I expect a lot of consolidation to happen in the retail space | Nitin John, Director, Rita Travel & Tours

Primary motivator to pursue your professional goals in travel and tourism sector? My primary motivator has always been my father and my love for travel. The dynamics and the constant development in the industry keeps me on toes and I learn something new everyday. Travel has always been an essential part of life and it has always been a passion of mine. Seeing new places and understanding new cultures has also motivated me to pursue my career in Travel. Since childhood, I saw my dad work hard to successfully thrive in this business and build strong relationships and gain respect in the Industry. I was keen on taking it to the next level by starting the Holidays business and opening branches in USA and Canada markets. An observation made about the industry, either a challenge or an opportunity? The industry is an ever growing one and is very fast paced. With technology at the palm of the hands, it is not long when “e-travel” might be a reality. Access to so much information and options has made travelers demanding for different experiences and better prices. But I feel access to information through multiple sources with less credibility creates confusion more than clarity in their minds, which makes our jobs tougher. It is also not a regulated industry like other ones and anyone with a passion for traveling or simply some money tries to start their own agency. There is no one to check quality. Opportunities are many as less than 5 percent Indians are actually international leisure travelers. India as a market has huge potential and growing day by day. Vision for the business? I see Riya Tour and Travels as the number one travel provider to Indians across the globe. The vision is to provide exemplary services and be one stop solution for all travel needs. We are already reaching this milestone in the B2B world in terms of booking flights. Technology has been a substantial game changer. Comments. Technology is only an enabler. Travellers still crave for human interaction and accountability. They like knowing that a machine is not behind planning and executing their huge investment. It has definitely become easier in terms of accessibility and reaching out to the traveler. Gen Nxt thought? Travel industry will obviously have a huge growth but with fading margins, I expect a lot of consolidation to happen in the retail space. ]]>