Orient Express Travels & Tours

What Orient Express Travels & Tours does

Orient Express Travels & Tours is a privately held, family-owned full-service travel agency headquartered at 70 Janpath, New Delhi, with a regional office in Khajuraho. Founded on 26 September 1947 by Mr. Shyam Poddar, the firm is documented as the oldest continuously operating Indian travel agency and operates across two principal verticals: inbound tourism to India (destination management for international tourists, led historically by Mr. Krishna Poddar) and outbound travel combined with MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) for groups of 15 to 250+ guests. Service lines span leisure tour packages to destinations in Australia, China, Croatia, Mexico, Morocco, Thailand, Turkey, the UK, Greece and South Africa; corporate travel management; air ticketing; hotel bookings; visa and passport assistance; foreign exchange; travel insurance; charter arrangements; and authorized-agent bookings with five cruise lines (Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, P&O, Princess, Star Cruises).

The technology layer consists of access to the AMADEUS and GALILEO computerized reservation systems, which provide instant flight, hotel, transport and fare confirmations; there is no proprietary platform, no mobile app, no public API, and no documented AI/ML capability. Customer acquisition is sales-led through direct enterprise field sales for corporate accounts and a global handpicked sub-agent network for international reach; pricing is quote-based and customized per package, with disclosed example pricing of approximately USD 1,568 per person twin-share for a 10-day South Africa itinerary. The named enterprise client base includes The World Bank, Hitachi India Trading, Bosch (Motor Industries Co. Ltd.), Unit Trust of India, Cadbury India, Shriram Group, and the Embassy of Belgium.

Ownership and operations remain under the multi-generational Poddar family: the founder was succeeded by Mr. Kanti Poddar in 1984, with current leadership comprising Mr. Vijay Poddar as Chairman and third-generation Mr. Pragun Poddar as CEO (trained at Taj Hotels, British Airways, American Express, and Morgan Stanley), joined by Mr. Manish Poddar on the management team. Group affiliates include Integrated Project Management Group Pvt. Ltd. and Orient Exports, operated by other family members. The firm carries no institutional funding, no M&A history, and no publicly disclosed financials.

Name

Orient Express Travels & Tours

Legal name

Orient Express Travels & Tours

Website

https://orientexpressltd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Orient Express Travels & Tours is a privately held, family-owned travel agency founded in 1947 in New Delhi, offering outbound tour packages, inbound destination management, MICE services, air ticketing, visas, and cruise bookings for individual travelers and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Agency Services

NAICS

Travel Agencies (561510), Tour Operators (56152), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Escorted Coach & Bus Package Tour Operators (THAKADAA)

Keywords

• Corporate travel services
• Inbound tourism management
• Outbound tour packages
• MICE event management
• Destination management services

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Outbound Tourism: International travel packages including romantic escapades, family vacations, adventure tours, corporate meets, and sports vacations. Services include air ticketing, hotel accommodation, transportation, visa assistance, and foreign exchange services.
2. Inbound Travel: Handling international tourists visiting India, including tour packages and destination management services.
3. MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions): Organizing conventions, meets, conferences, congresses and corporate events at various destinations. Handling groups from 15 to 250+ guests.
4. Domestic Holidays: Travel solutions within India including hotel bookings and itinerary planning.
5. Air Ticketing Services: International and domestic air ticket booking through access to major airline reservation systems.
6. Foreign Exchange Services: Currency exchange services for travelers.
7. Charter Services: Charter arrangements for domestic and international destinations, including cruise line bookings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Orient Express Travels & Tours is a traditional travel agency that creates and sells inbound and outbound tour packages along with corporate MICE services. Core offerings include international and domestic air ticketing, hotel bookings, charter arrangements, cruise bookings (via authorized-agent partnerships), visa/passport assistance, foreign exchange services, and travel insurance, supported by access to AMADEUS and GALILEO global distribution systems for instant confirmations.

