Varma reports strong-sustained growth in travel demand from Indians
As Indian travellers become increasingly global and digitally adept, expectations around overseas payments are evolving rapidly, according to Thomas Cook (India) Limited – India’s leading omnichannel foreign exchange services company.
“Convenience, security and speed have become central considerations, particularly amid shorter booking cycles and a growing preference for cash‑light travel. Today’s global Indian traveller seeks secure, transparent and seamless payment solutions that work effortlessly across destinations,” noted Thomas Cook.
Responding to these shifts, Thomas Cook has announced a significant expansion of its prepaid Forex Card portfolio to 28 currencies, with the addition of 16 new global currencies – creating one of India’s widest currency portfolios on a prepaid forex card. This move reinforces the Company’s leadership in travel and forex innovation, aligned with its focus on enabling smarter, secure and more efficient international travel experiences.
Indians have become increasingly experimental in their choice of holiday destinations, especially post-covid, driving strong demand across emerging international markets. However, local currency for many of these destinations is not always readily available. This often forces multiple currency conversions, from Indian Rupee to USD and then to the local currency, resulting in higher costs and inconvenience, said Thomas Cook, adding that its expanded prepaid Forex Card portfolio addresses this gap by enabling travellers to load and spend directly in local currencies, eliminate multiple conversions and access a secure, seamless alternative to cash.
The newly added 16 currencies include: Chinese Yuan, Swedish Krona, Vietnamese Dong, Malaysian Ringgit, Indonesian Rupiah, Danish Krone, Hong Kong Dollar, Qatari Riyal, Norwegian Krone, Omani Riyal, Kuwaiti Dinar, Bahraini Dinar, Bangladeshi Taka, South African Rand, South Korean Wo, Philippine Peso and complement the Company’s existing suite of 12 currencies – US Dollar, British Pound, Euro, Japanese Yen, Singapore Dollar, Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Swiss Franc, UAE Dirham, Thai Baht, Saudi Riyal and New Zealand Dollar. Notably, the inclusion of currencies such as the Chinese Yuan reflects the growing relevance of destinations aligned with strengthening bilateral relations, increased trade flows and expanding air connectivity, underlining Thomas Cook India’s commitment to staying ahead of evolving travel patterns.
The expanded suite of 28 currencies is available across both Visa and Mastercard prepaid forex cards, ensuring seamless global acceptance. Customers can purchase and load currencies through Thomas Cook India’s extensive omnichannel network, including its retail outlets, digital platforms, and via its partnership with Blinkit—enabling customers to buy and load forex on their prepaid cards in under an hour. Additionally, Thomas Cook India’s Forex on WhatsApp provides 24×7 forex services assistance, from live rate to end-to-end transactions for today’s on-the-go, always‑connected consumer.
The prepaid Forex Cards also support contactless payments, allowing travellers to transact seamlessly at international merchant outlets, including compatibility with digital wallet integrations such as Google Pay on enabled POS terminals.
Deepesh Varma, Chief Business Officer – Foreign Exchange, Thomas Cook (India) Limited, said on 21 May, “At Thomas Cook India, innovation and customer-centricity are at the core of our offerings. We are witnessing strong and sustained growth in travel demand from Indian consumers to emerging and short-haul destinations across Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa and beyond. Our expansion to 28 currencies for our prepaid Forex Cards is a direct response to evolving travel patterns, enabling our customers to transact seamlessly in local currencies while benefiting from greater transparency and cost efficiency.
“Importantly, this initiative also supports our strategic focus on driving a digital-first approach to forex usage—shift from cash towards secure, smarter prepaid solutions. Additionally, through our partnership with Blinkit, we have further enhanced convenience by enabling customers to buy and load forex on their prepaid cards in under an hour—delivering speed, flexibility and ease to today’s digitally savvy and globally mobile Indian traveller.”
Ravi Datla, Senior Vice President, Customer Solutions, South Asia at Mastercard, said, “As international travel from India diversifies into newer and emerging markets, access to simple, secure and widely accepted payment solutions becomes increasingly critical. Mastercard’s deep expertise in cross-border payments, coupled with our global acceptance network, enables seamless transactions across geographies and currencies.
“Thomas Cook India’s expanded prepaid forex card suite, now offering access to 28 currencies, builds on this strength by allowing travellers to transact directly in local currencies, reducing the need for multiple conversions. The result is a truly cash-light, transparent and secure payment experience that delivers consistent convenience and confidence wherever their journeys take them.”
Sridhar Keppurengan, Head of Cross-Border Payments, India and South Asia, Visa, elaborated, “Our cross-border strategy is rooted in creating seamless, secure, and accessible payment solutions for travellers. The expansion of Thomas Cook Visa forex card portfolio to 28 currencies further leverages our vast international footprint and extends the same security, transparency, and convenience to cardholders making cross border transactions. This offering is yet another pivotal step in our broader vision to foster global connectivity for the Indian consumer, through continued innovation and service excellence.” Fiinews.com
