Ruby Walji director of Ideal Travel Limited in Mombasa Kenya talks to KATA Weekly Travel News on her journey in the industry.

1. How long have you been in this industry?

 

I have been in this business for exactly 8 years.

 

2. When did you start this business?

 

I have always had an intense passion for travel. For about 20 years I handled my boss’s travel plans then one day my boss decided to open a travel agency at City Mall and I became the manager in 2011. In 2014, he decided to sell the business to me in 2014 where I have run it since. I am always thankful for the opportunity.

 

3. What were the challenges then and what continues to be the challenge now?

 

There are a number of challenges in this industry but the one I have dealt with most is fraudsters and conmen. Luckily, we dust off the experience and carry on. Another thing is when business is slow and we have to make do with the situation.

 

4. What has been the highlight in your journey in this industry?

 

I was once conned by one of my clients from Nairobi. It was a devastating loss but the highlight of it was being able to rise up and move on with business. We were able to recover from the huge loss.

 

5. What has been your lowest moment?

 

When business is down is a low moment for me. It means we do not make revenue yet the expenses and bills have to be paid.

 

6. What would your advice be to women interested in this industry?

 

This is a great industry to be in, especially for women. The exposure and experience are very worthwhile and satisfying. It however takes passion, patience, hard work, aggressiveness and good communication skills to survive. Give your work 100 per cent, give excellent services and go the extra mile for your clients.

 

7. What changes would you like to see?

 

I would like to see the travel trade industry grow to greater heights. That would also mean that businesses like mine are doing great. Growth in the travel trade industry means that tourism is flourishing and the country in general benefits too.

 

8. How do/did you manage to strike a balance between family and work?

It is not easy but one does have to strike a balance because both are very important aspects in one’s life. I plan ahead and accordingly to ensure that my family and my job both get ample time and do not suffer from my absence.

 

9. Anything else you want to add

It is always a great joy for me to serve my clients well and this gives me contentment and fulfilment. I urge more women to take on this path as it is a fulfilling journey. Seeing a client that is happy is always rewarding.

Like many spaces in the industry, the majority of players are men. However, women have continually cut a niche for themselves and are now a force to reckon in the travel industry.

In this four-part series, we talked to four women who have years of experience in the travel industry and this is what they said about their journey.

Today, we feature Ms Rashida Pereira, the General Manager at Fourways Travel Services. She is also a Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) Board Director and the Mombasa Region Liaison.

 

Rashida Pereira

 

1. How long have you been in this industry?

 I have been in this business for the past 24years.         

2. When did you start this business?

 I joined Fourways in 1995 with a degree in psychology. Now I am the General Manager.

3. What were the challenges then and what continues to be the challenge now?

The challenges have evolved over time. When I joined Fourways, travel sold itself and it was easy to get client despite having to do it manually. Writing out the tickets manually especially for large travel groups was time consuming and tedious. With the systems in place now and technology being progressive, things are so much easier now. Storing blank tickets in the office was also a problem due to theft.

Now our main problem is competition as one has to have an edge over the rest. While before we concentrated on selling the product, now we work hard towards selling the company name through online presence. we have to market ourselves.

4. What has been the highlight in your journey in this industry?

The little things we do in service to our clients that make them smile. Going beyond the call of duty to ensure customer satisfaction. For instance, I once facilitated travel for a client’s pet, they were so happy that they sent me chocolate and flowers from Mauritius.

5. What has been your lowest moment?

When things go wrong and a client is unhappy has to be one of my lowest moments. As I said, we pride ourselves in customer satisfaction and when that goes wrong it becomes disheartening. I remember one time when we booked travel for a client for Hajj. We managed the booking through a third part and the client was quite unhappy with the transfers and accommodation. I tried my best at my own personal expense to find better accommodation which was quite difficult as it was peak season. It was the worst two days of my life.

6. What would your advice be to women interested in this industry?

I learnt that this industry demands 100% from oneself. It is best suited for either single ladies or those that have teenagers.

