Business Development Report: Mobile App for Thomas Cook Travel Group

This business development report examines the potential of a mobile app for the Thomas Cook Group, a UK-based travel agency. The report begins with an executive summary highlighting the importance of mobile apps in the travel and tourism industry. It then delves into the introduction, business concept, feasibility research, business model, and business plan for the proposed app. The report utilizes secondary research methods and a unique model canvas to analyze the market, identify strategies for customer engagement, and assess the app's potential for increasing sales and brand recognition. The report also explores the benefits of mobile apps, including providing instant information, automating operations, and enhancing customer loyalty. It includes detailed research objectives, research questions, and a discussion of the business concept, including market survey approaches and data analysis. The report concludes with a comprehensive business plan that outlines the key steps for successfully launching a mobile app and gaining a competitive edge in the travel market. This report is designed to provide a detailed overview of the mobile app's potential for Thomas Cook Group and is contributed by a student to be published on the website Desklib, a platform which provides all the necessary AI based study tools for students.

Business Development
Report
(Part 1)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Mobile apps play a vital role in domain of every business organization and in personal
life of individuals. Travel and tourism industry refers to best example for importance of such
apps because huge part of their success is rely on travel apps. Due to advancement of
technologies, travel agencies gain opportunity for marketing its products and services in large
area of marketplace. As people prefer smartphones to plan their tour, which various activities
like online flight booking, reservation in hotels and restaurants, hire cab and other transport
facilities,etc. Therefore, launching travel apps will aid companies dealing under tourism sector,
to fulfill demand of them by giving best deals. In addition to this, mobile apps are considered as
one-stop solution for people who are going to plan a trip an unknown place in domestic or
international market. Through this app, they can get solutions related to ticket booking, car
rentals, reservation in hotels etc.
In this context, to explore if travel apps aid visitors in obtaining entire information related
to visit a place, Thomas Group is taken in this present report. Here a business proposal is
formulated which entails the effectiveness of mobile apps for increasing sales performance of
this travel agency. This company of UK conduct its business operations in many developed and
under-developed countries as well as serve products or services in entire world. It offers tour and
travel packages, online tickets, high accommodation and transportation facilities etc. to travelers
on different price rates. Therefore, for determining effectiveness of mobile or travel planner
apps, present research is conducted by using secondary research methods. It is helpful in
exploring information related to usage of mobile apps for both users and travel agencies.
Through this research technique, it has evaluated that one of the best advantageous part of
launching mobile apps for Thomas Group is to stay connected with customers and provide time-
to-time solutions.
In this era, concept of feasibility and business is drawn to develop a business plan for
Thomas Group. Business concept reveals targeted market, strategies and policies to gain
competencies. While feasibility plan helps in exploring alternative techniques to achieve set
goals and objectives in suggested period of time. Along with this, researchers has used a unique
model canvas also to develop business plan for Thomas Group. This canvas includes some major

part of this company, which includes- priority customers, superior value propositions, channels
and media partners, value-chain based resources etc. These steps help in outlining the major
activities by which Thomas Group can introduce mobile apps more successfully. For this
assistance, a business plan is prepared by researchers.

Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................1
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT REPORT........................................................................................1
Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................................................................1
Chapter 2: Business Concept...........................................................................................................5
Chapter 3: Feasibility Research.......................................................................................................8
Chapter 4: The Business Model.....................................................................................................20
Chapter 5: The Business Plan........................................................................................................24
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................39
Appendix........................................................................................................................................41

