Thomas Cook Launches Forex Sales Online

Buy your forex online and get it delivered to your doorstep with thomascook.co.in

Not so long ago, youd have to go to a moneychanger, stand in line and make sure you had all your travel documents ready just to buy a little foreign exchange. Now you can have it delivered to your doorstep. Thomas Cook announced today that customers can buy their foreign exchange online at thomascook.co.in. The online service will be available in 16 cities nationwide and follows a highly successful four month pilot carried out in Mumbai.

The move is a logical next step for the countrys foreign exchange market leader, and effectively gives it a round-the-clock outlet providing a range of foreign exchange products to consumers.

Ordering online is quick and easy with up-to-date exchange rates available online. Customers can choose between travellers cheques, currency notes and Cash Passport, Thomas Cooks prepaid ATM card. Customers can also use a currency converter and check buy and sell rates online for over thirty different currencies.

The online service is fully integrated with 54 branches including airport outlets across the country. Customers can choose between home delivery or branch pick-up of their foreign exchange orders. Home delivery is free for orders over $3,000 and incurs a fee of Rs. 250 for orders below that amount.

We have a market leading travel site in thomascook.co.in and a forex store is a natural fit with a travel portal," said Madhavan Menon, Executive Director, Thomas Cook. Since our customers can buy other travel services from us online, why not foreign exchange? Our pilot in Mumbai was very well received and so weve launched the service nationwide."

Note to editors

About thomascook.co.in
Thomas Cook India created thomascook.co.in in 2000 as part of its commitment to give customers a choice of ways to access travel products and services. Today, thomascook.co.in offers holidays, flights, hotels and foreign exchange - all of which can be booked online. thomascook.co.in aims to be the leading one-stop travel shop online in India.

About Thomas Cook (India) Ltd.
Thomas Cook (India) Ltd is a leading Travel and Travel related services provider. It has a network of 54 branches across 16 cities and the only travel company to have implemented SAP (Enterprise Resource Planning Solutions) across all its operations. Through its overseas subsidiaries, the company also has operations in Mauritius and Sri Lanka. It also has plans to expand in the SAARC region.

The Company has 2 core businesses - Travel Related Services and Financial Related Services. It has set up two new sales and marketing channels – a 365 day operational Call Centre and www.thomascook.co.in, the company portal.

Thomas Cook Group
Thomas Cook UK Ltd is part of Thomas Cook AG (formerly C&N Touristic AG). Its acquisition was announced in December 2000, with European Union approval granted in February 2001.

Thomas Cook UK is a leading travel company, employing about 11,000 staff. The company's principal operations include: Thomas Cook Tour Operations, which includes 7 tour operating brands such as Thomas Cook, JMC Holidays, Club 18-30, Neilson, Style Holidays, Sunset, Sunworld Ireland; JMC Airlines (to be renamed Thomas Cook in 2003)-- the UK's second largest leisure airline; and Thomas Cook Distribution, which encompasses 700 high street travel shops, seven Thomas Cook travel warehouses, 800 bureaux de change, four call centres, Thomas Cook TV, a digital channel that broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on holidays and special offers, and thomascook.com, one of the most popular UK travel websites.

Thomas Cook AG is the second largest travel group in Europe and the third largest in the world, with a turnover of EUR 8 billion and a staff of 28,000. The group serves 14 million customers a year and operates 30 tour operator brands, approximately 3,600 travel agencies across the world and a fleet of 85 aircraft.

Contact
For further details please call or write to Ameeta Munshi, Corporate Communications dept, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd, Mumbai, tel: 91-22-2048556/7/8 ext. 1400, fax: 91-22-2821542 (telfax) /287 2876, email: ameeta.munshi@in.thomascook.com.