‘Evolving and adapting to new technology is the cornerstone

Shreya Shimpi

What inspired you to enter the travel industry, and how has it shaped you as a professional?

I am from Ahmedabad. When I completed my studies, I was looking for a job. At that point of time, Damania Airways was looking for some people. I joined at the airport and my journey started from there. After that, I worked at Interglobe Air Transport where we managed multiple airlines. In 2000, I joined Galileo in Mumbai now known as TravelPort.

Technology was always my passion. When I entered into this industry, the aviation industry was shifting to the tech part as it was completely manual before that. Computer and internet was making its way into the aviation industry. Things were changing very fast with these technological developments. I then joined Thai Airways in 2003. I have been with Riya since 2006 and I have completed almost eighteen years with Riya Travels. ‘Riya Connect’, an online platform for Riya has been started by me. Today we have around 75,000 agents connected on that platform. We also have a mobile app on which almost forty per cent of the transactions take place.

Reflecting on 2024, what would you say were the three highlights of the year for you—personally or professionally?

Last year, the way things have moved with NDC, I believe it to be the next big change. Personally, and professionally, this was a change that I had to accept. I make sure that not just myself for this as every lf but my team too adapts to this. We are trying to create a system with Subject Matter Expert on this as every airline is coming up with a different aspect of this which is more personalised and content-driven. Hence, the team has to be trained well.

As a key figure in Riya Travels, what is your long-term vision for the organization?

Automation is a primary thing. Whatever is happening manually today needs to be automated. We have to create a leaner team full of automation. If AI comes into play, we will adapt to that.

What has been your proudest achievement to date, and what keeps you motivated to push boundaries in this industry?

I feel it is ‘Riya Connect’ which I established in 2007. Today this has reached a successful level with almost 75000 agents’ network online with fourteen products.

If you could pick one dream destination to visit in 2025, where would it be, and why does it captivate you?

I always like Japan and it continues to remain my favourite. My daughter likes to visit Korea so we go there too. The calmness that Japan brings, I don’t think any other country does that.

Travel comes with its ups and downs—could you share one of your most memorable trips?

I just attended Coldplay in Abu Dhabi with my son. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and it was a different environment which I wanted to experience.

The travel industry has its challenges. What do you find to be the biggest obstacles, and if given the chance, what one change would you make to improve the industry?

I feel that everybody needs to adapt to the new things and technology. Cribbing about it is not going to help. We have to adapt. Everyone has their own set of aims and goals which they will achieve. I am not even mentioning airlines or vendors. Everybody has their own path. One must see an opportunity in the challenges or obstacles that they face.

If you look at something like Rail, though it is a small product, agents are doing bookings on mobile. We have almost 20,000 agents connected for rail. The industry needs to adapt and move rather than saying that a particular thing is too small or not right for us. The aviation market in India today is just 4 per cent. Even a 2-3 per cent shift in it will change the entire dynamics of this. There lies a sea of opportunities in the Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

Could you tell us a bit about your family and share one cherished childhood memory that still makes you smile?

I was born in Patna, Bihar and I hail from a small town. I did my degree in Fine Arts as well. In this company too, Marketing and HR comes under me. I am a student of marketing. Technology and marketing motivate me. I have a daughter and a son. My son is into film-making. He is just 24 and starting his journey with an Ad-making company. My daughter is in the 12th Std and aspires to make a career in the field of design.

One of my seniors in school was Saba Karim and I always aspired become a cricketer. However, Bihar being competitive in sports, it was difficult. It was always a cherished memory to see them play and to play along with them.

What is your vision for the travel and tourism industry in 2025, and how do you see your role contributing to its growth and transformation?

There are a lot of challenges out there from the industry point of view which we need to overcome. We should make sure that we keep learning. If we don’t learn or adapt, things are going to change anyway. Even if we stop, the world will continue to move. The way AI has taken the world by storm, you have to make sure that you are running ahead of that.

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