Thomas Cook India targets Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets with FX counters at Bhogapuram Airport.
By establishing forex desks at Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport, Bhogapuram, Thomas Cook (India) Limited has strengthened its position in the Visakhapatnam market and the larger Andhra Pradesh region. Customers from Visakhapatnam and the adjacent regions have increasing needs for international travel, and the new counters will provide easy access to a variety of foreign exchange services and currencies.
The inauguration coincides with the growing significance of emerging cities in India’s foreign exchange market. Tier 2 cities make up 41% of the total demand for foreign exchange, with Tier 3 cities contributing an additional 12%, according to Thomas Cook India’s India Forex Report 2026. These markets collectively make up more than half (53%) of the total demand for foreign exchange.
One significant market in this larger change is Visakhapatnam. The region now has a new aviation gateway with the opening of Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport, which is anticipated to handle more over 28 lakh domestic and international travellers per year. The airport is now connected internationally to places like Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, and the expansion of international travel from the region is anticipated to be supported by the possible inclusion of further Southeast Asian routes.
Thomas Cook India’s larger plan to increase its airport forex presence across important aviation gateways includes the development in Visakhapatnam. The corporation just reopened its forex desks at Terminals 1 and 2 in Delhi in June and July of 2026. Earlier this year, the business launched several forex counters at both terminals of Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.
The transaction data from Thomas Cook India’s airport counters also sheds light on the various motivations behind outbound travel. The largest category is leisure and vacation travel, which is followed by travel for work. The total transaction mix also includes student travel and reconversion transactions, in which NRIs or foreign nationals exchange their unused Indian cash back into foreign currency. This demonstrates the variety of foreign exchange needs that are met throughout the company’s network of airports.
Deepesh Varma, Chief Business Officer-Foreign Exchange at Thomas Cook (India) Limited stated, “The opening of our new forex counters at Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport is an important step in strengthening our presence in Visakhapatnam and the wider Andhra Pradesh market. The substantial contribution of Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, which collectively account for more than half of total forex demand, is highlighted in our India Forex Report 2026. This supports our belief that emerging India would play a bigger role in the next stage of growth. We see a great chance to extend our FX services closer to clients in the area as Visakhapatnam grows into a significant international aviation gateway. We will continue to assess strategic options that allow us to establish a more robust presence throughout India’s changing travel and currency landscape, in addition to reopening our airport forex counters in Delhi and building new counters in Bengaluru.”
