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?
This story is from the April 2018 edition of RITZ.
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This story is from the April 2018 edition of RITZ.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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