Launches #AllAboutStudyingAbroad – resource bank of informative videos & blogs for students planning to study abroad

Topics include choosing universities, fee structures, scholarships, loans, visas, accommodation options, part-time jobs, etc

Mumbai, July 27, 2022: Education Forex forms a key segment of Thomas Cook’s Foreign Exchange business. Having witnessed a significant 20% YoY increase pre-COVID, the Company has seen rapid recovery and growth for the segment – surpassing pre-pandemic levels over the past few months. To cater to India’s growing international education segment, Thomas Cook (India) Limited – India’s leading omnichannel company has launched #AllAboutStudyingAbroad – a series of informative videos to guide students aspiring to study overseas. The Company intends to build the largest comprehensive repository of videos and blogs over the next few months to support its outbound student segment.

Planning to study abroad can be a challenging and stressful process for both students and parents, with doubts and concerns encountered at each stage. Thomas Cook India has hence collaborated with Industry experts to address frequently asked questions/ challenges that students face via educational yet engaging videos and blogs. The #AllAboutStudyingAbroad video/blog content has been designed basis ongoing interactions and feedback with the student and parent community.

Thomas Cook’s aim is to build an engaged community of students and their parents and provide much needed guidance and support across their journey – from researching and applications to travel and foreign exchange solutions for overseas education.

#AllAboutStudyingAbroad covers relevant topics to bridge the knowledge gap for students planning to study abroad, including: benefits of overseas education, top countries for overseas studies, fee structures, financial aspects, scholarships, loans, forex, travel and visa, country specific accommodation options, availability of part-time jobs for students, etc. The formats selected are basis student preference – and range from videos, blogs, news bulletins to conversations with experts in the field.

The videos will be available across media platforms including YouTube, Instagram and Facebook and a channel of direct communication will be established through the comment section. In addition, updates on recent developments in international education will be shared every fortnight and an industry expert will address queries at the end of each month.

Indian students are faced with numerous doubts and concerns while planning their education overseas and this results in undue stress/uncertainty for them. To address these challenges and support our students and their parents, Thomas Cook India has launched #AllAboutStudyingAbroad – a series of informative videos and blogs to provide the student community with much-needed guidance. We have selected engaging formats of videos, blogs and interactive sessions with domain experts, with the content conveniently accessible across YouTube and key social media platforms.

Mr. Deepesh Varma, Senior Vice-President – Foreign Exchange, Thomas Cook (India) Limited.

Over the next few months, our aim is to build the largest repository of videos and blogs that cover an extensive range of frequently asked questions on studying abroad.”

Thomas Cook India’s focus on the overseas education segment is reiterated in its enhanced Study Buddy program that offers students a range of Forex benefits:

· End-to-End Portfolio: Application Fees, University Fees, Living Expenses, Student Fee Remittances, Prepaid card, cash

· Forex delivery in 2 hours #GharpeForex

· Reload of Forex Prepaid Cards within 2 hours

· University Remittances in 4 easy steps; within 24 hours

· Contactless & Frictionless services via Thomas Cook India’s hybrid Clicks & Mortar model

About Thomas Cook (India) Limited: Set up in 1881, Thomas Cook (India) Limited. (TCIL) is the leading omnichannel travel company in the country offering a broad spectrum of services including Foreign Exchange, Corporate Travel, MICE, Leisure Travel, Value Added Services, Visa and Passport services. It operates leading B2C and B2B brands including Thomas Cook, SOTC, TCI, SITA, Asian Trails, Allied T Pro, Australian Tours Management, Desert Adventures, Luxe Asia, Travel Circle International Limited (TCI 勝景遊), Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited, Distant Frontiers, TC Tours, Digiphoto Entertainment Imaging (DEI), Go Vacation, Private Safaris East & South Africa

As one of the largest travel service provider networks headquartered in the Asia-Pacific region, The Thomas Cook India Group spans 25 countries across 5 continents

TCIL has been felicitated with CNBC-TV18 & ICICI Lombard India Risk Management Award – Travel & Leisure Category 2022 & 2021, The Best Travel Agency – India at TTG Travel Awards 2019, The Best Outbound Tour Operator at the Times Travel Awards 2018 & 2019 and Leading Company with Cutting Edge Travel Innovation at the Times Travel Awards 2018, Silver award for Asia’s Best Integrated Report (First Time) category at the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards 2019, Best Risk Management-Framework & Systems at the India Risk Management Awards 2019; Best Cash Management Solution – India at the Asset Triple A Treasury, Trade, Supply Chain & Risk Management Awards 2018, Best Outbound Tour Operator at the SATTE Awards 2019, Excellence in Domestic Tour Operations at the SATTE Awards 2018, The French Ambassador’s Award for Exemplary Achievements in Visa Issuance 5 years in a row and the Condé Nast Traveller – Readers’ Travel Awards from 2011 to 2019.

CRISIL has reaffirmed the rating on debt programmes and bank facilities of Thomas Cook (India) Limited – ‘CRISIL A+/Negative on the long-term bank facilities of TCIL and CRISIL A1 rating on the short-term bank facilities and short- term debt of the Company. For more information, please visit www.thomascook.in

Fairbridge Capital (Mauritius) Limited, a subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited promotes TCIL by holding 72.34% of its paid-up capital and is responsible for the execution of acquisition and investment opportunities.

About Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Its mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart, and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, its innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments, and businesses realize their greatest potential. Its decency quotient, or DQ, drives its culture and everything it does inside and outside of the company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, it is building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

About Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited: Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited is a holding company which, through its subsidiaries, is engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance and investment management. Founded in 1985 by the present Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Prem Watsa, the company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Its common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol FFH and in U.S. dollars under the symbol FFH.U.

About Subsidiaries of Thomas Cook (India) Limited:

Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of TCIL, is a leading Indian Leisure Hospitality company with 37 resorts across the country, providing a variety of offerings: Leisure holidays through FIT packages, Meetings & Conferences, Weddings, Reunions, Picnics and Holidays through Memberships.

SOTC Travel Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of TCIL, is a leading omnichannel travel and tourism company active across various travel segments including Leisure Travel, Incentive Travel and Business Travel.

Travel Corporation (India) Limited (TCI), a wholly owned subsidiary of TCIL, is the leading Destination Management Company in India that offers tailor-made travel and related services to India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.

Thomas Cook India Group holds 51% stake in DEI Holdings Limited (DEI), one of the world’s leading imaging solutions and services providers.

For more information, visit: Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited: http://www.sterlingholidays.com SOTC Travel Limited: http://www.sotc.in

About SOTC Travel: SOTC Travel Limited is a step-down subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings held through its Indian listed subsidiary, Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL). SOTC India is a leading omnichannel travel and tourism company active across various travel segments including Leisure Travel, Incentive Travel and Business Travel. SOTC was established in 1949. Since then, it has escorted millions of travellers across the globe for more than 70 years to various destinations around the world. A new age innovative holidaymaker, SOTC strives to make holidays a priority for every Indian. ‘We are for holidays’ and we want Indians to prioritize their holidays.