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT REPORT
TOPIC- “To develop mobile app related to travel and tour sector which will provide
necessary information to tourist. Case study on Thomas Cook Group”.
Chapter 1: Introduction
Mobile devices are the most essential part of today's life which is used for connecting the
entire world with each other. People utilize mobile apps for multi-purpose activities like to
explore information about business of a company, purchase commodities through online
applications and more. Therefore, it has become a major part of E-business industries for
growing their businesses. Entrepreneurs can develop official interaction with customers, give
advertisement for employment, create awareness about services and products among consumers
etc. In context with travel sector, companies working under tourism sector get various
opportunities to expand business market with the usage of mobile devices (Kounavis, Kasimati
and Zamani, 2012). As business of such organisations are mainly depended on attention and
retention of loyal customers; Therefore, if travel industries introduce mobile apps then they can
make official interaction with tourists. They can provide time to time information to travellers
about services, destination packages, accommodations, transportation, food and beverages etc.
This would help travel agencies or tour operators to attract tourists towards services and assist
them to buy as well.
In this regard, Thomas Cook Group has been chosen in this report which deals in travel
sector and provides services related to travel and hospitality. This tour operator is headquartered
in London and was established 1841. It has near about 23,000 employees who are giving their
contribution in making holiday journey of tourists more enjoyable. This travel agency is counted
as one of the top industry among others industries that are operating in UK. The main
competitors of Thomas Group are Jet2, TUI and BCD Travel. This firm provides high
accommodations on affordable rates to customers to make their journey memorable.
As Thomas Cook deals in travel sector therefore; by introducing mobile apps, it can
provide information about holiday packages, discounts and other travel related offers to tourists
of domestic and international customers. It will help in attracting tourists towards services of
company which will further aid in enhancing customer base. This would also give opportunity to
Thomas Cook to give a tough competition to rival companies and acquire a good position at
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marketplace. Through launching mobile apps, this travel agency can- provide more value of
business to tourists; create a loyalty program within app; build a stronger brand and make
connection in better manner with customers living at vast places (Van der Wagen and White,
2018). Thus, it will help in boosting profitability of business because when expectation of
customer exceed then its sales performance will also increase.
In order to do design and structure of present report, modern approach is used. This
approach do not concern much on linear processes. But it provides various methodologies or
alternative sources for project management. It includes Critical Path Method (CPM), Lean
methodologies, SCRUM (Agile project management methodologies) and more. In this regard,
CPM is useful in exploring the most critical path of project. It is also helpful in estimating the
time to complete major activities of task. In addition to this, SCRUM methodology is helpful in
developing a team to execute a plan or software products in monthly “scrum sessions” i.e. -
major activities of tasks are broken down into 30-day intervals. Therefore, some of the methods
given by modern approaches are helpful for software development and implementation of IT
technologies in business. While, other methodologies can be implemented in process
improvement, production, product engineering and more.
Furthermore, main structure of report is made in formal style which includes: Executive
summary; Table of Contents; Introduction; Main body; Conclusion and References. For
preparing this business proposal, both primary and secondary methods are used. Primary source
helps in ascertaining the opinion of people about implications of mobile apps. While secondary
source helps in gaining more appropriate knowledge because the information which has been
collected by the researcher is already been carried by authors,scholars and others over set topic
or aim.
Research Aim: “To develop mobile app related to travel and tour sector which will provide
necessary information to tourist. Case study on Thomas Cook Group”
Research Objectives:
 To evaluate the concept of mobile app in travel industries.
 To examine benefits provided by mobile app to Thomas Cook Group.
 To ascertain the strategies for implementation of mobile technologies in business.
Research Questions:
 What is the importance of mobile app in travel industries?
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 What are the benefits provided by mobile app to Thomas Cook Group?
 What are the strategies for implementation of mobile technologies in business?
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Chapter 2: Business Concept
This concept in research includes basic information like product or services, targeted area
of market, selling propositions which provide advantage to organisation to gain competition over
competitors and more. In order to formulate a business plan, it is essential for organisations to
must conduct a market survey first. It may help to get an idea about taste and preference of
customers and in deciding which area they have to target. Thus, in context with Thomas Cook
Group, this firm is going to introduce mobile apps which will offer necessary updates and
information to travellers. Therefore, before making conceptual model or business plan, this travel
agency needs to conduct various research first in appropriate manner (Xiang, Magnini and
Fesenmaier, 2015). It will help in better formulating the business plan. In this regard, employers
of Thomas Group need to determine the best method for conducting research in order to get
feedback from respondents about implications of mobile apps. Generally, three main approaches
are used – Nominal Scale; Ordinal Scale and Interval Scale. Under these approaches, nominal
scale provide choice to users i.e. a questionnaire is formulated which includes some options on
each topic. Thus, people can choose best options as per opinion through which Thomas Cook can
determine if introducing mobile applications proves beneficial for enhance customer base or not.
Similarly, ordinal scale assists people to give ranks to each choices. For example: If there are
five options available for a particular questions then assign ranks to each one. Other than this,
with references to interval scale, it gives only two options to respondents i.e. either agree or
