Corporate Profile

Consolidating business

One of the oldest and more seasoned ticket consolidators in the country, Riya Travel and Tours is going strong, what with its diversification into the holidays segment and its strong employee retention. By Andrea Lopez

GMJ Thampy, Chairman & MD, Riya Travel & Tours

As travel, whether inbound or outbound, evolves, so do the number of operators who cater to the large mass of travellers. But while some of the newer names in the market have begun to carve a niche for themselves, others that have been around for years and have stuck to their ideology have been faring equally well, in some cases even better than their contemporary counterparts. Like most companies that have made it big today, Riya Travel and Tours too had humble beginnings. The gulf was beginning to open up as a favourable job market for Indians in the late 1970's and early 1980's. The company's chairman and MD, GMJ Thampy made his way to Mumbai at the same time and set up a small sub-agency that primarily catered to this large mass of Indian outbound employment seekers. The company actually found an identity and a clearer agenda in the year 1981. "Our initial business was visa processing for the gulf consulates since there was a large need for manpower from India in these countries," says Thampy. In fact, in 1985, Riya operated as more of a manpower supply company, arranging for visas for Indians looking at the gulf as a destination for employment. In the same year, Riya entered into an agreement with the consulate of Saudi Arabia to carry out business with them. "This was a landmark year for us," says Thampy.

With this backing and sufficient experience to its credit, the company actually diversified into the ticketing business in 1994. "Our style of business was professional, considering the time frame we operated in. We had our own technical team and provided extensive visa service for all the consulates. Along with this, on the one hand we had the business of ticket consolidation and on the other, a lot of retail business from customers," says Thampy. Today, the company conducts transactions with all the major airlines and continues to be known for its forte - ticket consolidation. "Initially, it was easier to consolidate for the gulf and as we gained more experience, the European carriers."

The company today

More recently, the company has diversified into the holidays segment, including MICE and FIT travel from India. With 27 offices across India employing 964 staff, Riya also claims that it has a staff turnover of three per cent. Manoj Samuel, the company's IT director says that it is the director's accessibility to all employees and direct interaction with the staff that has led to solid employee retention. Besides, the exposure at Riya is greater than elsewhere. "We operate under a core group of six people and train all our staff in such a way that they know how to operate as a team. In addition, everybody is covered by insurance," he says. Interesting to note is that the company does not permit any of its employees to display religious idols or pictures at their work space. "We believe that religion is something private and should not be discussed in office," says Thampy, adding that this helps to do away with any awkward situations.

From the chairman's desk

The company's chairman and managing director believes that it is Riya's USP that has brought it where it is today. He says, "I support hard work from top to bottom. Corruption and working for one's personal benefits is something we do not advocate here. Everything is based purely on merit." Leaving his home state Kerala at the age of 19, Thampy has spent over 25 years in the business. Still, he isn't a commonly seen face at industry networking parties and events and even when he is, he chooses to downplay his presence. A true son of the soil, he believes in giving back to his state and as such employs a lot of his staff from his village Thenmala in Kerala. More than 150 people from his village are currently working at Riya's offices in the country. "I would like to do something for my village, since the people there do not have access to the bigger cities. I thought it would be good to give them an opportunity to work here," he says. Although his job calls for a lot of travel to various destinations, Thampy shares strong ties with his village. "I am passionate about my village and enjoy spending time there. Thenmala also happens to be one of the first eco-tourism destinations in India."

So what is the company's vision? Thampy says that Riya plans to carry on what it has been doing for the past 27 years with the same dedication and hardwork. The holidays division of the company is being looked into by his son, Nitin Thampy. Two years since its inception, the division's forte remains MICE and FIT travel. The company has been doing a lot of pilgrimage and Holy Land tours too; a chunk of its market for this comes from South India. "Riya Holidays is still nascent and has to grow." Commenting on its counterpart, consolidator Akbar Travels and the apparent rivalry between the two, Thampy says it is good to have competition in the market. "We are happy to have the competition. Our styles of business are different, but we get along well," he says. Commenting on the ongoing agent-airline feud over zero per cent commissions, Thampy feels that it is unhealthy for both the agents and the airlines. "I think it is non-beneficial for both parties," he says.