Rayna Tours and Travels is one of the greatest successes in the travel sector. But, do you think it became successful overnight? Rayna Tours’ startup journey wasn’t easy and smooth – it started off without proper business plan, mentor support or even adequate fund. So, how did it turn out to be one of the ultimate destination management service providers in the UAE? Let’s take a look at the inspiring story of Rayna Tours which made them a giant success in the industry.
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How it all started?
It all began with the founder’s love for travel and passion of connecting with new people! Rayna Tours’ founder and CEO, Manoj Tulsani, says, “I decided to quit my well-paid, secured job as the Marketing Head at Dubai’s Time Machine Group of Companies at a point when I realized that I must come out of my comfort zone and challenge myself.” Al though this decision came with massive risks, it was a determined step for Manoj to resign his content position in the trading industry and dip his toe into a completely new sector, i.e. travel and service sector. The rest as they is history; it turned out to be of one of the most decisive and incredible decisions he has ever made.
The Startup Adventure Begins
As soon as he left his job, Manoj along with Kamlesh Ramchandani, his friend and former colleague at Safeer Group of Companies, took steps to start Rayna Tours. Both were young, in their late 20s, all ready to take one of the biggest risks of their life. Rayna Tours and Travels was finally born as a small travel outlet in 2006 within Flora Grand Hotel. At this time, their business idea of arranging Dubai tours and activities for hotel guests was relatively new. In other words, it was then an innovative concept which was still unexplored and in its nascent stage. Despite breaking in as a complete beginner, this somewhat gave them the edge over then established companies that have been there for a quite longer time.
The Start & Subsequent Processes Weren’t Rosy Though
While they started off at the right time with the right concept, there were many factors that impacted the initial growth of this travel agency in Dubai. Being an absolute stranger to the industry, they didn’t have a proper roadmap to navigate or steer forward the business; the inadequate supply of fund and the absence of a strong experienced team further aggravated the early struggles. But, on a positive note, this made them realize how important it is for a company to have an eye for detail and future. This helped the company to bounce back and scale quickly. The outcome was the launch of 15 plus similar travel outlets in the region’s popular four-star and five-star hotels.
From a Single Outlet to the Travel Big Leagues
Following the rapid expansion of its travel outlets all over Dubai, the next step for the company was to pitch their business offerings in a bigger and grander way. They succeeded as they revamped and raised their service status from a chain of outlets to a full-fledged Destination Management Company in the early 2009. This astounding big leap saw the company making some proactive investments and acquisitions; they purchased a huge desert camp and added a vast line-up of buses, coaches, cars, luxury vehicles and cruise inventories to their extensive product and service portfolio. This subsequently has allowed them to take all time-and-money-consuming middlemen out of the chain, making Rayna Tours one of the major providers of value-added tours and packages (with best price guarantee) in both B2B and B2C sectors.
Winning with Technology
As their business began to grow seamlessly, Rayna Tours started its own technical off-shoot, Technoheaven Consultancy. Staffed by a bunch of highly talented and experienced team who keeps up with the up-to-minute technological trends, it allows the company to effortlessly adapt to the ever dynamic wave of cutting-edge technology. The company’s main B2C web portal is packed with easy to navigate and latest features that let guests to book their favorite tours or compile their perfect long-haul holiday without any stress. There is also a web page, Raynab2b, in order to exclusively cater to travel agents, small travel businesses etc. Rayna Tours has also developed a variety of apps, creative programs and interactive tools to make the entire process of travel planning a breeze, from visa formalities and airline booking to hotel reservations and arrangement of tours and activities.
Taking Rayna Tours and Travel Global
Once it cemented its foothold in Dubai and all over the UAE, Rayna Tours targeted the overseas market. As it now continues to expand, the company has its strong presence in more different parts of the world, such as India, Malaysia South Africa, Singapore, and Thailand.
Rayna Tours as an Award-Winning Company
Rayna Tours Dubai, in its more than a decade’s industry presence, has won several prestigious accolades for its amazing tours and commendable customer services. It bagged one of the greatest TripAdvisor honors, Travelers’ Choice Award, two times in a row in 2020 and 2021. In 2018, it became the winner of Arabian Travel Awards in two major categories: Best Travel Portal and Best Destination Management Company. The company also walked away with Best Partner Award for Dubai Parks and Resorts in 2017, apart from achieving Best Performer or Top Seller Awards from the region’s top attractions such as Global Village, Yas Island (Ferrari World and Yas Waterworld), and Dubai Dolphinarium. Majority of these awards came as a result of unbiased voting or reviews by the real users.
Adapts to New Normal with Zero Layoff
The outbreak of COVID-19 and its several variants have adversely affected almost all sectors. Travel and hospitality are some of the worst hit among them. With that being said, Rayna Tours is one of the very few companies that has thoughtfully adapted to the new trends and complex policies brought about by the pandemic. The best thing is that the company successfully survived its aftermath without any significant layoff. They have launched many budget packages with flexible policies and are the authorized seller of ticket to Ain Dubai, The View at The Palm and Madame Tussauds Dubai, among other brand-new Dubai attractions.
Advice for Up and Coming Entrepreneurs
In the own words of Manoj Tulsani, “If you have a great idea, simply don’t back off. Believe in yourself and especially your ideas even if it looks difficult in the beginning. Not all elements (such as resources, business plan, skillset, market knowledge, current trends etc) may line up initially. But, things will gradually fall in place and success will follow as you learn from every inevitable failure, mistake and challenge that comes along the way. So it is all about taking that first decisive plunge.”
Final Thoughts
Rayna Tours and Travel is a perfect illustration of success stories that haven’t been built from scratch. Rayna Tours’ ongoing success is powered by their team’s unremitting enthusiasm and promptness to stay abreast of cutting-edge trends and fantastic tech innovations. All these have allowed them to craft value-packed tours and packages accordingly, which cater to every market and of course every traveler’s interest and budget.
It is therefore not a surprise that they continue to be one of the industry leaders even in this difficult time. We hope Rayna Tours continues to inspire the aspiring entrepreneurs with their compelling offerings and glowing achievements.
About Carson Derrow
