal framework and became
part of the standard EU acquis. The Schengen regime aims to create a common
European territory without internal borders along with the establishment of a common
external border and ensure that once admitted inside the common territory, a person is
entitled to move freely within the whole Schengen area for a period of three months out
of every six months without any further checks at the internal borders of any of the
participating states. The regulations that make up the Schengen regime is complex and
cover a wide range of issues. These include inter alia rules concerning: the removal of
checks on persons at common EU internal borders, the movement of people across EU
external frontiers, police cooperation between member states, creation of the Schengen
Information System and definition of the conditions under which Schengen visas can be
issued. The Schengen regime also includes the list of third countries whose nationals are
exempt from or must be in possession of visas.
Seven countries in Europe signed a treaty in June 1985 to end internal border
checkpoints and controls. More countries have joined the treaty since then. There are
currently 26 Schengen countries and all of them are in Europe.
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,

Germany,
Greece,
Hungary,
Iceland,
Italy,
Latvia,
Lithuania,
Luxembourg,
Liechtenstein, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia,

Spain, Sweden and Switzerland are all Schengen countries. Norway and Iceland are not
25
members of the European Union. United Kingdom and Ireland are members of the
European Union, but do not belong to the Schengen area.
The Schengen visa allows the holder to a total stay of up to 90 days within a
period of 6 months for tourist or business purposes. If you get a multiple entry Schengen
visa, you may leave and return any number of times within the 180-day period, but the
combined stay within the region must not total more than 90 days. You need to apply
for a Schengen visa if you are a citizen of a country whose citizens are subject to the
visa requirement. A Schengen visa must be applied in person, NOT by mail.
Once you get a Schengen visa, you can enter one country and travel freely
anywhere within the Schengen territory. Internal border controls have been abolished
and there are no or few stops and checks. Internal air, road and train travel are handled
as domestic trips, just like travelling from one state in the U.S. to another. Travelling
within Europe has been simplified with the Schengen visa as the unified visa system
offers many advantages. The Schengen Agreement still allows customs control as long
as there is no passport check, and checks are made randomly, or at real suspicions.
The Schengen visa helps promote a unified Europe and is an important symbol
of the European Union.
It takes between 2 and 10 working days to get a Schengen visa for short-term
stays. Processing time may be up to several months for long-term residence permits or
visas for employment in a Schengen country.
A centralized database, common procedures and criteria for visa issuance and
use of the same visa sticker with high-level built-in security helps optimize the office
network of Schengen countries.
The Schengen visa does not guarantee entry into the Schengen countries as the
final authorization remains with the immigration officials at the respective borders such
as at the port of entry. The purpose of the visit may not be altered after entering the
Schengen territory.
26
Other long term visas such as employment visas are subject to the national
legislation of the country of destination.
U.S. citizens in possession of a valid U.S. passport do not need a visa for airport
transit, tourist or business trips (for stays up to 90 days). The passport must not expire
before the end of the scheduled trip.
Passport and Border Control

You will most likely be asked to show your passport when you visit different
Schengen countries, to verify that you are still within the visa period. In addition to the
passport containing the Schengen visa, you should also bring original letters,
sponsorship papers and other documents used to get the visa to make the border control
procedure easier and avoid delays at the border. You should not be the person for whom
an alert has been issued for the purpose of refusing entry.
The nationals of the European Economic Area (EEA) must present a valid
identity card or a valid or expired passport less than 5 years old. EEA consists of 25
Members of the European Union (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
United Kingdom) and Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
When a non-EEA traveler enters or transits into the Schengen area, a travel
document (usually passport) will be stamped determining the starting point of the
authorized stay. The same travel document is also stamped upon exiting the Schengen
area. If the travel document of a third-country national does not have an entry stamp,
authorities can presume that the holder does not fulfill or no longer fulfills the
conditions of the duration of stay. However, if you can provide a credible evidence of
your presence outside the territory of the Schengen countries, such presumption may be
rebutted.
27
CHAPTER III
DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY OF
RESEARCH
28
METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH:
Research has its special significance in solving various operational and planning
problems of business and industry. Research methodology is a way to systematically
solve the research problem. It may be understood as a science of studying how research
is done scientifically. Methodology of research talks of the research methods and also
the logic behind the methods used in the context of the research study and why a
particular method is chosen and not another.
3.1 Research Design
A research design is the arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis of

data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with economy
in procedure. The research carried out was applied type of research. Additional
information that is secondary data was collected from books, web sites, company
websites etc., while the Primary data was collected through survey. Sample unit is
Customers and Employees, and the Sample size is 57 includes customers and
employees. Sampling method follows Non probability sampling.
3.2 Research methodology
Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It

may be understood as a science of studying how research is done scientifically. In it we
study the various steps that are generally adopted by a researcher in studying his
research problem along with the logic behind them. It is necessary for the researcher to
know not only the research methods/techniques but also the methodology. Researchers
not only need to know how to develop certain indices or tests, how to calculate the
mean, the mode, the median or the standard deviation or chi-square, how to apply
particular research techniques, but they also need to know which of these methods or
techniques, are relevant and which are not, and what would they mean and indicate and
why. Researchers also need to understand the assumptions underlying various
techniques and they need to know the criteria by which they can decide that certain
techniques and procedures will be applicable to certain problems and
29
others will not. All this means that it is necessary for the researcher to design his
methodology for his problem as the same may differ from problem to problem.
Thus, when we talk of research methodology we not only talk of the research
methods but also consider the logic behind the methods we use in the context of our
research study and explain why we are using a particular method or technique so that
research results are capable of being evaluated either by the researcher himself or by
others. Why a research study has been undertaken, how the research problem has been
defined, in what way and why the hypothesis has been formulated, what data have been
collected and what particular method has been adopted, why particular technique of
analyzing data has been used and a host of similar other questions are usually answered
when we talk of research methodology concerning a research problem or study.
3.3 Data collection Technique: Primary and Secondary
The researcher has to decide which type of data have to be selected depending
upon the topic. Primary data are those data which are collected afresh and for the first
time, thus happen to be original in character. The secondary data on the other hand are
those which have already been collected by someone else and which have already been
passed through statistical process.
Primary Data
A survey was conducted amongst Customers and Employees of Thomas cook

Kolkata to understand their views and impression on Thomas Cook. Personal interviews
were conducted with tourism professionals to get their views on travel documentation
and its services to the customers. The objective of this interview was to understand the
process of travel documentation of Schengen countries and its facilitation to the
customers.
30
Secondary Data
Secondary data was collected from Company websites, e-books, Books,

Website, etc. I collected enough secondary data from different sources to compare the
authenticity and comparison.
Sources of Data
i)
Open format Questionnaires
ii)
Customer interaction
iii)
Employee personal interviews
iv)
Internet
v)
Company website
3.4 Data analysis
Analysis of data implies editing, coding, classification and tabulation of

collected information. The term analysis refers to the computation of certain measures
along with searching for patterns of relationship that exist among data-groups. Thus in
the process of analysis relationships or differences or differences supporting or
conflicting with original or new hypotheses should be subjected to statistical tests of
significance to determine with what validity data can be said to indicate any conclusion.
In this study percentage analysis method is used for comparison of data

collected. The percentage method was extensively used for analysis and interpretation.
It can be generally calculated as follows,
Number of respondent favorable

________________________________ 100
Total no. respondent
31
Data is represented through Bar chart and Pie chart and at appropriate places
tables are used to show the data.
Pie Chart: This is a chart in which the area of circle is divided into different sectors
responding different categories such that the angle of each sector proportional to the
frequency of the corresponding category.
Bar Chart: Bar chart is a graphical view of the given data such that the frequency of
each category is shown as a vertical strip against that category in proportion to the
height of other such vertical strip.
32
CHAPTER IV
THOMAS COOK KOLKATA AN
OVERVIEW OF ORGANIZATION
33
4.1 COMPANY INFORMATION

Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. is the largest integrated travel and travel related
financial services company in the country offering a broad spectrum of services that
include Foreign Exchange, Corporate Travel, Leisure Travel, and Insurance. The
Company launched its Indian operations in 1881 and is celebrating its 131 years of
world-class service in India. Thomas Cook (India) operates in the following areas of
business, namely:
Leisure Travel
MICE
Corporate Travel Management
Foreign Exchange
Insurance
E-Business
Post March 31st 2008, Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL) is a part of Thomas
Cook Group plc UK (TCG). On March 7th 2008, TCG announced its decision to acquire
TCIL from Dubai Investment Group. Thomas Cook Group plc is one of the largest
travel groups in the world with a market capitalization of approximately US$6 Billion.
In June 2006, Thomas Cook (India) acquired LKP Forex Limited and Travel
Corporation (India) Pvt. Ltd. (TCI).
TCIL presently operates in over 78 cities across over 206 locations (including 25
airport counters). The company has overseas operations in Sri Lanka which is a branch
of TCIL and Mauritius which is a subsidiary of Thomas Cook (India). TCIL is
supported by a strong partner network of 117 Gold Circle Partners and 166 Preferred
Sales Agents in over 100 cities pan India. The Company employs over 2,827 resources
and is listed on both the Bombay Stock Exchange as well as the National Stock
Exchange.
Recently, Travel Corporation (India) Ltd (TCI), a 100% subsidiary of Thomas
Cook (India) Ltd was awarded the third position for Outstanding Performance as an
34
Inbound Tour Operator Category-I by Smt. Pratibha Patil, Honorable President of

India at the National Tourism Awards 2010-1011.
CRISIL has reaffirmed Thomas Cook (India) Limited with the CRISIL A1+
and AA- rating for the highest degree of safety regarding timely payment of financial
obligations. Also, the Brand Trust Report, India study 2012, has ranked Thomas
Cook (India) Ltd as The most Trusted Brand in Services.
Thomas Cook has been awarded with the prestigious Favourite Specialist
Tour
Operator" award at the Cond Nast Traveller Readers' Travel Awards 2011 and was also
conferred with the CNBC AWAAZ - Best company providing foreign exchange in
India for the third year in a row. In addition, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd has been
awarded the Most Trusted Tour Operator Brand by the Times Travel Honours 2011
and also recognized as a Superbrand 2011-2012 by the consumers for excellence in
travel services.
4.2 HISTORY OF THOMAS COOK
In 1841, young Thomas Cook arranged an 11-mile train journey for a motley
group of passengers from Leicester to Loughborough. And it marked the beginning of a
chapter in history. He went on to introduce a railway tour of Europe. But it wasn't until
the early 1860s that he began the travel firm, Thomas Cook & Son, which included
tours of the USA. The Company also started operations for military transport and postal
services for England and Egypt during the 1880s. The world got around and by the early
1900s, the who's who of the era - kings, politicians, bishops and professors - patronised
Thomas Cook's travel itinerary.
As the years passed by, the Company introduced the world to a whole new
concept of leisure and business travel. Driving innovation in the business, it connected
continents and presented the people an economic and state mode of travel across them.
In 1881, Thomas Cook started its India operations, with its first office being set
up in Mumbai. As it expanded its horizons across the subcontinent, the Company came
to be known as Thomas Cook Overseas Ltd. And on 21st October 1978, it was
christened Thomas Cook (India) Ltd, only to make its first public issue in February
35
1983. In the year 2000, the Group commenced its operations in Mauritius and also
acquired the Sri Lanka business from Thomas Cook Overseas Ltd, UK. In 2006,
Thomas Cook (India) Limited acquired LKP Forex Limited and Travel Corporation
(India) Pvt. Ltd. (TCI).
4.3 AWARDS
Thomas Cook (India) Limited, over the years has received several prestigious
awards such as the Golden Peacock Award for excellence in Corporate Governance and
the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Golden Award for Best Travel.
Recently, Travel Corporation (India) Ltd (TCI), a 100% subsidiary of Thomas
Cook (India) Ltd was awarded the third position for Outstanding Performance as an
Inbound Tour Operator Category-I by Smt. Pratibha Patil, Honorable President of
India at the National Tourism Awards 2010-1011.
CRISIL has reaffirmed Thomas Cook (India) Limited with the CRISIL A1+
and AA- rating for the highest degree of safety regarding timely payment of financial
obligations. Also, the Brand Trust Report, India study 2012, has ranked Thomas
Cook (India) Ltd as The most Trusted Brand in Services.
Thomas Cook has been awarded with the prestigious Favourite Specialist
Tour
Operator" award at the Cond Nast Traveller Readers' Travel Awards 2011 and was also
conferred with the CNBC AWAAZ - Best company providing foreign exchange in
India for the third year in a row.
Apart from this Thomas Cook has won the following awards:
Travel Honours 2011.
Most Trusted Tour Operator Brand at the recently concluded Times
Asias Leading Luxury Train Award for The Indian Maharaja Deccan
Odyssey at the World Travel Awards 2011.
Recognized as a Superbrand 2011-2012 by the consumers for excellence

in travel services.
Travel Corporation (India) Limited (TCI) won Best Inbound Operator at

the Travel Agents Association of India Travel Awards 2011
36
CNBC AWAAZ - Best FOREX Company in India for the second year in a
row 2010
Indias Most Preferred Foreign Exchange Company by Indian Hospitality
Excellence Awards 2010
Special Commendation for the 'Golden Peacock National Training Award for
2010'
Best Travel Agency - India for the year 2008 by TTG Asia - Part of Pacific
Asia Travel Association (PATA)
Best Tour Operator by CNBC Awaaz in 2008
Best Outbound Tour Operator in the 4th Hospitality India & Explore the
world Annual International Awards - 2008
Recipient of the prestigious Government of India Ministry of Tourism award for
"Excellence in Conference Tourism"
Awarded "The Best Outbound & Inbound Tour Operator of the Year"
award at the Hospitality India Awards 2006 hosted by Hospitality India.
The Association of Business Communications of India (ABCI) where the
company won the first prize for its website - www.thomascook.co.in
National Tourism Award - Best MICE Operator 2006-07
National Tourism Award - 3rd prize Inbound Operator 2006-07
Best Travel Agency Award 2004 given by TTG Asia - Part of Pacific Asia
Travel Association (PATA) for the 5th year in succession.
The National Tourism Award for 2001-2002 & 2002-2003, winning the
second rank in category 1 for the company that achieved the highest foreign
exchange earnings from Ministry of Tourism.

The Golden Peacock Award for Corporate Governance, for the second time
in a row. The Criteria for this award are transparency, excellence in conducting
business, various levels of management, social and environmental responsibility,
ethical business practice and Consistent creation of value for all the stakeholders.
37
4.4 THOMAS COOK SERVICES
Holidays Inbound: Inbound Tourist refers to tourists/ travelers coming to India.

Inbound tour operators promote India as a tourist destination. Thomas Cook organizes
tours for foreign tourists visiting India. It organizes Individual tours, group tours and
Conferences. Various services offered in inbound business are accommodation,
ticketing, roundtrip and excursion; land arrangements, airport transfer etc. These
services are procured from providers of these services like hotels, airlines, transporters,
guides etc. within India. Customers are typically individuals and are sourced by
overseas principals, tour operators or travel agents. TCIL, one of the subsidiaries is
among the leaders in inbound tourism and works closely with tour operators worldwide.
TCIL has a widely distributed network of travel agents and tour operators worldwide. It
has around 20 offices in India and a total of 11 offices in USA, Canada, UK, France,
Germany, Spain, China, Korea, Japan and Australia. Thomas Cook also acts as a ground
handling agent domestically for Charter flights coming from international destinations.
TCIL also offer customized individual holidays, group escorted holidays, MICE
(Meeting, Incentive, Conference and Exhibition) arrangements and emergency medical
assistance. Inbound travelers handled by the Company are primarily from Europe and
USA. TCIL enters into business arrangements with the foreign tour operators for
servicing their customers when they arrive in India.
International Holidays: Outbound tourist refers to Indian Nationals traveling out of

India. Thomas Cook offers outbound tour packages across approximately 50 Countries.
Outbound packages include various services like air tickets, visa, travel insurance,
airport transfer, hotel accommodation, sightseeing, etc. International Holidays is further
classified into following categories - Group Escorted Holidays: These are ready made
packages where a group of travelers is escorted by a Tour Manger. Customized
Individual Holidays: Tailor made packages based on individual requirements MICE:
Dealers/Employees are sent on tour by Corporate.
Domestic Holidays: Domestic Travel refers to Indian Nationals (Tourists, Business