Product overview

Orient Express Travels & Tours is a traditional travel agency offering a unified portfolio of travel services rather than a modular software platform. The core offerings consist of Inbound Travel Services (bringing international tourists to India) and Outbound Travel & MICE (international leisure and corporate travel). These are supported by add-on services including air ticketing via AMADEUS/GALILEO systems, hotel bookings, visa/passport assistance, foreign exchange, insurance, and charter services. The product line features destination-specific tour packages to Australia, China, Croatia, Mexico, Morocco, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Greece, and South Africa, each with multiple itinerary variations ranging from 5 to 19 nights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Inbound Travel Services Specialized inbound tourism services for international visitors to India, including destination management, tour planning, hotel bookings, transportation, and overall tourism promotion.
• Outbound Travel & MICE International travel services including leisure tourism, corporate meetings, incentives, conferences, conventions, and events management for groups of 15 to 250+ guests.
• Australian Tour Package Multi-city Australia packages featuring Gold Coast, Sydney, Cairns, and Melbourne with theme parks, Great Barrier Reef and wildlife experiences for leisure travelers.
• China Tour Package Comprehensive China packages covering Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Guilin with historical sites, Yangtze River cruise and cultural experiences.
• Croatia Tour Package Croatia and Balkans packages featuring Zagreb, Plitvice Lakes, Dubrovnik, Split, and extended options to Bosnia & Herzegovina.
• Mexico Tour Package Colonial Mexico tours covering Mexico City, Teotihuacan, Morelia, Patzcuaro, Guadalajara, Guanajuato, and San Miguel de Allende.
• Morocco Tour Package Imperial cities and discovery Morocco packages covering Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes, Fez, Marrakech, Essaouira, and the Sahara region.
• Thailand Tour Package Classic Thailand tours covering Bangkok, Ayuthaya, Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and the Golden Triangle region.
• Turkey Tour Package Western Anatolia tours covering Ankara, Cappadocia, Konya, Pamukkale, Ephesus, Pergamum, Troy, and Istanbul.
• United Kingdom Tour Package Best of Britain packages covering London, Windsor, Cambridge, York, Edinburgh, Scottish Highlands, Lake District, Bath, and Stonehenge.
• Greece Tour Package Classical Greece tours covering Athens, Argolis, Epidaurus, Mycenae, Nafplion, Delphi, Olympia, and Meteora monasteries.
• South Africa Tour Package 10-day South Africa packages covering Cape Town, the Peninsula, Garden Route, Sun City, Johannesburg, and game reserves.
• Cruise Bookings (Authorized Agent) Authorized agent of Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Star Cruises, providing special discounted rates, sailing-date options and a wide variety of cruise itineraries for travelers.
• Air Ticketing Services International and domestic air ticket booking services through access to AMADEUS and GALILEO computerized reservation systems.
• Hotel Booking Services Accommodation booking services in India and abroad with instant confirmations via GDS connectivity.
• Charter Services Domestic and international charter flight arrangements for clients needing bespoke aviation solutions.
• Visa & Passport Assistance Documentation services assisting travelers with visa applications, passport arrangements, and related travel paperwork for international journeys.
• Foreign Exchange Services Currency exchange and foreign exchange assistance for international travelers.
• Travel Insurance Services Travel insurance services for international and domestic travelers.
• Incentive & Conference Solutions Dedicated MICE organization handling corporate meetings, incentives, conferences, conventions, and events at various destinations for group sizes from 15 to 250+ guests.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving groups from 15 to 250+ guests for corporate travel and events

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association)coreOthersLong-standing member of PATA since the era of founder Mr. Shyam Poddar, who was the first Indian to be on the Board of Directors of PATA. Mr. Shyam Poddar was a founder member demonstrating deep roots in this travel association.
• ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents)coreOthersLong-standing member with Mr. Shyam Poddar being the first speaker invited from India to speak at ASTA Convention at Washington in 1950. Mr. Kanti Poddar served as President of ASTA India Chapter from 1989 to 1993.
• SKAL Club DelhiminorOthersMr. Shyam Poddar was a founder member of the SKAL Club in Delhi. Mr. Kanti Poddar served as President of SKAL Club of Delhi from 1988 to 1990.
• Royal CaribbeancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of the first authorized agents of Royal Caribbean cruise line with access to special discounted rates, sailing date options, and wide variety of itineraries.
• Celebrity CruisescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized agent of Celebrity cruise line offering special discounted rates and wide variety of cruise itineraries.
• P&O CruisescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized agent of P&O cruise line with special discounted rates and itinerary options.
• Princess CruisescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized agent of Princess cruise line offering special discounted rates and cruise itineraries.
• Star CruisescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized agent of Star cruise line with special discounted rates and itinerary options.
• AMADEUScoreTechnology or IntegrationAccess to AMADEUS computerized travel system providing instant confirmations of flights, hotels, transport and correct fares.
• GALILEOcoreTechnology or IntegrationAccess to GALILEO computerized travel system providing instant confirmations of flights, hotels, transport and correct fares.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• VFS Global: Visa and consular services outsourcing partner — adjacent to Orient Express's visa assistance offering and serves overlapping outbound traveler customers in India.

Direct peers

• Cox & Kings: Historic Indian travel company with multi-country tour packages, MICE, and corporate travel services; comparable in heritage (founded 1759), outbound package tours, and enterprise client focus.
• Kesari Tours: Indian tour operator focused on group and escorted multi-country tour packages, serving similar outbound leisure and group travel segments with comparable pricing models.
• Akbar Travels: India-headquartered travel agency with strong outbound tour operations, MICE capability, visa services, and corporate accounts — directly comparable service portfolio.
• Le Passage to India: Indian luxury inbound tour operator and DMC for high-end international travelers visiting India — directly comparable to Orient Express's inbound tourism pillar and DMC capabilities.
• Riya Travel & Tours: Indian travel agency with corporate travel, MICE, and outbound tour offerings; comparable in scale, enterprise focus, and integration of ticketing, hotels, and visa services.
• SOTC Travel: Indian tour operator specializing in outbound leisure packages and MICE; operates a similar mix of fixed itinerary tours and corporate travel solutions for Indian consumers.
• Thomas Cook (India): One of India's largest and oldest travel agencies offering outbound tour packages, MICE, forex, and visa services — directly comparable in product mix and customer base to Orient Express.

Broad incumbents

• Yatra.com: Major Indian OTA with corporate travel division (Yatra for Business) — competes directly with Orient Express's MICE and corporate accounts while also serving mass-market consumers.
• MakeMyTrip: India's largest OTA dominating online travel booking across flights, hotels, and packages — broader incumbent that competes with Orient Express on outbound tours while also owning the consumer digital funnel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Orient Express Travels & Tours