CPricol announces the launch of CruiseBay lounge in Banjara Hills

Says alliance with CruiseBay with bigger cruise fleets, more new sailings destinations will attract 1000s of new cruise vacationers in its customer portfolio. Currently, over 70,000 Indians opt for cruise vacations annually and this number is expected to grow

Hyderabad|India|June '2011: Pricol Travel, part of the 1500Cr Coimbatore based Pricol Group has announced its plan to expand its portfolio of travel management business by entering the cruise cum leisure segment in a big way. To encash the growing popularity of cruise cum leisure vacation travel Pricol today announced the launch of a CruiseBay lounge in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, and the 6th of such interactive lounges in India.

Pricol Travel will also add 8 new uber luxury properties under the Tamara brand in the form of boutique hotels, wilderness lodges, luxury villas etc in different locations in South India, like Rameshwaram, Tanjore and Ootacamund. Focus will be on places of historical interest, hill stations, forest corridors, beaches all which would make for ideal family getaways.

The company expects a three- fold rise in its turnover from Rs 100 Cr to Rs. 300cr with a slew of organic and inorganic strategic initiatives like acquisition in the next two years. Pricol Travel is a top corporate travel management service provider in South India and aims to maintain its position with “Getaways de Pricol” by hosting special interest holidays like the Oktoberfest,

Mardi Gras, The Scottish Whiskey Trail and Castles of Scotland itineraries and many more.

Making the announcement Vikram Mohan, Director Pricol Travel said “Pricol is very excited to launch the CruiseBay lounge in Hyderabad and offer cruise itineraries given the growing popularity and choice of traveler for cruise vacations in this region. We hope to benefit from the fact that cruises have always cost less than comparable land vacations and we are getting a huge amount of response from corporates and individual families to embark on cruise vacations both from Hyderabad and the other cities we operate.

“Pricol marked its foray into the leisure segment with the immensely successful Tamara Resorts in Coimbatore managed by international hospitality professionals Aitken Spence. Another recent acquisition under the Tamara name has been 50 acres of land in Thorapally in Mudumalai forest where the management has decided to open one of India’s most premium jungle lodges. The company wants to cash in on the ever growing number of hardcore wildlife enthusiasts” Vikram Mohan added.

“Leisure cruising is a multi billion dollar business with ships operating in all the seven oceans (and most rivers too!). There is a cruise holiday to suit every age, every budget and every need. Indians are beginning to experience the value and benefits of taking a cruise holiday and there is a steady 15% -20% growth in cruise passenger’s year on year. The growth is expected to grow multifold as international cruise liners are gearing up to sail in the Indian waters across our 7500 kms strong coastline. As an early entrant CruiseBay expects to capture the major market share being India’s first and only cruise focused company. ” Nikhil Thakurdas, Director of CruiseBay.

CruiseBay is a B2C company and currently sell cruises for 28 cruise liners, the cruise destinations include Alaska, Scandinavia, North America, Europe, Caribbean, Middle East, Asia, India, Hawaii, South Pacific, Africa, South America, Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica.

“Hyderabad is among the fastest growing IT hub. The city’s strong business connections with North America a main cruising hub that includes Alaska, Bahamas, Caribbean we expect considerable client addition from this region “CruiseBay operates in 5 cities and has sent over 500 passengers on a cruise holiday.” Nikhil commented.

“We believe that cruising is one of the best vacation options in terms of value. The cost of your cruise includes all meals, your accommodation, on-board activities and entertainment, plus transportation from port to port. This means that you know exactly what your vacation will cost you before you leave home. When you consider all the extras that a land vacation can cost, there’s no better value than cruising. “When people return from their first Pricol cruise holiday we hear from them that the whole experience had been completely invigorating and a great way to see the world in luxury.” Vikram Mohan added.

CruiseBay cruise lines feature soft adventure expeditions to such unusual and rustic frontiers as Antarctica, the Amazon rain forest or African Serengeti. Or one can discover historical legacies with itineraries to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, South America or closer home to Vietnam, Hong Kong etc. Cruise vacationers can also enjoy spectacular scenic cruises to destinations like Alaska, Norwegian Fjords, the Caribbean and Greek Isles.

Cruising as a holiday option is growing in popularity amongst Indian travelers with the market growing at around 15% per year .A recent report has stated that around 75,000 passengers sailed out on cruises from India in 2010-11 and around 50% of them travelled to South-East Asia. This is still a miniscule share of less than 1% of those who took a holiday abroad (12 million outbound travelers in 2010).

June.2011