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The world’s largest online travel company, Expedia.co.in today announced its  tie-up with Thomas Cook Visa & Passport Services, a business division of Thomas Cook (India) Ltd (TCIL), the largest integrated travel and travel related financial services company in India, to provide a range of visa assistance services to its customers. Expedia India has waived the visa processing charge for its customers booking international flights and packages.

Thomas Cook Visa & Passport Services will provide end to end visa related services to Expedia India’s customers via an xml based web services.

The partnership will enable all registered users of www.expedia.in to access visa information by obtaining a unique Expedia ID from Thomas Cook India’s Visa and Passport Service “Knowledge Centre” - a unique and proprietary online visa content platform and avail of 24x7 visa assistance services.

This service offers updated visa information and downloadable visa application forms through a simple and easy interface. Also available, is detailed information about visa procedures of the country of travel, documentation & check lists, visa fees, holiday list, consular addresses and processing time for the visa.

Clients booking via Expedia India will get end to end 24x7 visa assistance services, pan India, and the added ability to create and retrieve their visa application online.

Mr Vikram Malhi, Country head, Expedia India said, “India is one of the fastest growing outbound markets and we wanted to simplify the visa procedure for our consumers planning international travel. At Expedia, we are committed to creating a localised product and it will be our constant endeavor to wow the Indian consumer by making their travel simpler”.

“Thomas Cook has the best experience in visa services and unmatched credibility in the market, therefore we decided to partner with them” he added.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Madhavan Menon, Managing Director, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. said: “Thomas Cook India’s partnership with Expedia India is yet another initiative in addressing customer needs via our unparalleled travel expertise and innovative product-service range. Our unique visa services portfolio is an ideal fit with Expedia India’s online offering and we are delighted to partner with them.”

Indian outbound market is growing at 16% according to World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and is expected to reach 50 million by 2020 from a current 12 million. The demand is largely driven by leisure travel with rising disposable income and business travel as trade flourishes with other countries. This service by Expedia is aimed at creating a seamless booking experience for the growing segment of outbound Indian travellers.