He is unlike many other 40-something men that you would see in the travel trade – a teetotaler, humble, a man of limited words, firm beliefs and great values. Hailing from a small town, Ravi Gosain, MD, Erco Travels and Treasurer IATO, is a dynamic person who has not forgotten his roots. In an exclusive chat with BOTT India, he shares details of his childhood, his passion to be an entrepreneur always and his NGO through which he is giving back to the society.
Priyanka Saxena Ray
Born and brought up in Gwalior, the entrepreneur bug bit this young lad early in life. Always a good sports player – especially cricket, Ravi was clear from the start that he did not wanted a career in “services” like his father who was in the Air Force. “Saluting, no matter at whichever position you are because there is always a senior was a concept that never appealed to me. I wanted to be my own boss – be responsible for my own success and failure and not be bound to a hierarchy. As soon as I entered college and started my graduation in economics, the urge to become an entrepreneur started gripping me,” he reminisces.
He started a stock-broking company with a friend in this third year of college and it took off well. Ravi even came to Delhi for a few months to gain experience of working with a proper stock broker. A little later, the then Union Minister Tourism, Government of India, Late Madhav Rao Scindia announced the opening of the first IITTM in Gwalior and inspired the then impressionable Ravi to enter the world of tourism. “I did my master’s degree in tourism from Jiwaji University, Gwalior. The University would take us on study trip to West, North, South etc. and it was then that I decided to build a career in tourism. Those were the times when we would be very fascinated with the foreigners. I always loved talking to them and listen to their tales of travels – it gave me an insight into their lifestyle and culture,” he shares.
Ravi came to Delhi in early 1996 and worked for a couple of years in a tours and travel company before forming his very own – Erco Travels, starting with inbound business. From a small rented office of 2 people to now a staff of close to 40, it has indeed been quite a journey for this dynamic entrepreneur. Over the years his company has won two National Tourism Awards for FY – 2007 – 2008 and 2012 – 2013. Sharing his thoughts on entering the associations’ sphere Ravi says, “I was always an active member of the associations that I was a part of but it was in 2011 that I got elected as an EC member of IATO for the first time. In 2013 I became the joint secretary and then elected as Treasurer unopposed in 2018,” adding, “Going forward, I want to maintain what I am doing and I want to do more social work.”
Not many would know that Ravi manages an Uttarakhand based NGO called Nav Jyoti aur Samridhi Samiti, under which he runs a school for over 150 children since 2009 and a handcrafting centre for women. He is also the founder and President of an association called UTPA – Uttarakhand Tourism Professionals Association that currently has 250 members and was founded in 2016. The move was taken with the sole aim to develop tourism in Uttarakhand.
A complete family man, Ravi is an absolute fitness freak who still actively plays cricket, Badminton Tennis and loves to go running for 3 – 4 km every day. A true travel enthusiast, this young man has seen close to 80 countries and wishes to see 150 more before he dies. He is a Limca book record holder for being part of first Indian Self driving expedition to the second highest Icelandic glacier. He is also a regular visitor as a speaker to Tourism schools, like ITTM- Noida & Gwalior, AMITY Noida, Jagran Lakeview University-Bhopal etc.
“I always followed my heart and did what I felt was right at that time. My message to the younger lot out there would be that there is no shortcut in life. Hard work and persistence can take you places. Accuracy is everything you do is very important to grow – do not compete with others, compete with yourself,” he concludes.
Ravi is truly an epitome of a self-made man who has reached great heights in life on solely his hard work and perseverance.
