A passionate traveller and a seasoned travel professional with a wide experience across multiple travel verticals and possessing in depth knowledge and management skills to put together events for both corporate and consumer segments, Reena Chopra, Director, Magical Holidays, with over two decades of work experience is a known name and face in the travel trade. A charming lady with a radiant smile, she is forever willing to extend a helping hand and greet you with a compliment. Here’s more on her life in BOTT Women’s Special series.
Priyanka Saxena Ray
A Delhi girl who was always fond of travelling, Reena did her Bachelors in English (Honours) from Delhi University followed by a Diploma in Travel and Tourism. She is IATA UFTAA qualified from Switzerland and entered the tourism industry for two main reasons – her love for travel and her passion for interacting with people and getting to know them. “You do your best when your Passion becomes your work and that’s exactly what happened in my case. Being a Travel Curator has always been my passion and that is what has kept me going in my professional journey.
So how and when did the entrepreneurial bug bit her? “As I learnt multiple facets of the travel industry, after getting an in-depth experience of setting up Outbound Tour’s vertical in Thomas Cook Delhi operations, I conceived the idea of starting my own venture, which allowed me the freedom to interact with customers and help them plan and design their dream holidays. That was the start of my entrepreneurial journey in the travel industry.”
The struggle of a lady, especially an entrepreneur, is at times made extra tough by the industry of which she is a part. In Reena’s case, her journey was made smooth with the support of her family. “Over the years we have seen more and more women joining the travel trade. All the associations should encourage young women to become tourism entrepreneurs and work closely with tourism institutes as they are going to be the future of tourism of India. A time will come when there will be equal number of females in every aspect,” she explains, adding, “My Family is my backbone and whatever I am today is because of the unrelenting support of my family, be it my understanding in-laws, my caring husband or my lovely daughters, who have stood beside me like a rock and enabled me to travel, manage office and home simultaneously. My husband is my strongest supporter and also the toughest critic, who goaded me to improve and move ahead.”
What is that one message that she would like to share with the women in the travel trade. “I would like to tell the women in the travel trade that as you achieve success, try and be a role model for the next generation of young agents. Recruit, inspire, and mentor them. This industry desperately needs new blood and young talent will only join when they see successful role models,” she concludes.
Which is your favourite travel destination in India?
For me, if there’s heaven on earth, it is in Kashmir.
What is the one change you would like to see in the Travel Trade Industry?
I would like to see more Global Networking and International collaborations with multi-racial participation merged with high level of technology and user and pocket friendly applications that will see India ride high in future in the tourism and hospitality segment.
