Interview: Manoj Tulsani, CEO of Rayna Tours and Travels

Interview: Manoj Tulsani, CEO of Rayna Tours and Travels

Manoj Tulsani – the man who started his entrepreneurial journey from a single travel counter – now runs Rayna Tours – a globally reputed travel brand, headquartered in Dubai.

Rayna Tours is a leading destination management company and a dynamic online platform for all the holidaymakers to go out and explore the world just with a click.

At Sugermint Media, our aim is to bring to our entrepreneurs community some of the inspiring and motivational stories from the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

As part of this endeavour, we invited yet another successful entrepreneur Manoj Tulsani, CEO of Rayna Tours and Travels for an exclusive interview with us.

This is the interview of Manoj Tulsani, CEO of Rayna Tours and Travels.

Tell us a little about yourself

Manoj Tulsani: I am Manoj Tulsani, CEO of Rayna Tours and Travels. I was born in Rajasthan, India, where I grew up in the town of Ajmer. I completed my graduation in commerce stream from Bombay University.

Soon after this in 1999, I moved to Dubai and I have remained here ever since. I started off my career as a marketing executive at Safeer Group of Companies and later got an amazing career break as I was appointed as the Marketing Head at Time Machine Group of Companies.

Please tell us a little about your entrepreneurial journey

Manoj Tulsani: Call it an adventure, impulsive decision or passion – I left my job at the height of my career. The idea was to build a new start up that would satisfy my interest in both travel and entrepreneurship.

This saw the birth of Rayna Tours and Travels from a single travel outlet at Dubai’s Flora Grand Hotelin 2006.

Its early phase, however, was highly vulnerable due to the inexperience, inadequacy of funds and other risk elements involved in the setting up of a new venture.

But, we worked hard and opened more similar outlets, before we established ourselves as a full-blown Destination Management Company by 2009.

Besides our head office in Dubai, we now have our locations in different parts of the world, from India, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand to Turkey and South Africa.

Following the merge of Arabian Explorers with Rayna Tours in 2018, we are now one of the region’s largest destination management service providers.

Mr. Yasser Noman, whose expertise in travel industry spans for over 30 years, is the company’s Executive Chairman.

Moreover, we have some of the most experienced and qualified people at the helm of our operations. An alumnus of IIT Roorkee, Himanshu Laul is the Managing Director of Rayna Tours.

What service(s) do you offer at Rayna Tours and Travels?

Manoj Tulsani: Our travel agency in UAE and other locations offer a full suite of travel management solutions with our exclusive departments for international visa services, holiday packages, worldwide hotel reservation, MICE and comprehensive transport services.

We make available our products and services on both B2C and B2B verticals through the company’s dedicated portals, www.raynatours.com and www.raynab2b.com.

We are also one of the industry leaders in offering high-end technology solutions for travel and other industries, thanks to www.technoheaven.com.

What is unique about your label brand?

Manoj Tulsani: Our services are value-packed, easily accessible and customizable too. Apart from these, we are one of the very few service providers in the industry that functions on the basis of direct-to-consumer strategy.

This ensures that you don’t have to deal with any middlemen or third party suppliers to enjoy an activity or tour.

It allows us to offer best price guarantee for majority of our packages, especially desert safaris, cruises, luxury tours etc.

What made you choose this type of business?

Manoj Tulsani: Starting off my career in the trading industry, I craved for a change that would allow me to concentrate on what I like the most (i.e. travel) yet still put my expertise, creativity and knowledge to the best use. Making a transition into the service industry and starting Rayna Tours proved to be the perfect fit.

What was your mission at the outset?

Manoj Tulsani: It was simple and straightforward; to grow our company and establish our industry foothold by arranging quality yet budget-friendly tours to the hotel guests.

How many employees work in your organization?

Manoj Tulsani: We have the workforce strength of about 700 employees that represent diverse cultures and nationalities.

What are your company’s goals?

Manoj Tulsani: Our primary goal (as of now) is to boost the awareness and visibility of our brand by opening more branches across the world.

We also hope to renew our service portfolio and enhance our product range based on the current travel trends and unbiased customer reviews.

What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?

Manoj Tulsani: While this journey wasn’t easier, it has definitely been fruitful. From taking wrong turns and facing tough competitions to lacking industry experience and difficulty in finding the right talents and investment sources, we have had to sail through many regrettable challenges and failures along the way.

But, all these obstacles have been an incredible learning experience as they helped us to evolve and innovate over the time.

What was the inspiration behind turning an entrepreneur?

Manoj Tulsani: Before the start of Rayna Tours, I was successful in my career. But, starting my own company gave me the much needed platform to nurture my creative side, do what I really love, and of course, give back to the community in the most effective way.

It is a rewarding feel to wake up every morning with a new set of challenges and working on innovative ideas to propel your business forward.

What are the key things to consider before starting a startup?

Manoj Tulsani: Starting a new business, particularly in a new industry without any experience or solid background, can be exceptionally challenging.

But, you will be able to overcome all complications and hindrances if you have a balanced attitude and thought process.

Make a thorough market research and make sure what you have to offer is both unique and extraordinary.

Mostly importantly, you must be agile (enough to make quick impactful decisions), have a lucidity of vision, and further place emphasis on integrity. All these are vital to win the trust of customers and the market alike.

What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made?

Manoj Tulsani: Don’t be afraid to fail and don’t isolate yourself! With all those ongoing hindrances, competitions and struggles, it is easy to lose the spirit and give up in the initial stage itself.

The reality is that it is never difficult to learn from the mistakes. Hire a proficient team and engage a bunch of smart people who will help you to identify the mistakes, analyze the market trends and come up with the most worthwhile strategies that would help you to achieve the goals and satisfy your customers’ travel needs.

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