Travelers, Students, Leisure travelers) traveling within India. Various services offered
are Accommodation, Ticketing, Roundtrip, Excursions, Land arrangements, Airport
transfer, etc. These services are procured from service providers like hotels, airlines, 38
transporters, guides, etc. TCIL specializes in special interest and incentive tours,
conferences and air charter / cruise ship ground operations. It operates its own Taj
Mahal Tour and Delhi City Tour and is a General Sales Agent ("GSA") for the Palace
on Wheels and the Deccan Odyssey. Thomas Cook is active members of various
industry and professional organizations.
Air Tickets: Thomas Cook books Air tickets to travel with either offline or online
through the site www.thomascook.in. TCIL offers a complete range for flights, right
from Low Cost to Full service Airlines
Rail Tickets: Thomas Cook books Rail tickets to travel with either offline or online
through the site www.thomascook.in. Customers can choose either Indian Rail Tickets
that are available via IRCTC or International Rail Tickets via Rail Europe. Thomas
Cook offers a complete range for Rail Bookings, International or Domestic.
4.5 CORPORATE TRAVEL:
Corporate Travel forms a dominant share of overall travel business of Thomas

Cook. TCIL manage the travel budgets of several large national and multinational
companies. Thomas Cook large scale operations enable them to effectively manage
travel budgets of several Multi National Companies, Blue-Chip companies and
Multinational banks to their advantage. Thomas Cook India provides Integrated Travel
Management / Advisory Services to more than 300 Corporates. TCIL provides
customers a complete basket of products for all their travel needs- Air Reservations,
Hotel Reservations, Land arrangements which includes sightseeing, car rental, transfers
etc. Passport / Visa Service Conference / Incentive tour arrangements Foreign Exchange
Insurance. All branches specialize in offering tailor-made Travel Policies for each
corporate, thereby bringing savings on spend. Based on requirements and volumes of
business, corporate are serviced either by having a dedicated relationship team visits
client's office regularly or having a dedicated & expert travel consultant with
Centralized Reservation System located at the client's site as an 'implant'
39
4.6 MEETINGS, INCENTIVES, CONFERENCES & EXHIBITIONS:

One Stop Shop for all travel needs i.e. air tickets, accommodation, event
management, forex, visas, travel insurance etc. Hands on approach of senior
management, including travelling along with the group Dedicated team in each hub
providing specialized services, Most experienced and cooperative Tour Managers in the
industry Operations geared up to handle large groups. Thomas cook have successfully
handled several groups of over 300 packs in the year 2008 A specialized quality control
department that would ensure smooth delivery of services at every stage.
Customer Focus/Customer Centric/Exceptional Service
This primarily refers to the experience of the corporate with TCIL sales
representatives. There is a huge extent of customization in case of a MICE trip in terms
of destinations, hotel requirements, conference needs, sightseeings to be covered, gala
dinner venue, team building activities etc. TCIL prime focus is always to cater to its
customers specific needs and the intent is to delight the customer by always delivering
more than promised by TCIL /expected by them.
Dependable: This comes out of the reputation of the company (TCIL) and the vast
experience of handling a large number of MICE movements in the past. The fact that
TCIL have got trusted business partners (suppliers) for every destination and that there
is always an experienced tour manager with the group ensures that the clients feel
secure when they travel with them. Moreover, the reputation of the company ensures
that there will be no let up in the service quality and there wont be any trivial financial
issues.
Reservoir of Knowledge: The experienced employees of the MICE business make sure
that they function as a "travel consultant" to the client rather than being a "travel agent"
to them. TCIL believe that with our expertise, TCIL is in a position to provide multiple
options to its customers. This is especially true in case of clients who have a budget
constraint. Once the client is provided with multiple options along with the pros and
cons for the same, they are in a much better position to take a decision regarding the
destination as well as the services that they expect TCIL to provide them.
40
Value for Money/Cost Effective: TCIL are committed to provide quality service to its
clients and TCIL do not believe in any compromise on the same (0% Compromise).
TCIL make sure that the experience its our clients get is of a greater value than the cost
that they pay for it. If TCIL cost is more than the competition, then there is ALWAYS a
very strong reason for the same (which could be better quality of hotels, better airlines,
EXTRA inclusions etc.). TCIL endeavor is to have its customers delighted by its
services so that at all times, they feel that they have got something EXTRA than the
worth of the currency that has been spent on it.
Product Innovation: Over the last decade or so, the MICE industry has been booming.
Since then, some of the companies have been traveling each year (with multiple
incentives/conference tours). They are always looking out for new destinations for the
incentive trips. TCIL endeavor is to be ahead of the competition at all times and product
innovation is one way of doing that. TCIL have promoted new destinations at different
points of times which have traditionally never been thought of for a MICE trip. E.g. are
Jordan, Japan, Macau, Canada. Moreover, within the same destinations, TCIL have
managed to change the product mix by changing the venues for Gala Dinner (at cruise,
Desert Safari etc.) or including some exotic sightseeings or providing some out of the
box team building activities or in any other way.
Wide Reach: TCIL are confident of providing its customers with the best of the
services at any destination that they wish to visit. This is due to the vast resources of the
company and due to the number of trusted business partners that TCIL have all over the
world.
One Stop Shop for MICE needs/Integrated travel services: Its TCIL firm belief that
once the customer enters one of its offices, all his travel needs will be catered to. TCIL
provide the customer with the forex services, insurance cover and a travel card.
Moreover, TCIL can service their visa requirements better than any other tour operator
because of its goodwill and the relationships that they have with the various
embassies/consulates. TCIL have the ability to provide the customer with a 360 degree
experience on a consistent basis.
41
Work with Play: This is particularly true in case of the corporate who have an offsite
for a conference/meeting. TCIL ensure that after a hard days work, they have a relaxed
and fun filled evening. This can be done by sending them on a night cruise or by treating
them to a Gala Dinner with free flow of liquor and a Live DJ. In one of the cases, TCIL
had sent a couple of VJs and RJs (RJ Taraana) from India who made sure that everyone
from the group was involved in the fun activities.
4.7 FOREIGN EXCHANGE - PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
As an Authorized Dealer, TCIL services includes wholesale and retail purchase
and sale of currency notes, Purchase and Sale of Traveler Cheques ("TC"), pre paid
international cards, inbound and outbound remittances and Money Transfers ("MT").
Some of our products and services are: Purchase and Sale of currency notes in 26
destination currencies. Purchase and Sale of foreign currency denominated travelers
cheques Thomas Cook Global Money Card and Citibank World Money Card as prepaid
cards, which is a convenient way to carry money overseas Foreign Currency Drafts
Wire transfer of Funds Remittance of money into India through Money Gram Cash
Advances against International Credit Card
Network
TCIL strong network enables them to attract large wholesale clients such as
public and private sector Banks, FFMC's and RMC's to use TCIL services. TCIL have a
strong network of approximately 160 offices in 55 cities and 100 RMCs & Hotel
Franchisee. TCIL Company has foreign exchange counters at the international airports
of Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Cochin and Trivandrum which are open 24
hours and 365 days a year to cater to the needs of the international travelers. TCIL
Company also has a round-the clock Foreign Exchange counter at the New Delhi
Railway Station
4.8 THOMAS COOK CREDIT CARDS
TCIL Company offers Thomas Cook credit card in association with ICICI Bank
Limited. The Company and ICICI Bank are marketing and issuing a co-branded credit
42
card to the customers for using the same at various Master Card retail merchant
establishments for availing benefits attached to the said card. The card has been devised
as part of loyalty program for the products of the company with benefits attached to
spend through the card at Thomas Cook outlets.
Salient Features
Thomas Cook Titanium MasterCard features are like, The card has been
specially designed for frequent travelers. Attractive 6 reward points for each spend of
Rs.100 on the card on Thomas Cook products - Free Delivery of Foreign Exchange
within city limits Rs. 5,000 discount on any Thomas Cook GIT product 1 Free Air ticket
to a domestic destination on the issuance of new card Complimentary travel
inconvenience insurance policy Access to MasterCard travel lounges at Airports across
the world Redemption of reward points for Thomas Cook holiday packages, hotel stays,
air tickets, airline upgrades, etc Conversion of Thomas Cook reward points to frequent
flyer miles - convert the reward points earned on card to frequent flyer miles on select
domestic airlines. Positioned as a comprehensive travel card Assured gifts for the
joining fees - free air ticket / discount voucher Higher reward points for card swipes at
TCIL Company's outlets Redemption of reward points against Thomas Cook products
encouraged
4.9 TRAVEL INSURANCE
Insurance business of being carried out through TCIL 100% subsidiary - Thomas
Cook Insurance Services (I) Ltd. ("TCILSL"). TCILSL is a corporate agent of Tata AIG
General Insurance Company Limited. TCILSL entered insurance distribution in 2001
and offers the following products and services: Travel Care (Overseas Travel
Insurance) - Travel Care offers security for travelers which covers travel insurance,
hospitalization, loss of documents, Repatriation of Remains, emergency Cash Advance
or any other crises which requires assistance. Family Care - An Overseas travel
Insurance cover for entire family of 4-5 persons with single overall sum insured.
Scholar Care (Overseas Student Insurance) - A customized product for all students
studying abroad which ensures timely assistance in case of unexpected surprises in a
foreign land. Corporate Care (Overseas Corporate Travel Insurance) - For 43
Companies where employees travel abroad frequently on work, TCIL have customized
group policies. All foreign trips undertaken by employees in a year are covered under a
single policy. TCILSL provides all insurance products at all its outlets, leveraging on
ability to cross sell insurance products to its Travel and Forex customers.
44
45
CHAPTER V
TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION AND
FORMALITIES TO SCHENGEN
COUNTRIES THE THOMAS COOK
PERSPECTIVE
46
THOMAS COOK INDIA LIMITED KOLKATA

Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. is the largest integrated Travel and Travel related
Financial Services Company in the country offering a broad spectrum of services that
include Foreign Exchange, Corporate Travel, Leisure Travel, and Insurance. The
Company launched its Indian operations in 1881 and is celebrating its 127 years of
world-class service in India. TCIL presently operates in over 72 cities across over 180
locations. The company has overseas operations in Sri Lanka which is a branch of TCIL
and Mauritius which is a subsidiary of Thomas Cook (India).
Thomas Cook (India) - Kolkata operates in the following areas of business, namely:
Leisure Travel
Corporate Travel Management
MICE, Foreign Exchange
Travel Insurance
Life Insurance and E-Business
Visa & Passport Services

Thomas Cook India Ltd provided various services out of which I got an
opportunity to work under the department Leisure Travels (Outbound) which also
engage in a visa service for leisure purpose. The department look after the visa
processing and documentation for all countries. I got an opportunity to learn about the
visa processing and documentation to Schengen countries.
5.1 SCHENGEN AREA
The Schengen Area comprises the territories of twenty-six European countries
that have implemented the Schengen Agreement signed in the town of Schengen,
Luxembourg, in 1985. The Schengen Area operates very much like a single state for
international travel with border controls for those travelling in and out of the area, but
with no internal border controls.
The Schengen rules were absorbed into European Union law by the Amsterdam
Treaty in 1999, although the area officially includes four non-EU member states
47
Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerlandand de facto includes three European

micro-statesMonaco, San Marino, and the Vatican. All but two EU member states
Ireland and the United Kingdomare required to implement Schengen. With the
exceptions of Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Romania, all other countries have already
complied. The area currently covers a population of over 400 million people and an area
of 4312099 square kilometres.
Membership
The Schengen Area currently consists of twenty-six states, all but four of which
are members of the European Union (EU). Two of the non-EU members, Iceland and
Norway, are part of the Nordic Passport Union and are officially classified as states
associated with the Schengen activities of the EU. The third, Switzerland was
subsequently allowed to participate in the same manner in 2008. The fourth,
Liechtenstein joined on 19 December 2011, becoming the newest member of the
Schengen Area. De facto, the Schengen Area also includes several microstates that
maintain open or semi-open borders with Schengen countries. Two EU members
Ireland and the United Kingdomnegotiated opt-outs from Schengen and continue to
operate systematic border controls with other EU member states.
Regulation of Internal Borders

Before the implementation of the Schengen Agreement, most borders in Europe
were patrolled and a vast network of border posts existed around the continent, to check
the identity and entitlement of people wishing to travel from one country to another.
Since the implementation of the Schengen rules, border posts have been closed
(and often entirely removed) between participating countries. The Schengen Borders
Code requires participating states to remove all obstacles to free traffic flow at internal
borders. Thus, road, rail and air passengers no longer have their identity checked by
border guards when crossing borders, although security controls by carriers are still
permissible.
48
5.2 SCHENGEN VISA
A Schengen visa entitles the holder to enter and remain in the Schengen Area for
a specified period. Schengen visa are issued for reasons other than immigration, such as
tourism, business or transit, and may be issued for either single or multiple entry. The
maximum validity of the latter is normally a year but a greater period of up to five years
is allowable in exceptional cases. The maximum stay allowable is three months in any
half year. When issued for transit the length of the stay will correspond to the length the
transit should take.
The Schengen Visa is a term used in context with tourist visa for Europe which
covers 26 European countries. With this single visa you can travel to any of these
countries without the need of separate visas for each country.
Visa types
An airport transit visa (A) allows you to transit through the

international zone of
a Schengen airport without entering the Schengen territory.
A transit visa (B) allows you to transit no more than 5 days through Schengen
countries by car, coach or travelling through different airports on your way to

another non-Schengen country.
A short stay visa (C) allows you to visit the Schengen countries for tourism,
family or business visits, up to a maximum of 90 days in a given 180 days

period.
A circulation visa (C) is a short stay visa valid at least a year: It is mainly issued
for business visits that have an invitation letter from a Schengen country, to
aircrew members, to people having a special interest in the Schengen territory.
A long stay visa(D) allows you to stay for more than 3 months, e.g., study,
work, retire etc.
49
The Benefits of Holding a Schengen Visa

Traveling on a Schengen Visa means that the visa holder can travel to any (or
all) member countries using one single visa, thus avoiding the hassle and expense of
obtaining individual visas for each country. This is particularly beneficial for persons
who wish to visit several European countries on the same trip. Internal border controls
have disappeared; there are no or few stops and checks.
Purpose and Duration of Visit

The purpose of the visit must be leisure, tourism, or business. Upon the issuance
of the visa, the visa holder is allowed to enter all member countries and travel freely
throughout the Schengen area. A Schengen visa allows the holder to travel freely within
the Schengen countries for a maximum stay of up to 90 days in a 6 month period. It is
strongly recommended to plan your journey within the timeframe of the Schengen Visa,
as extensions can be very difficult to obtain.
Schengen Countries
You can visit one, a few, or all of the following countries on a single Schengen Visa.
1. Austria
2. Belgium
3. Denmark
4. Finland
5. France
6. Germany
7. Greece
8. Iceland
9. Italy
10. Luxembourg
11. Netherlands
12. Norway
13. Portugal
14. Spain
15. Sweden
50
16. Hungary
17. Poland
18. Slovak Republic
19. Malta
20. Slovenia
21. Czech Republic
22. Estonia
23. Latvia
24. Lithuania
25. Switzerland
26. Liechtenstein
Where to Obtain a Schengen Visa?

All depends on the place(s) you want to visit. If you intend to visit only one
Schengen country, you must apply at the Embassy or Consulate of that particular
country. You apply at the Embassy or Consulate responsible for the state where you
live. If you intend to visit several Schengen countries, you must apply for a visa at the
Embassy or Consulate of the country which is your main destination. If you intend to
visit several Schengen countries but do not have a main destination, you should apply
for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country which is your first point of entry.
Multiple Schengen Visa

A multiple entry Schengen visa will allow the holder several entries into the
Schengen area, allowing you to return to the UK and then re-enter the Schengen area at
a later date.
Not all embassies issue multiple entry visas some prefer to only issue a single
entry visa to cover you for the specific trip you are going on.
51
5.3 DOCUMENT CHECK-LIST AND REQUIREMENT FOR A VISA

General requirement:
Passport
Passport should be valid for 6 9 months from the date of travel.
Sufficient blank pages.
Old passport if any to be attached along with the new passports.

