Fifteen years
ago, Ashwini Kakkar entered the travel industry bidding goodbye to a career
with a leading MNC. And he doesn't regret it one bit. Currently the Executive
Vice Chairman of Mercury Travels, Kakkar believes that his job brings smiles
and joy to people's lives. "The travel industry
is more about
sharing the good times because it mainly is a people's business. The fun
element of the job makes it an amazing experience," he says. Working with
a travel company that has the Oberoi legacy behind it, Kakkar feels that the
biggest asset of Mercury its high standard of service. For customers, journeys
are meant to be safe, luxurious and personalised, and this is exactly what
Mercury Travels offers. With over 70 years of experience under their belt, the
company's priority towards providing excellent hospitality and impeccable
service became the driving force behind their reputation. Kakkar emphasizes on
the company's motto of delivery, protection and knowledge that further strengthens
this reputation. The company caters to popular public figures, celebrities as
well as the middle class and that's the reason why people choose to travel with
Mercury. "It is purely because people trust us and have faith in the
services that we provide," says Kakkar. "Our management and employees
believe in three important things - knowledge of the field, protection of
customers and delivery of service. Our employees have always gone out of their
way to help our customers as safety is a priority," says Kakkar who has
played an important role in helping out customers on many occasions. He
recalls fondly how Sushmita Sen once tweeted about his staff helping her and
her kids in an emergency while she was travelling. Kakkar says that the
company's unique offering is their grasp of various destinations and their
ability to plan a trip customised to the needs of the customer. He explains
that these destinations are usually recommended according to the travel
experience the customer has. For example, firsttime international travellers
choose short haul destinations like Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, Sri Lanka and the
likes, gradually moving towards Europe and then to newer travel destinations like
Alaska and South America. "Europe is always combined with a UK trip as
people generally have family or friends they want to visit. Also, the comfort
of language helps in this case. These trips are a combination of bus, road,
rail, air and cruise journeys. So, along with different places to visit, there are many
forms of travel also involved," he says. With branches across 30 cities in
India and five globally, their services are available for every kind of
customer. Kakkar thus stresses on how important customisation is for their clients.
"Our aim is to keep every type of customer
satisfied. The elderly require more attention and care, so we plan their trips
differently because they like to see things at their own pace. We call the
segment for retired individuals as 'silver grey'. It goes without saying that
the honeymooners require a special atmosphere. For example, in Maldives,
the bungalows we provide stand on water and have lights coming underneath a
glass floor. We take care of these special things so that people have a great
time travelling with us".
However, in
recent times, the student segment has gained importance. Students who go abroad
to study, opt to travel with Mercury says Kakkar. "Later, their parents
also join them and wish to travel to places around the country they are
studying in. We also have student groups who travel abroad on volunteer
work." The company also ensures that students get their insurance done in
case they have medical emergencies. "It is of utmost importance," he
emphasizes. Thinking ahead, for both the industry and for Mercury Travels,
Kakkar says that travel being one of the largest industries in the world, there
is no limit to growth. The company has the best technology possible and nearly 400 employees,
dedicated to maintaining the best standard of hospitality. And with convergence
technology showing its magic, the experience is only going to get bigger and
better. He believes that his personal growth runs parallel with that of the
company. And, the Vice Chairman is himself a travel
enthusiast. He says, “The more you travel, the more you realise how little
you've travelled." And with those words, he departs for Shanghai.
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