It’s been six decades since the company embarked on its voyage of crafting the perfect holiday for its guests. It has stood the test of time and today, the brand has become synonymous to trust, reliability and experiential holidays. With its third generation taking on the reigns, Kerala Travels has only become stronger, evolving with the times. Ritz is in conversation with Geetika Sudip, the Joint Managing Director of Kerala Travels Interserve Ltd, who talks about the brand’s journey thus far, Yaathrika, its outbound division and the company’s vision ahead.
Interview RIYA SONNY DATSON
How did the journey of Kerala Travels begin and how are you a part of this journey?
It began almost six decades ago when my grandfather, PGC Pillai, was working in Mumbai for Scandinavian Airlines. Colonel G V Raja of the royal family, who was a passionate sportsman and travel enthusiast, happened to meet my grandfather and he suggested that they start a reliable travel company to assist his friends and guests who wanted to travel to Kerala. My grandmother was more than delighted at the prospect of returning to her hometown and it didn’t take very long for her to convince her husband. Thus was born Kerala travels, a travel company headed by a group of like-minded people like my grandfather, Colonel GV Raja, Hassan Marikar and other partners. Their first office was set up at the famous Mascot hotel in Trivandrum and from then on, there has been no looking back. My father joined KT in the late 70s. Today, the Chairperson of the company is Princess Gowri Parvathy Bhai, who is the daughter of late Colonel G V Raja. Over the years, the reigns of the company have been handed down through generations and KT is one of the few companies that has the reputation of catering to clients over three generations. I worked as an intern with the company during one of my breaks before I joined for my postgraduation. It helped me to get hands on training in the tourism sector. After I completed MBA, I got back on the rolls and presently, I am the Joint Managing Director.
What makes Kerala Travels stand apart from its competitors?
Esta historia es de la edición April 2018 de RITZ.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición April 2018 de RITZ.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
WOMAN OF METTLE
Full-time actress and a full-time mother, one wonders how she does it all and with so much passion; yet, one conversation with Uma Riyaz Khan is all it takes to know one can have it all! She is one of the few actors who love acting and takes cinema passionately and has shared screen space with some of the leading stars of Kollywood. For her acting is a craft and she proves her mettle every single time she’s on-screen and has been constantly juggling between many mediums of entertainment. The versatile actor speaks to RITZ about her career choices, her family life, and her experiences on and off-screen as a mother and much more.
THE POWER OF GRIT
Jewellery designer, socialite, philanthropist and now the President of Terroir - The Madras Wine Club, Minnie Menon has added one more feather to her colourful hat. Minnie, who is now on mission Terroir, speaks to RITZ about her passion, love for jewellery, her recent responsibility and what it took to get in there.
THE ART OF MAKING TEA
Kausshal Dugarr - Founder and CEO of Teabox shares how he took his Indian tea brand to 117 countries.
SPREADING MASSIVE WINGS
Zorawar Kalra, founder of Massive Restaurants speaks on how he likes to innovate and stay ahead of the game.
READY TO FACE THE ARC LIGHTS!
As a child, she was always under the limelight for her amazing performances at the Kerala Youth Festival. It came as no surprise that her very first film offer came from Sibi Malayil for Ishtam opposite Dileep. Though her parents were reluctant initially, with a little coaxing from her uncle, Director K Madhu, they agreed to let her chase her dreams and ever since, there has been no looking back for this beautiful actress. Her memorable performances during the early stages of her career in films like Nandanam, Kalyanaraman and Kunjikoonan made her one of the most sought after actresses in Mollywood. With close to 50 films to her credit in Malayalam, Tamil and Kannada, she is the recipient of two Kerala state film awards. Ritz is in conversation with the South Indian Star, Navya Nair, who after a hiatus of eight years, is making a comeback to Mollywood with her much awaited film, Oruthee!
MELODY! QUEEN
‘Raftaara’ the song from the blockbuster Mollywood film, Lucifer went viral the minute it was released online. It came as a surprise to many that it was Malayalam Cinema’s very own Jyotsna, who had sung this fast Hindi number! The gorgeous playback singer herself didn’t expect to receive such an overwhelming response and she is thrilled that the song has topped the charts. Of late, Jyotsna has been busy with her independent projects such as ‘Krishna the eternal’ - which is an offbeat meditation album, her single ‘Enni Varumo’ which won the Mazhavil manorana music award for best independent song of the year and of course ‘Paranne’, an original, written, composed and sung by the melody queen herself! Ritz catches up with the brilliant musician, Jyotsna Radhakrishnan, who recently won the ‘Kochi Marriott Presents Ritz Super 8’ felicitation for her exceptional and inspirational work in Music.
FUN, FOOD, FRENZY, FESTIVITIES, FIREWORKS & FINESSE
Thailand’s Elephant Boat Race and River Festival saw a spectacular adrenalinefilled weekend of paddlers, singers, music, food and tipple lovers, and some celeb spotting too.
FROM RAGS TO SHAYYA!
Pure Living is back with yet another incredible initiative. On women’s day this year, the firm that focusses on eco-friendly products and eco awareness, launched a special product titled ‘Shayya’, a handcrafted mattress that is being distributed free of cost to the poor and homeless. What makes it special is the fact that it is upcycled from cloth waste. Yes, the cloth scrap generated at fashion design or tailoring units that is usually burnt every single day is what is being used to make the Shayya. The result? Less pollution and a warm coz y surface for the poor and homeless! Read on to know more about this wonderful initiative by Lakshmi Menon.
DREAMS MAKETH A WOMAN
She’s a sensation in the wrestling ring. Sakshi Malik made India proud by bagging a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She was the first woman wrestler from the country to secure a podium finish. No highs or lows, or ups and downs stopped her from reaching her goals. Just one step short of the Summer Olympics 2020 in Tokyo, Sakshi seems to be fitter and stronger than ever before, thanks to the confidence, she’s gained from her last victory. Endorsing the partnership of Herbalife Nutrition with the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) as it’s sports nutrition partner, the young IIS wrestler spoke to us about her journey after Rio Olympics and her dreams for Tokyo Olympics.
Creating ENTERTAINING SOCIAL SPACES
Riyaaz Amlani, CEO & MD, Impresario Handmade Restaurants shares his journey on providing unlimited entertainment options.