Documentation
Covering letter on a personal / business letter-head or on a plain A4 size paper

introducing himself / family and giving a clear description of his occupation /
brief description of his business, complete contract details and the purpose of
visit. Hand written letter is not acceptable by consulate it must be typed.
A covering letter format is given in Annexure I.
Last 3 years Income Tax Return / form 16
Original bank statements / Passbook updated for the past 6 months. Mentioning
the valid telephone numbers and address of the bank is mandatory.
A copy of Fixed deposits, investments, share certificates, record of ownership of

property assets / flat deed.
Photo specification
4 Matt finish & 2 Glossy finish recent colour photographs.
35mm x 45mm white background only with contrasting colours.
Matt finish for all consulates except Swiss.
Glossy finish in case of Swiss consulates.
Face should cover 80% area of photograph without glasses with profile.
Additional requirement:
For businessman
If Director in a company:- Memorandum & Articles of Association.
If Partnership co:- Partnership deed copy showing his name.
If Proprietor:- Shop establishment & sales tax registration / letter from banker.
If Self Employed:- Proof of occupation or some document showing proof of

ownership.
Last 3 years Income tax returns challans of the individual.

52
If Salaried
Original Leave letter from the employer mentioning the designation with leave
dates and signed by a managerial cadre.
Last 3 months salary slip & 3 years Form- 16 & 6 months bank statements.
For students / children travelling with parents
Proof of ID card / school calendar & Holiday list.
Confirmation from the school / college of their leave sanction or reasons for
taking time off during the academic semester.
For students / children travelling without parents
Written consent, no objection letter from both parents in support of travel

providing the details with whom the child is travelling and the purpose of visit.
Parents proof of occupation required in detail with 3 years income tax papers
and 6 months bank statements.
Notorised affidavit on Rs. 200 stamp paper duly signed by both parents stating
that they have no objection to their minor children below 18 years travelling
with their uncle / grandparents, etc. and guarantee their return back to India after
the tour.
This should be accompanied by a copy of passport / bank document of both

parents to confirm signatures. If absence of the above documents a letter to be
given on a Rs. 20 stamp paper duly signed by both parents and attested by
notary public to confirm signatures.
For newly married couples travelling
Covering letter from each individual mentioning when they got engaged and
dates of marriage ceremony and purpose if visit.
NOC from the fiance parents stating that they have no objection of her travel
and that she will return to India after the tour. This should be accompanied by a
copy of the passport of both parents to confirm signatures.
Marriage card / engagement photographs.
Original marriage certificate to be legalized by home department.
53
For individual travelling alone
No objection consent letter in support of visit from spouse.
Husbands proof of occupation in detail, 3 year income tax papers, 6 months

bank statements, proof of investments, etc.
For retired senior citizens
A copy of Provident fund, Fixed deposits, Pension statement, 6 months bank

statements, income tax return if any, retirement letter.
Supporting documents of person whom he / she are dependent on.
For government employees
NOC from the concern departments mentioning the designation with leave dates,
also name and designation of the person signing the sanction letter.
Last 3 months salary slips & 3 years Form- 16 and 6 months bank statements.
Documents from Thomas Cook

The application form are given to the customers which are to be duly filled by
the customers and signed in the mention space. A Swiss application form is given in
Annexure II. For the application of visa all the necessary documents are taken from
the customers and the rest of the documents are provided by Thomas Cook which is
mention below:
Booking Certificate
Visa voucher / Voucher tracker
Confirmed Air Ticket
Hotel voucher
Travel Insurance
Itinerary
After all the documents are set accordingly a recheck is done to make sure all
the documents are provided and set sequentially and this is send to Thomas Cook Visa
and Passport Service (TCVPS) department where the final check up is done and is send
to Visa Facilitated Service (VFS) which send it to the concern Consulates / Embassy.
54
CHAPTER VI
DATA ANALYSIS, REVIEW,
AND DISCUSSIONS
55
CUSTOMER PROFILE
A survey has been conducted among 53 customers of Thomas Cook and 9 of its
employees, Data interpretation is carried on according to the collected questionnaires.
Gender
Male
29
Female
24
53
Education
Bcom,Bsc,BA, plus2
34
Msc, Mtech, MBA
13
MBBS
53
Job
Doctor, Engineer
Business
33
Government
IT
53
Annual Income
1-5 lakhs
26
5-10 lakhs
53
10-15 lakhs
15-20 lakhs
21
(Table 1: Customer Profile)
56
Gender
24
Male
Female
29
(Figure 6.1: Gender)

Among the survey conducted 54.71% are males and 45.28% are females.
Education
14
14
12
9
10
8
6
6
Education
4
3
4
2
0
BSc Bcom
BA Plus 2 MSc Mtech MBA
MBBS
(Figure 6.2: Education level)
57
Job
3
9
Doctor
Engineer
Business
Government
33
IT
(Figure 6.3: Job profile)

Right from plus2 to MBBS and from Doctors to Business people all classes of people
are the customers of Thomas Cook.
Annual Income
30
26
25
21
20
15
Annual Income
10
5
4
2
0
1-5 lakhs 5-10 lakhs 10-15 lakhs 15-20 lakhs
(Figure 6.4: Annual income)
58
CUSTOMERS DATA INTERPRETATION

The percentage method was extensively used for analysis and interpretation. It can be
generally calculated as follows,
Number of favorable respondent

________________________________ 100
A.1
How frequently you travel

Number of favorable
respondent
Percentage = Number of
favorable respondent/ Total no.
respondent X100
Weekly
Monthly
Quarterly
Semiannually
Annually
Total no of respondent
3
6
12
32
53
0.00%
5.66%
11.32%
22.64%
60.37%
100%
(Table 2: frequency of travel)
Frequency of Travel
0
3
6
Weekly
Monthly
Quarterly
32
12
Semiannually
Annually
(Figure 6.5: Frequency of travel)

Most of the loyal customers of Thomas Cook travel annually 60.37% and semi annually
as 22.64% travel.
59
A.2 Whats the purpose of travel?

Number of favorable
respondent
Business
Leisure
Family
Medical
13.20%
66.03%
18.86%
0.00%
1
53
1.88%
100%
35
10
Other
Total no of respondent
respondent X100
(Table 3: purpose of travel)
Purpose of Travel
0
1
10
Business
Leisure
Family
Medical
Other
35
(Figure 6.6: Purpose of travel)

Mostly customer of Thomas cook travel for leisure which is 66.03% followed by family
which is 18.86%.
60
A.3 With whom you travel

Number of favorable
respondent
favorable respondent/ Total

no. respondent X100
Family
35
66.03%
Friends
3.77%
Peer
7.54%
Relative
12
22.64%
Others
0.00%
Total no. of respondents
53
100%
(Table 4: Companion of travel)
Companion of travel
0
12
Family
4
Friends
35
Peer
Relative
Others
(Figure 6.7: Companion of travel)

Mostly customers of Thomas cook travel with family (66.03%) followed by relatives
(22.64%).
61
B1. Brand Identity of Thomas Cook attracts Customers

Number of favorable
Percentage = Number of favorable
respondent
respondent/ Total no. respondent X100
Strongly Agree
39
73.58 %
Agree
11.32 %
Undecided
3.77 %
Disagree
3.77 %
Strongly Disagree
7.54 %
53
100 %
(Table 5: Brand identity of Thomas Cook)
Brand Identity of Thomas Cook attracts Customers
Strongly Agree
Agree
Undecided
39
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
(Figure 6.8: Brand identity of Thomas Cook)
Brand identity of Thomas Cook attracts a customer to book their holidays with it. This
statement was strongly agreed by 73.58% of respondents, agreed by 11.32%, undecided
by 3.77%, disagreed by 3.77%, strongly disagreed by 7.54% of respondents.
62
B.2 Thomas Cook is known for its repeated Customer

Number of favorable
respondent
respondent/ Total no. respondent X100
Strongly Agree
30
56.60 %
Agree
13.20 %
Undecided
9.43 %
Disagree
11.32 %
Strongly Disagree
9.43 %
53
100 %
(Table 6: Thomas Cook is known for its repeated customer )
Thomas Cook is known for repeated Customer
5
6
Strongly Agree
5
Agree
30
Undecided
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
(Figure 6.9: Thomas Cook is known for repeated customer)
Thomas cook is very particular about retaining customers, it is known from the
importance given to Customer. Thomas Cook is known for its repeated customer is
strongly agreed by 56.60%. It clearly indicates more than half of the respondents are
happy about Thomas Cook services.
63
B3. Quality of service provided by Thomas Cook to its Customers is satisfactory

