Travelling the way to success

As his tourism firm in a quiet corner of Ayanavaram continues to reveal to many a Chennaiite the delights and wonders of travel, Seshadri talks about life behind the scenes, and how his family manages to work around their busy enterprise

CHENNAI:  From travelling widely to organising tours for many others, Seshadri, the managing director of Srinivasa Tours and Travels, is an electrical engineer by profession whose heart beats for travel and tourism. Sitting in the office of his firm, Srinivasa Tours and Travels in Ayanavaram, which also happens to be his ancestral home, he talks about how he transformed his passion into a very profitable profession.

What led you to start your own business?
I was always quite fond of travelling and have been to a lot of places in India and overseas. Twelve years ago, I felt that I should take the world along to these places too, and that’s how it all began. My uncle was of immense help in the first few years. It was all word of mouth. He would go around, talking to relatives, friends and those in our circle about my venture. After doing this for three years, I officially registered the company and began running it as a full-time business. My wife Madhu Malathi runs the business along with me.

How do you pick and curate your travel packages?
I ensure that I travel to every destination that’s on our brochure and find out everything that there is to know about the place — its food, local culture, security and the people, before I upload it for my clients. Fixing the price comes right at the end of the process. Currently, we have 39 national and one international packages. We want to include Europe, Australia and New Zealand as destinations this year, but I want to personally visit these places prior. Most of my clients are senior citizens who prefer going on pilgrimages to places like Shirdi, Kedarnath, Badrinath. We also have clients who buy packages to go to Goa. Besides these, we have honeymoon packages as well. 

Since you’re in a fast-paced business, how do you manage time with family?
My wife and children have been involved since we started this venture. My children — seven-year-old and four-year-old — takes attend to calls from clients. They answer the phone with a, “Hello, Srinivasa Tours and Travels. How may I help you?” or “Please wait, I am giving the phone to my father. My wife, on her part, helps manage the clients.”

How often do you travel with your clients? 
Until three years ago, I used to travel with all the tours that we organised but I never disclosed my identity to the group. It was a perfect opportunity for me to engage with our clients directly and get feedback. I travelled as a passenger and never as the owner of this company. But now, I go only when time permits. We also organise trips for our staff. The most recent one was a trip to Shirdi with their families.

Your other hobbies apart from travel?
Work takes up most of my time, but I am a news junkie. I read the newspaper a lot and follow global news in any form possible. My wife enjoys stitching and embroidery in her spare time. We can unwind together, engaged in different hobbies.  

You talked about the news. What did you make of the Union budget’s effect on your travel business?
I am worried about private trains since that would mean that train travel will get more expensive, and we will have to revise our rates on that basis as well. This will hike our package prices as well, which is a matter of concern for me. But I trust that our clients follow the news, and understand why I had to do so.

Studying to be an engineer, was there any opposition from your family when you started this business?
I studied engineering only because my father had wanted me to. My mind had always been in the travel industry and my wife, so graciously helped me in this pursuit. The rest of the family had their doubts about it, but when they saw that it was something that my wife and I were doing together, they felt that there must some merit to it. Now, we have their unconditional support.

Do most of your clients come back for multiple trips?
Yes, we have a lot of repetitional clients. Most of them are like family. We get invited to a lot of their family functions now.

What sets your company apart from the rest?
We take our cooks with us on every trip and all the provisions needed arrive by train as well. At the location where our guests stay, we make arrangements for a kitchen where our cooks make healthy and fresh food. There is usually a fixed menu.

let’s rendezvous

One with the tourists
Until three years ago, I used to travel with all the tours that we organised but I never disclosed my identity to the group. It was a perfect opportunity for me to engage with our clients directly and get feedback. I travelled as a passenger and never as the owner of this company. But now, I go only when time permits. We also organise trips for our staff.