Le Passage To Open New Vistas

Jyoti Koul - New Delhi

Within two years of its existence, Le Passage to India Tours and Travels has become one of the top five travel companies in the country. In the first seven months of operations, the company recorded a turnover of Rs 90 million and during the first full year of operations (2003-04) the company recorded a turnover of Rs 450 million.

The company’s chairman, Gulam Naqshband attributes this success to the intensified work done by experienced and skilled staff, product innovation and strong marketing. “We feel proud that in such a short span of time we have not only achieved our targets but we have set up the network through our offices in various places in India and abroad” mentioned Naqshband.

Nationally, the company has offices in Chennai, Kochi, Goa, Jaipur, Mumbai, Trivandrum Agra, Bangalore, and Varanasi besides an office at Kathmandu in Nepal. Apart form associate agents at all other tourist destinations, Le Passage has two offices overseas in New York and Germany. It is planning to open two more offices in Bangalore and Srinagar. “We are now broadening the scope of the company as we are entering into the Gulf region, where we intend to introduce two new units which are conference management, incentives and Internet interactive systems of holidaying,” revealed Naqshband.

The company will set up an interactive system whereby the deals will be closed on the web itself. “With respect to conference management, we already have the expertise, which we would further expand and enhance to create a specialisation. The reason to launch these two new units is that the economy has opened up many avenues and an increasingly competitive market demands a ’difference’,” he said.

These new units will be ready in next three months. The company has plans to explore new markets for inbound business to India in order to expand its area of operation and business. The future plans of the company also include an extensive marketing campaign to reach out to the markets new as well as existing. Besides aiming to develop itself into one of the foremost and best travel agencies in India, it has charted out a strategy to tap the markets through innovation, expertise and knowledge. The company offers a fine blend of understanding and knowledge when it comes to product development and its execution.