Number of favorable
respondent
respondent X100
Strongly Agree
26
Agree
10
49.05%
18.86%
Undecided
9.43%
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
16.98%
5.66%
Total no. Respondent
53
100%
(Table 7: Quality of service provided by Thomas Cook is satisfactory)
Quality of service provided by Thomas Cook to its

Customers is satisfactory
80
60
40
20
26
10
0
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Undecided
9
Disagree
3
Strongly
Disagree
(Figure 6.10: Quality of service provided by Thomas Cook is satisfactory)
Customer service provided by Thomas Cook is accepted by all its customers, they
strongly agree that the service provided by Thomas cook is quiet satisfactory. 49.05% of
customers strongly agree that Thomas Cook service was satisfactory.
64
B4. Thomas Cook response towards Customers is very quick

Number of favorable
respondent

respondent/ Total no. respondent
X100
Strongly Agree
33
62.26%
Agree
11.32%
Undecided
1.88%
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
15.09%
9.43%
53
100%
(Table 8: Thomas Cooks response is quick)
Thomas Cook response towards Customers is very quick

100
80
33
60
40
20
0
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Undecided
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
(Figure 6.11: Thomas Cooks response is quick)
Thomas Cook assists the Customer approach, where the customers are guided well by
the employees and 62.26% of people strongly agree that employee response towards
customers was very quick.
65
B5. Thomas Cook communicates in Customers language

Number of favorable
respondent
respondent X100
Strongly Agree
38
71.69%
Agree
13
24.52%
Undecided
0.00%
Disagree
1.88%
Strongly Disagree
1.88%
53
100%
(Table 9: Thomas Cook communicates in customer's language)
Thomas Cook communicates in

Customers language
01
1
13
Strongly Agree
Agree
Undecided
38
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
(Figure 6.12: Thomas Cook communicates in customer's language)
Most of the customers approaching Thomas Cook-Kolkata were Bengali and employees
there also know Bengali, Hindi and English very well so customers find themselves very
convenient in Thomas Cook- Kolkata and 71.69% of customers strongly agree to this.
66
B.6 Thomas Cook provides good assistance to the Customer

Number of favorable
respondent
Strongly Agree
respondent X100
35
Agree
Undecided
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
53
66.03%
9.43%
0.00%
13.20%
11.32%
100%
(Table 10: Thomas Cook provides good customer assistance)
Thomas Cook provides good assistance

to the Customer
6
7
Strongly Agree
0
Agree
5
35
Undecided
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
(Figure 6.13: Thomas Cook provides good customer assistance)
As soon as customer enters Thomas Cook every one of its employee gets busy in
receiving its customers paving the way to seat and rest and 66.03% of its Customers
Agree that Thomas Cook provides good customer assistance.
67
B7. Thomas Cook makes Customers to understand better about their Products
Number of favorable
respondent
respondent X100
Strongly Agree
31
58.49%
Agree
10
18.86%
Undecided
13.20%
Disagree
7.54%
Strongly Disagree
1.88%
53
100%
(Table 11: Thomas Cook makes customers understand products better)
Thomas Cook makes Customers to understand

better about their Products
35
30
25
20
15
31
10
10
0
1
1
5
(Figure 6.14: Thomas Cook makes customers understand products better)
Thomas Cook, since its inception in to the industry has been updating itself from time to
time in understanding its customers and making its customers to know better about their
products, 77% of its customers agree to the given statement.
68
B.8 Thomas Cook assists the customers well for visa application
Number of favorable
respondent
respondent X100
Strongly Agree
36
67.92%
Agree
10
18.86%
Undecided
0.00%
Disagree
7.54%
Strongly Disagree
5.66%
53
100%
(Table 12: Thomas Cook assists the customers well for visa application)
Thomas Cook assists the customers well

for visa application
0
4
3
Strongly Agree
10
Agree
Undecided
36
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
(Figure 6.15: Thomas Cook assists the customers well for visa application)
Thomas Cook believes strongly in its efficient customer service and this efficiency
made them number 1 in Tourism industry. 86% people agree that Thomas Cook assist
the customers well for visa application.
69
B.9 Customers knew Thomas Cook through various discounts and offers of various tour
packages
Number of favorable
respondent
Strongly Agree
respondent X100
22
47.16%
Agree
5.66%
Undecided
1.88%
Disagree
3.77%
Strongly Disagree
25
41.50%
53
100%
(Table 13: Customers knew Thomas Cook through seasonal offers and discount)
Thomas Cook often comes out with

various discounts and offers.
80
70
60
50
25
22
40
30
20
10
0
Strongly
Agree
Agree
1
Undecided
2
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
(Figure 6.16: Customers knew Thomas Cook through seasonal offers and discount)
Even though Thomas Cook got failed in few of its new product launch in India, still it
has been introducing new offers and discounts to customers. 51% of its customers
disagree to the statement that they came to know about Thomas Cook through its
seasonal offers and discounts.
70
B.10 Are you satisfied with the eligibility of visa services of Thomas cook
Number of favorable
respondent
Strongly Agree
respondent X100
37.73%
Agree
20
12
Undecided
13.20%
Disagree
7.54%
Strongly Disagree
10
18.86%
53
22.64%
100%
(Table 14: Satisfaction level with the eligibility of visa services of Thomas Cook)
Satisfaction level with the eligibility of

visa services of Thomas cook
60
50
40
20
30
12
10
20
10
0
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Undecided
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
(Figure 6.17: Satisfaction level with the eligibility of visa services of Thomas Cook)
Customers are happy and satisfied with the eligibility criteria set for visa services and
60% agree with this statement.
71
B.11 Thomas Cook Customers are benefited and satisfied by its visa services
Number of favorable
respondent
Strongly Agree
respondent X100
37
3
69.81%
Agree
Undecided
1.88%
Disagree
9.43%
Strongly Disagree
13.20%
53
5.66%
100%
(Table 15: Customers are satisfied with the visa services of Thomas cook)
Thomas Cook Customers are satisfied by

its visa services
120
100
80
60
40
20
37
3
0
Strongly
Agree
Agree
1
Undecided
5
Disagree
7
Strongly
Disagree
(Figure 6.18: Customers are satisfied with the visa services of Thomas cook)
Thomas Cook is successful in the industry as it always innovating to meet the

customers expectations and customers are satisfied by its visa services. 75% customers
agree with this statement.
72
B.12 Thomas cook visa services help to hold its customers
Number of favorable
respondent
Strongly Agree
respondent X100
27
11
50.94%
Agree
Undecided
10
18.86%
Disagree
5.66%
Strongly Disagree
3.77%
53
20.75%
100%
(Table 16: Thomas cook visa services help to hold its customers)
Thomas cook visa services help to

hold its customers
3
10
Strongly Agree
27
Agree
Undecided
11
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
(Figure 6.19: Thomas cook visa services help to hold its customers)
Thomas Cook visa services are satisfying and responding good in holding the
customers. 71.69% agree with the statement.
73
B.13 Customers would like to visit Thomas Cook again and again due to success in
application of visa
Number of favorable
respondent
Strongly Agree
respondent X100
84.90%
Agree
45
8
Undecided
0.00%
Disagree
0.00%
Strongly Disagree
0.00%
53
15.09%
100%
(Table 17: Customers would like to visit Thomas Cook again and again due to success
in application of visa)
Customers would like to visit Thomas

Cook again and again due to success
in application of visa
0
8
Strongly Agree
Agree
Undecided
45
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
(Figure 6.20: Customers would like to visit Thomas Cook again and again due to
success in application of visa)
Thomas Cook has been successful in the application of visas for the customers and has
been receiving many customers due to its services and 84.90% customers strongly agree
with the statement.
74
B.14 Thomas Cook is successful in reaching its customers expectations
Number of favorable
respondent
Strongly Agree
respondent X100
41.50%
Agree
22
9
Undecided
9.43%
Disagree
16.98%
Strongly Disagree
15.09%
53
16.98%
100%
(Table 18: Thomas Cook is successful in reaching its customers expectations)
Thomas Cook is successful in reaching

its customers expectations
70
60
50
40
22
30
20
10
0
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Undecided
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
(Figure 6.21: Thomas Cook is successful in reaching its customers expectations)
Thomas cook is successful in reaching its customers expectations. This statement was
agreed by 58% of respondents.
75
B.15 Thomas Cook delivers best possible experiences through its reasonable packages
Number of favorable
respondent
Strongly Agree
respondent X100
52.83%
Agree
28
6
Undecided
10
18.86%
Disagree
9.43%
Strongly Disagree
7.54%
53
11.32%
100%
(Table 19: Thomas Cook delivers best experience with reasonable price)
Thomas Cook delivers best possible

experiences through its reasonable
packages
5
4
Strongly Agree
10
Agree
28
Undecided
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
(Figure 6.22: Thomas Cook delivers best experience with reasonable price)
Thomas Cook provides great experience with reasonable price. Thomas Cook delivers
best possible experience is strongly agreed by 52.83%, agreed by 11.32% and
undecided by 18.86%, disagreed by 9.43% and strongly disagreed by 7.54%.
76
B .16 Maintaining relations with Customers helps to retain them