disagree on a particular statement. Thus, in this regard, managers of Thomas Group use Nominal
Scale approach for market survey and prepare business plan accordingly.
After making decisions to use appropriate research for market survey, managers of
Thomas Cook are needed to create a plan. This plan is used to deploy survey from targeted
audience. In this context, present company mainly targeted to youngsters and newly married
couples. Therefore, to determine their opinion, this firm has put the survey on its website and
social media platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn and more. This would help in getting opinion of
targeted audience that whether mobile apps are helpful in providing them information about
services, offers, discounts, tour packages and more. Furthermore, through website and social
media, managers of Thomas Cook can ask suggestions for customers to modify its services
which help in developing tour packages more attractive. Thus, after collecting information from
market survey, managers now are required to organise data in proper manner which help in
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addressing issues more appropriately. It includes preference of targeted audience in various
traits, product pricing, supply/demand ratios and more. Therefore, after organising data in a well-
manner, it is essential to put information into charts, graphical representation and other
appropriate way. It will help in making numerically analyse the data, review process and make
adjustment accordingly in business plan by drawing valid conclusion (Edgell Sr, 2016).
Today, the world seems to be at finger tips of mobile users. They can explore information
about product or services anytime, anywhere. It has been evaluated that more than 150 million
tourists prefer apps for getting better accommodations than going personally. It includes hotel
room, flight booking, transportation services and more, by which journey of travellers can
become much comfortable and relax-able. Therefore, introducing mobile app facilities for tour
and travel industries like Thomas Cook will bring various benefits and opportunities. By
providing instant information to travellers about holiday packages and offers through mobile
apps, they can make up minds of customers to purchase services or plan a holiday. According to
business perceptive, entire operations related to – invoicing, bookings, billing and more, is
automated leads to saves time and efforts. Along with this, by collaborating business with
technology, travel agencies can keep into accounts all measures which make journey portal more
safe and secure. They can preserve client's information details safe as well. Mobile technology
also makes managers of Thomas Cook more capable to manage and maintain content on
websites as well as keeping record of clients interest.
By introducing mobile apps, Thomas Group will get many opportunities. It includes –
building brand recognition through a direct marketing channel; giving an all-in-one solution;
gathering user data; mobile marketing automation; collaboration with existing tools and
monetisation. In this regard, customers who are willing to purchase travel packages can figure
out the cheapest way to reach final destination by installing travel apps in their android and
mobile handsets (Buhalis and Foerste, 2015). Utilisation of mobile apps help Thomas Cook
Group and other agencies to make collaboration with tour guides. It will aid in meeting and
exceeding customer satisfaction in more appropriate manner. Travel apps also aid tour operators
to promote its products and offer additional services. For example: Notification alert in mobile
apps, notify information related to discount in hotels and flights bookings.
Some specific features of travel apps are that it can send regular updates to customers
about: Booking details; Hotel availability; Flight boarding times; reservation confirmations;
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Hotel check-ins and check-outs , special offers, discounts and more to targeted audience. Along
with this, mobile apps can also be customisable which allow customers to select type of
notifications they want to receive. It will help in reducing unnecessary alerts for them as well.
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Chapter 3: Feasibility Research
Feasibility study is quite different from business plan which provides an investigation
function. The business plan mainly outlines actions which are required to take proposal from
idea to reality. While in place of this, feasibility plan outlines various alternatives or methods to
achieve framed aims and objectives of research. Thus, it helps investigators to conduct research
in appropriate manner by providing two or three alternatives. This would become a basis for
formulating business plan also. In context with Thomas Group, managers have developed a
feasibility plan in order to determine issues related to business as well as make decisions if
mobile apps has possibility of succeeding or not. In other words, it is helpful in examining the
viability of a proposed service (Page and Hall, 2014). It also provides framework and directions
for development of investigation report. This plan concerns more on analysing, resolving and
clarifying key issues as well as identifying uncertainties in implementation of new strategies in
business.
Managers of Thomas Group conduct feasibility research in order to meet the certain
needs of specific objectives. The main purpose behind this is to address issues which help in
preventing business from being successful at marketplace. In other words, feasibility research is
done by this company- to examine whether business idea (introducing travel apps to give regular
information to customers about tour packages) makes sense or need to create some modifications
in that. In this regard, a feasibility study looks out on three major aspects that are: market issues;
technical/ organisational issues and financial issues. As in travel sector, competition is rise in
much high manner therefore, to gain competitive advantage, it becomes essential for companies
to develop effective strategies. For this assistance, Thomas Group is going to launch mobile apps
to provide regular update and information to tourists (Smith, 2012). It will help in attracting
travellers towards affordable tour packages and holiday destination by giving attractive discounts
and offers.
Primary and secondary data needs:
In order to conduct feasibility research, investigators are needed to gather information
from various sources. It helps in exploring information and giving necessary recommendation for
implementation of a project. With respect to present project, in order to find five major
components of feasibility research that are: Product/Service, Industry, Market, Organisational
and Financial, investigators of Thomas Group are required to gather information about these
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