Educate agents for conversions

At Renuka Natu Travel Relations, the focus will be to educate the travel agents about different destinations through training and help them achieve conversions.

TT Bureau

Renuka Natu Travel Relations is a tourism representation and consulting service, effectively handling international travel brands on the Indian turf since 2010. Renuka Natu, Director, Renuka Natu Travel Relations shared, “We are working closely as a catalyst between distinguished international travel partners and focused travel fraternity within India, Sri Lanka, Nepal as well as within areas with high density of NRI population. Currently the portfolio comprises DMC Tourvest for South Africa; DMC Sense of Africa for East Africa; Property Management Company – AHA in South & Southern Africa; Governors Camp Collection Kenya & Rwanda; Wilderness Safaris active in eight African countries; and Brunni-Bahnen, mountain excursion in Switzerland.”

She claimed that 2018 has been a reasonably good year for them. “The competition is tough on all platforms, levels and market segments, especially for destination South Africa. The market share for the destination in entirety hasn’t grown, however the number of service providers have multiplied manifold, thus shrinking the pie for everybody. It is a completely open market. Despite this scenario, we have managed to stay afloat well by creatively modifying our services to open newer market segments,” added Natu.

She claimed that for destinations such as Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Rwanda and Uganda, they have discovered that there definitely is a market which will only grow in the future albeit gradually. “Kenya and Tanzania always live up to their potential owing to several factors such as awareness, ease of doing business due to the understanding of Indian requirements, given the ethnic Indian communities that operate in the tourism sector in these countries as well as the promise of the numbers of the wildlife. For the refreshing Swiss mountain Brunni, the awareness is growing and will soon translate into decent numbers as well,” she shared.

Natu expects a healthy 2019, saying, “As the year began, we were slightly concerned about the impending elections in our country, and the subsequent effects and repercussions.

As of now, there seems to be no adverse effect as business has been promising for the conventional Indian summer season of April to September. Should there be any drastic changes in policies in the period post the formation of the new government, the effects will be sensed in the Diwali/winter season of October’19to March’20.”

In terms of new signings, Natu believes in organic growth. “In case of any opportunities in the regions I am already active in or in the segments such as wildlife, conservation, adventure, luxury that I already operate in, I will be open to explore,” she added.