Number of favorable
respondent
Strongly Agree
respondent X100
43
5
81.13%
Agree
Undecided
5.66%
Disagree
1.88%
Strongly Disagree
1.88%
53
9.43%
100%
(Table 20: Maintaining relations with customers retain them)
Maintaining relations with Customers helps

to retain them
140
120
100
43
80
60
40
20
0
Strongly
Agree
Agree
3
Undecided
1
Disagree
1
Strongly
Disagree
(Figure 6.23: Maintaining relations with customers retain them)
Developing relations is the best way to retain the customers. 81.13% of the respondents
strongly agree to the statement and 3.76% disagreed about the statement.
77
B .17 Thomas Cook explains well about documentation need for visa to the customers
Number of favorable
respondent
Strongly Agree
respondent X100
40
6
75.47%
Agree
Undecided
0.00%
Disagree
7.54%
Strongly Disagree
5.66%
53
11.32%
100%
(Table 21: Thomas Cook explains well about documentation need for visa to the
customers)
Thomas Cook explains well about documentation need

for visa to the customers
120
100
80
40
60
40
20
6
0
0
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Undecided
4
Disagree
3
Strongly
Disagree
(Figure 6.24: Thomas Cook explains well about documentation need for visa to
the customers)
Customers find it easy to provide all the documents for visa application and hence find
it easy as Thomas Cook explains well about all the documentation need. 75.47%
strongly agree with the statement.
78
B.18 Customer complaints are taken seriously by Thomas Cook

Number of favorable
respondent
Strongly Agree
respondent X100
24
2
45.28%
Agree
Undecided
10
18.86%
Disagree
9.43%
Strongly Disagree
12
22.64%
53
3.77%
100%
(Table 22: Customers complaints are taken seriously)
Customer complaints are taken very

seriously by Thomas Cook
70
60
50
24
40
30
12
10
20
10
0
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Undecided
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
(Figure 6.25: Customers complaints are taken seriously)
Customers complaints are taken seriously in Thomas Cook. 49.05% agreed that
complaints is taken seriously, disagreed by 32.07% and undecided by 18.86%
79
B.19 Feedback from the customers have always been considered
Number of favorable
respondent
Strongly Agree
respondent X100
47.16%
Agree
25
2
Undecided
15.09%
Disagree
9.43%
Strongly Disagree
13
24.52%
53
3.77%
100%
(Table 23: Feedback from the customers have always been considered)
Feedback from customers have

always been considered
13
25
Strongly Agree
Agree
Undecided
8
Disagree
2
Strongly Disagree
(Figure 6.26: Feedback from the customers have always been considered)
Thomas Cook always take the feedback from its customers for better improvement and
47.16% strongly agreed while 3.77% agree, 15.09% are undecided, 9.43% disagreed
and 24.52% strongly disagreed.
80
B20. Thomas Cook goes further to make Customers dreams come true
Number of favorable
respondent
Strongly Agree
respondent X100
77.35%
Agree
41
8
Undecided
7.54%
Disagree
0.00%
Strongly Disagree
0.00%
53
15.09%
100%
(Table 24: Thomas Cook goes further to make customers dreams come true)
Thomas Cook goes further to make

Customers dreams come true
0
4
8
Strongly Agree
Agree
Undecided
41
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
(Figure 6.27: Thomas Cook goes further to make customers dreams come true)
Thomas Cook goes further to make customers dreams come true, by this it attains
maximum customer satisfaction. Nearly 92% of respondents strongly agree that Thomas
Cook makes dreams true.
81
REVIEW AND DISCUSSIONS

The department of Leisure Travels (Outbound) deals with the outbound travels
of the tourist who book the tour from Thomas Cook Kolkata. The department takes
care of the whole tour booking which includes air tickets, hotel confirmation, travel
insurance, etc. This department also provided visa services. The documentation that are
needed for the application of visa are taken care by visa services department which
delivers the service for visa. I got an opportunity to work in the visa service department
and able to learn about the documentation need for the application of visa to Schengen
countries.
INTERVIEW
Semi-structured interview was conducted with the employees of Thomas Cook.

The employees and managers were friendly and helpful. Due to the peak season of
business activities, the entire staff was busy in handling the customers. Therefore it was
difficult to interact with higher authorities. In addition to semi structured interview,
casual interview were also provided useful data. In other words, data were collected
from informal conversation with the staff in general and Managers in particular. Here I
asked few questions to them regarding travel documentation to Schengen countries.
1. What are the documents that we need for the application of Schengen Visa?
Passport
Passport should be valid for 6 9 months from the date of travel.
Old passport if any to be attached along with the new passports.

Documentation
Covering letter on a personal / business letter-head or on a plain A4 size paper

introducing himself / family and giving a clear description of his occupation /
brief description of his business, complete contract details and the purpose of
visit.
Last 3 years Income Tax Return / form 16
Original bank statements / Passbook updated for the past 6 months. Mentioning
the valid telephone numbers and address of the bank is mandatory.
82
A copy of Fixed deposits, investments, share certificates, record of ownership of

property assets / flat deed.
Photo specification
4 Matt finish & 2 Glossy finish recent colour photographs.
Documents from Thomas Cook
Booking Certificate
Visa voucher / Voucher tracker
Confirmed Air Ticket
Hotel voucher
Travel Insurance
Itinerary
1. How many days does it take for processing a Schengen Visa?

The time it takes to obtain a visa varies between each country and in some cases
is dependent on your nationality. Visas can take anywhere from one day to ten
weeks to obtain. In some cases as an agency we are able to obtain a visa in a shorter
period of time relative to public applications.
2. What is the charge for applying a Schengen Visa?
The charge differs for the application of Schengen Visa. Different country
embassies have their own charges for visa.
3. What is the validity of a Schengen Visa?

The validity of a Schengen visa is given only for a stipulated period of time i.e.
the number of days of travel in a Schengen country. The maximum period one can
obtain a Schengen visa is 1 year.
4. If a recently Schengen visa expires, how to extend it?

A Schengen visa cannot be renewed. One must apply for a new visa to replace
an expired one. One may schedule an appointment for submission of new
application. All documents must be submitted along with an application form and
visa fee.
83
5. What to do if a traveller have lost or misplaced his Indian passport with a valid
Schengen visa?
The traveller is strongly recommended to keep photocopies of his passport data
pages and of the Schengen visa. A visa is a valuable document. The traveler should
inform The Embassy / The Consulate from where the visa was issued immediately if
he has lost the passport. He must apply for a new visa by submitting all documents
and payment of visa fees. He must submit a copy of the Police First Incident Report
(FIR) with his application. It is preferable to also submit a copy of the visa and the
lost passport for ready reference of the Visa Officer.
6. What is the advantage of availing a Schengen visa?

The advantage of having a Schengen visa is that one may enter one country and
travel freely throughout the Schengen zone, internal border controls have
disappeared.
7. What are the problems that we face while applying a Schengen visa?
The problems that we face while applying a visa are
Necessary documents are not provided.

