HERALD: What business are you in?
MARIA VICTOR: We are travel designers which curate cultural themed tours across India. We believe cultural experiences can be a great way to get an ethnic perspective about a destination. Since our inception, we have been working with communities to develop sustainable tourism and authentic travel experiences which showcases the ethnicity and diversity of a destination.
HERALD: What made you take up this business and how are your tours different?
MV: My passion for travel got me hooked on to this business. I quit my corporate career to start Make It Happen in 2011. For me travel has been a path to self-discovery. My travels got me connected to various communities and cultures. I am passionate and inspired by new ideas, attitudes and experiences and bring that passion in curating thematic tours. Sandeep Sinha joined Make it Happen as a co-founder in 2015. He brings in his 20 years of industry experience in business development, product and service strategies.
Traveling with us involves:
• Engaging with local communities and connecting with them in a way that creates lasting memories for travelers
• Offering local communities better opportunities via tourism.
• Focus on unique and traditional art forms, heritage, customs and a ‘different way of living’.
• Creating awareness via holidays designed to benefit the tourist and the community
Some of our tours across India include ‘Nagaland for the Hornbill Festival’, ‘Chasing the Monsoon Trail in South India,’ ‘Mahayana Buddhism in Ladakh’, ‘A Walk Down Toda Lane in Conoor’, ‘Banavasi Rural Experience,’ ‘Mussel Farming in Kasargod’amongst others.
HERALD: What made opt to work out of Goa?
MV: Goa is a popular tourist destination which receives over five million tourists every year. However, tourism today is centered around the beaches which misses on the rich cultural heritage of Goa. Being a Goan, I want to offer tourist a different perspective of Goa. We have developed short cultural themed walks and day tours in collaboration with Goa Heritage Action Group a NGO committed towards preserving Goa’s Heritage. On our tours we showcase traditional occupations, local cuisine, age old customs, art, rich historical background and the festive celebrations of Goa.
HERALD: How does your work contribute to local economy?
MV: We have collaborated with Goa Heritage Action Group (GHAG), an NGO committed toward preserving the natural and built heritage of Goa. Part proceeds of this tour are donated to GHAG. GHAG supports in providing content and training to guides for this tour. GHAG utilizes the funds towards Heritage conservation efforts. We select local guides who are then trained by GHAG members. By showcasing local artists and craftsmen we aim to preserve these dying arts forms in Goa. Example we are working to showcase and conserve Kavi art which is a dying traditional art typically found in coastal Karnataka and Goa. We encourage our guest to shop locally as it helps inject money into the local economy. We are working with large corporates and hotels to fund restoration and maintenance of heritage monuments and heritage houses as part of their CSR initiative.
HERALD: And who are the people who opt for such tours?
MV: Thematic tours have been popular amongst foreign tourist. However, now we are seeing a growing interest amongst domestic tourist. Our customers are typically in the age group of 35 and above who have an interest in cultural aspects of a destination. In Goa we see a growing number of ‘Do It Yourself’ travelers who book their flights and hotels and are then looking for activities. We have partnered with hotels and Goa Tourism Department to offer our walking tours and day tours which travelers can book in advance or even once they arrive in Goa.
HERALD: You would need funding, support. How did you manage?
MV: Since our service is largely dependent on people. Raising funds for employing resources was definitely a huge challenge. However I have been fortunate to get support from professionals who are inspired by our work. We have professionals who have volunteered their time and skill which has been the biggest driving force to the success of Make it Happen. At the recent Kaun Banega Udyopathi contest, we were selected in the top 20 start-ups giving us an opportunity to showcase our business to investors and media. We have been incubated at CIBA who offer us space and support in business strategy and connecting us to investors. I won the GEMS Young Entrepreneur Award this year in support of the positive work we have been doing. We launched our Goa day tours and Walks at last year’s International Film Festival (IFFI) which was a huge success. We have now partnered with Goa Tourism Department to promote our tours.
HERALD: How is the company placed now?
MV: We are focusing on Goa and an inbound tourist destination offering tourists curated walking tours and day tours. We have done a pilot of 3 tours last tourist season – Divar Island Tour, Fontainhas Heritage Walkand Old Goa Heritage Walks. We received an overwhelming response of 150 traveler bookings in the short span of four months. Our work has caught the interest of renowned historians, artists and professors who are now collaborating with us to develop these cultural experiences. We expect to launch 10 cultural tours in Goa by Oct 2016. We have been growing organically. In the last financial year we operated 50 culturally themed round trip tours for over 450 customers. We are on an expansion drive and seeking investment of Rs 70 lakh. In next five years we see ourselves as trend setters and India’s leading company in thematic tours.