I would also ask the women to try and personally experience the travel aspect of the industry.  Unfortunately, the women get carried away with other aspects of living in this world and forget that to be passionate about anything one has to live the passion.

7. What changes would you like to see?

I would like the travel agent fraternity to be more helpful to each other and not always be at each other’s throats.  The present KATA executive has worked hard to bring trust back into the fraternity but needs more work to even out the differences.

8. How do/did you manage to strike a balance between family and work?

It was hard work and unfortunately the line between family and work blurred. I would take work home and would still be dealing with clients in the evening and sometimes late in the night.  I once went to work at 9pm as I thought I had forgotten to request either a meal or wheel chair for a client’s next day travel.  With the internet now, work is easier and I have more time with loved ones.

9.One other thing…

The industry has come a long way. Modern technology has made everything accessible. This has intensified competition and to keep up I am now a 24-hour service travel agent. The traveller can contact me from any part of the world and get an immediate response. I can truly say that I have not met more than 50% of the people who book with us as its all on email or on the phone. This is a far cry from 20 years ago when striking a balance was tedious.

One good thing that I still admire about the past is that the interaction with clients was physical and through this I made lasting friendships. Many would come in after a travel to give feedback which most of the time was to thank us. Nowadays, client doesn’t appreciate the effort we put into ensuring they enjoy a perfect holiday and the only feedback we get are complaints even where we are not at fault.

When all has been said and done, I believe that travel consultancy is still the most fulfilling career I have experienced.

1. How long have you been in this industry?

I have been in the travel trade industry for the past 7 years.

2. When did you start this business?

I started this business in the year 2012. It was a tough journey for me but I thank God that I made it. I was a hotelier when I decided to resign from my job to venture in the tourism and travel industry. My then boss refused to pay my dues and I was stuck. I took up a loan of Ksh 50, 000, I wasn’t able to pay on time it accumulated to Ksh 500, 000. I used the Ksh 50, 000 to buy a laptop which I used to operate from as my office. I reached out to clients door to door.

I got my first client after two months through a referral from one of the offices I had visited. I remember it was six couples and their children. From the money that I made, I was able to clear my debt and rent a small office space. I struggled a bit for about four years until we were contracted to become service providers in one of the government institutions. Few people have helped me through my journey and they are my husband Anthony Mukomah, brother Simon Ndungu, Mr Mohammed of Vogue Tours and the Kenya Airways Sales Manager Mohammed Hamo.

 

3. 3. What were the challenges then and what continues to be the challenge now?

         Challenges I faced include lack of enough capital making it hard to penetrate the industry. I also lacked proper information and knowledge on the business. The cost of doing business was also a hinderance, this included agency licences and fees.

Luckily, that is no longer the problem now as what I have to contend with is competition from other agencies and delayed payments from clients.

Technology has made work easier but it has also made business rough for us travel agents as a client can easily book their holiday and tickets online.

4. What has been the highlight in your journey in this industry?

Opening my business and succeeding in it despite the rough patch is a highlight for me. I look at my work and staff and I am grateful for the far that I have come. It makes me appreciate what I have much more.

5. What has been your lowest moment?

I once could not raise money to pay a service provider and had to shut down my business to avoid being auctioned. I payed the provider back later.

6. What would your advice be to women interested in this industry?

Women in the travel industry should be resilient and learn to weather the challenges. They should also try seek procurement opportunities in the government through the proper channels.

7. What changes would you like to see?

Agencies should embrace technology as times have changed. Everything has become digital and we need to conform for our businesses to keep up.

8. How do/did you manage to strike a balance between family and work?

I have very supportive husband who is there for our family in every aspect. I also have a competent working team for our company. This makes work family balance easy and enjoyable.

9. One more thing…

I appreciate organisations and people who take time to support and help nurture the dreams of women in this industry. As I have learnt from my experience, sometimes it is not an easy journey but with people who build you and organisations that boost you, like the Kenyan Government did for me, then we will make tremendous progress and boost this industry which will in turn benefit the country at large.