There use to be a delay from customer to provide documents.
The bank statements sometime provided are not stamped, signed, and date
are not mentioned.
The visa form is sometime not signed.
The address in passport and current address are different and the address
proof is not given.
8. What are the charges for renewal of a Schengen visa?
If we already have a Schengen visa but it expires and if we want to apply again
the charges for applying the visa will be the same.
84
CHAPTER VII
FINDINGS AND SUGGESTIONS
85
FINDINGS
1. Thomas Cook has got strong Brand Identity in the market and is attracting its
Customers with its Brand Identity.
2. Thomas Cook is known for its repeated customer and the customers are happy
about Thomas Cook services.
3. The services provided to the customer by Thomas Cook increases customer
satisfaction.
4. Thomas Cook is very prompt in responding to customers queries.
5. Thomas Cook tries to make customers feel easy by communicating in language
convenient to them.
6. Thomas Cook keeps itself updated through customer feedback and provides good
customer assistance.
7. Thomas Cook makes the customers more familiar with its products.
8. Thomas Cook assistance to the customers for visa application was satisfactory.
9. Thomas cook often comes out with various discounts and offers of tour packages
which attract the customers.
10. Customers are satisfied with the eligibility of Thomas Cook for availing visa
services.
11. Thomas cook customers are satisfied and benefited by its visa services.
12. The visa services provided by Thomas Cook help to hold its customers.
13. Customers like to visit Thomas Cook again and again due to success in the
services of visa.
14. Thomas Cook is successful in reaching its customers expectations.
15. Respondents feel the fares of packages are reasonable.
16. Thomas cook believes in maintaining relations with their customer to retain them
and make them to book their holidays again and again.
17. The customers feel comfortable and easy about the documentation for visa
undertaken by Thomas Cook.
18. Thomas cook takes their customer complaint very seriously.
19. After the services have been provided and to improve in future, feedback from the
customers have always been considered.
20. Thomas cook goes further to make people dreams come true.
86
SUGGESTIONS
Thomas Cook should equally focus on its small branches to make itself to reach
out every type of customers, because small branches are the major places for
good Customer interactions.
Thomas Cook needs to concentrate more on Customer

complaints and deal them
seriously to remove the customers perception.

Thomas Cook needs to focus on the performance
rewarding and employee
career development so that it may not lead to attrition.
Thomas Cook employees are most often burdened with heavy work,
leading to
employee stress which may shows negative impact on Customer deal.
Organizational culture is extremely important to create an environment

of
respect for each other build team spirit, provide enlightened leadership and
capable supervision, and show that employees are wanted.
Thomas cook should provide customers with such attractive offers that they feel
satisfied for the amount paid and would recommend them to their relatives and
friends.
To increase the goodwill of the company further in the minds of customers,

Thomas Cook should send greetings to its customers on occasions like festivals,
birthdays, and anniversaries. Small gifts like calendars, diaries, cards, etc.
87
CHAPTER VIII
S.W.O.T. ANALYSIS
88
STRENGTH
Best outbound tour operator.
One stop shop for Travel Solutions i.e. Ticket, Insurance, Hotel Booking,
Foreign & Domestic both customized and Group tour package, Foreign
exchange etc.
Honest Price No hidden cost included.
Most of the Embassies and Consulates are located in Kolkata which makes it
easier for the application of visa.
Dedicated staff.
Brand image.
Large number of distribution channels.
WEAKNESS
Less number of branches in north-eastern regions.
Organization infrastructure i.e. the visa section was congested.
Focuses more on International tours rather than Indian tours.
No refunds for unutilized service.
OPPORTUNITY
Increasing number of franchisees will increase the clientele base.
Industrial growth.
Increase in demand for cheaper holidays with greater flexibility, therefore a new
target market.
Advances in technology and cheaper access to internet create demand for online
booking facilities.
Increasing popularity of the internet pave the way for advertising techniques.
THREAT
Fluctuating market requirements.
Attrition.
89
Inflation.
New entrants.
With a rise in number of competitors Thomas Cook may lose new clients.
General nature of the market and its trends e.g. sales highly dependent upon
external factors such as the UK weather and economic situation.
90
CHAPTER IX
CONCLUSION
91
CONCLUSION
This research project sought to develop an understanding of how travel services
was successfully implemented and managed in Thomas Cook India Ltd. Kolkata. The
finding of this study showed that the customers were satisfied with the services provided
to them by Thomas Cook. The customers were also happy with the assistance that was
given by Thomas Cook and help them to understand their product better. The visa
services provided was successful and this makes customers to visit Thomas Cook again
and again.
I got an opportunity to work in Leisure Travels (Outbound) which was also
providing visa services for leisure purpose. Here I got to learn how the visa application
is done and what the documentation needs for visa are. A visa service is one of the
complex and difficult task and it requires proper attention and presence of mind as a
small mistake can create a big problem. The visa services provided by Thomas Cook
was smooth and during the peak seasons it used to receive 3500 applications and during
off seasons 1800 applications. I would like to conclude by saying that Thomas Cook is
doing excellent in travel services and the process approach in delivering the visa
services are successful with supportive work environment.
92
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
Sunetra Roday, Archana Biwal, Vandana Joshi

(2009), Tourism
Operations and Management Oxford Publishers
Sampad Kumar Swain, Jitendra
Mohan Mishra (2012), Tourism Principles
and Practices Oxford Publishers
A. K. Bhatia (2001), International Tourism Management Sterling Publishers
Pvt. Ltd.
C R Kothari, (2002), Research MethodologyMethods and Techniques,

Second Edition, New Age International Publishers
BROCHURE
Thomas Cook Hello Europe Premium 2012
WEB SITES
http://www.google.co.in/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_%28document%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passport
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel_document
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area
http://www.immihelp.com/visas/schengenvisa/application.html
http://www.immihelp.com/visas/schengenvisa/
http://www.sscvisa.co.uk/blog/schengen-visa/time-schengen-visa-application
processed/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cook_Group
http://www.thomascook.in/tcportal/px/tcportal/home.do?url=retail
http://www.immihelp.com/visas/schengenvisa/
93
ANNEXURE
94

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A STUDY ON TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION AND FACILITATION TO SCHENGEN

COUNTRIES WITH REFERENCE TO THOMAS COOK

SUBMITTED BY: K.V.S.KIRAN

Prepared under the guidance of

Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management

I would like to express my Deepest thanks.

Scope of the study

INTRODUCTION TO TRAVEL MANAGEMENT

Introduction to Travel Management

1.1 Nature of Travel and Tourism

1.2 Travel Formalities

1.5 Travel Insurance

1.6 Foreign Exchange

DESIGN AND MEDHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH

3.1 Research Design

3.2 Research Methodology

3.3 Data Collection Technique

3.4 Data Analysis

THOMAS COOK KOLKATA AN OVERVIEW OF

4.2 History Of Thomas Cook

4.4 Thomas Cook Services

4.5 Corporate Travel

4.7 Foreign Exchange

4.8 Thomas Cook Credit Cards

4.9 Travel Insurance

TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION AND FORMALITIES

5.1 Schengen Area

5.2 Schengen Visa

5.3 Document Check-List and Requirement For a Visa

DATA ANALYSIS, REVIEW AND DISCUSSIONS

FINDINGS AND SUGGESTIONS

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

TABLES AND FIGURES

BRAND IDENTITY OF THOMAS COOK

THOMAS COOK REPEATED CUSTOMERS

QUALITY OF SERVICES IS SATISFACTORY

THOMAS COOK RESPONSE IS QUICK

COMMUNICATION IN CUSTOMERS LANGUAGE

GOOD ASSISTANCE TO CUSTOMERS

MAKES CUSTOMERS UNDERSTAND PRODUCTS

ELIGIBILITY FOR VISA SERVICE

SATISFIED WITH VISA SERVICES

THOMAS COOK VISA SERVICE HOLD CUSTOMER

FREQUENT VISIT OF CUSTOMERS

SUCCESSFUL IN CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS

DELIVERS BEST EXPERIENCE

MAINTAINING RELATION AND RETAINING

CUSTOMERS COMPLAIN TAKEN SERIOUSLY

WORKS HARD TO MAKE CUSTOMERS DREAM

Thomas Cook is now pioneer in Tourism Industry; I have got an opportunity to

The objectives of this study are:

1. To study the process involved in travel documentation of Thomas Cook

DOCUMENTATION AND FACILITATION TO SCHENGEN

COUNTRIES WITH REFERENCE TO THOMAS COOK. A survey was

INTRODUCTION TO TRAVEL MANAGEMENT

1.1. NATURE OF TRAVEL AND TOURISM

Defining tourism is not a simple matter, as it is a complex industry made up of

Different types of tourism

Tourists are categorised as leisure, business or visiting friends and relatives

Leisure tourists (usually described as leisure travellers in statistics) are travelling

Business tourists are travelling to go to a meeting, conference or event

Ordinary passport (Tourist passport, Regular passport, Passport)

passport of the parent, rendering the passport functionally equal to a family