Manoj Tulsani and Kamlesh Ramchandani were in their mid-20s when they established what would later emerge as one of the UAE’s foremost destination management companies. Rayna Tours and Travels has one of the most inspirational success stories to share as it came from humble beginnings and started over the founders’ common passion for travel and liking to meet and connect with more people.
But their entrepreneurial journey is not all about fame and fortune; they had their share of failures and went through a multitude of ups and downs before it established itself as a full-fledged service provider in the industry. If you’re an aspiring or budding entrepreneur, you may be curious to know how they overcame it all. And that’s what we’ve covered in this read. So come strap in; here we go!
Founders’ Background
Prior to stepping into the business, Manoj and Kamlesh had worked together in Dubai’s Safeer Group of Companies, however, in different sections (marketing and purchase respectively). As a love for travel and urge to venture into something innovative were always in the back of their minds, they didn’t have a second thought when they decided to start their own business. “We were doing really well in our respective careers when this chance came our way. Al though it appeared to be a huge risk to dive into an entirely new niche; we still went ahead as we saw it more as an opportunity to live our passion than a viable business option,” says Manoj Tulsani on their impulsive start of Rayna Tours and Travels.
Start: Taking the First Step
Rayna Tours’ story began a decade ago in 2006 from a small travel counter within one of Dubai’s hotels. The founders admit that taking the first step was quite easy but the hardest part was getting it to take off and convincing their customers. Kamlesh recalled, “We were totally clueless at this point because we didn’t have a proper business plan or a mentor to lean from for great business suggestions.”
But luckily what they had to offer was something very relevant and innovative as they dedicatedly focused on arranging tours and activities for the hotel guests in the beginning. Their idea was quickly noticed and the results began to show up, marking a new era in the way travel business was conducted. And in the next few years, this paved the way for the opening of 15 more such outlets across Dubai’s popular hotels.
Growth and Challenges
As they expanded and began to experience some success, this alternatively attracted more competitors, throwing them a new set of challenges to tackle. “This is when we realized that success is not something that we can achieve on a continual basis and the only way to sustain it is to keep ourselves open to challenges. And this really dragged us out of our comfort zones,” says Manoj on the initial business challenges. This simple yet thoughtful strategy paid off as they still continue to take all setbacks as a way to reach out to their true calling.
Creating Solid Resources & Eliminating Middlemen
They began to think big over time and realized the importance of developing their business with high-end marketing techniques and the right resources. This encouraged them to develop a tighter and more aligned service portfolio which is not only broader in terms of offerings but also generous when it comes to its affordability and savings. They ramped up their idea by investing in their own desert camp as well as an extensive line-up of yachts, limos, dhows, and vehicles, thus eliminating middlemen from most of their services.
This took Rayna Tours to a new level. It operates as a one-stop travel solution provider supported by the best price guarantee for the majority of its products and services, including desert safaris, sightseeing tours, luxury cruises, adventure activities and more. Starting out from a small counter, Rayna Tours is now an established destination management company with its main office in Dubai. Apart from 70 plus outlets in Dubai alone, it has branches across India, Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore), Africa (Cape Town) and Europe (Turkey).
Finding Success with Ongoing Development and Technological Innovations
The success of Rayna Tours is largely due to its founders’ keenness to innovate and evolve their offerings as per the industry demands. In fact, they are well aware of the importance of technology in making its services seamlessly accessible to a wider audience.
Apart from expanding their business across the world, Rayna Tours has turned out to be successful in establishing a strong presence on the web. They are digitally active as the company has created its own online portals (www.raynatours.com and www.raynab2b.com) with dedicated sections for visa services, holiday packages, hotel reservations, and tour bookings. This allows their customers both on B2C and B2B verticals to easily choose, compare and compile their dream vacation anywhere in the world.
Rayna Tours has also developed a variety of mobile apps, thus making it convenient for guests to book their tours and holidays directly on their smartphones or personal mobile devices. The company even has its own technical wing (Technoheaven Consultancy) in order to ensure ongoing attention and significant updates of its various digital platforms. To better engage with their customers and inform about their latest services and promotions, they further focus on diverse social media platforms and online marketing techniques such as email marketing.
Diversification & Foray into New Niches
Along with expanding their business activities to new locations, Rayna Tours has also successfully ventured into new markets and industries such as transport, real estate and the construction business. “As there is already a strong demand for our products in the travel industry, we’re thrilled to go beyond the company’s existing business scope and find success in conducting business in entirely new industries,” Manoj acknowledges.
An Award-Winning Company
As the company has consistently worked its way to the top, it has continually been acknowledged with several awards and accolades along the way. And the most recent ones among them are Arabian Travel Awards for Best Destination Management Company and Best B2B Travel Portal, Best Partner Award for Dubai Parks and Resorts, and Best Performer Award (received from Yas Waterworld and Ferrari World Abu Dhabi). What’s more; the company’s services have met with rave reviews and are high on demand especially among high-profile clients. From Sunny Leone and Rajkumar Rao to Harbhajan Singh and Sonu Nigam, quite a good number of Bollywood actors, significant television personalities and sports celebs have utilized Rayna Tours’ premium services to make the most of their well-deserved break while in Dubai.
Advice for Other Entrepreneurs
They have a final valuable piece of advice for budding entrepreneurs. “Follow your passion, believe in your offerings and never give up at any stage of building your business. There will be detractors who constantly tell you that this is not for you or you’re not capable of doing it. Just go ahead and completely dismiss them. And lastly, the most important thing, make sure that you’re flexible and always willing to listen to your customers, particularly to your unhappy customers as they can be your greatest mentors.”
