It has been quite an interesting year at Keralavacations. From frantic inactivity, deciding how to cope with the turndown and difficult financial times, to the frantic activity we sometimes experience at this time of the year, the year has given us an opportunity to reflect on how we position ourselves in an increasingly competitive market.
What have been the high spots? The feedback we have received from our clients telling us what a great time they have had whilst travelling with us. The low spots? The difficult market conditions in the first part of the year made it a bit of a bumpy ride sometimes. However we are moving into the new year with a stronger client base and the confidence that we are emerging as a really significant player in this market sector.
In India we have a new driver, the houseboat goes from strength to strength and our continental customers are providing everyone with interesting language challenges.
Some of our concusions when thinking about the last year have been reassuring. We are clear what our market is and where our strengths and weaknesses lie. The strengths we can build on and the weaknesses can be tackled. We are still determined to offer our clients the highest levels of service and care we can. This, coupled with our experience of South India and the changes it is going through, make us confident that we are well-fitted to go ahead growing the business and company through the coming year.
We should like to send all of our friends and clients, current, past and prospective a very happy and prosperous New Year and Happy Travelling!
The Glamour of Travel!
glamorous way to spend your holiday time. It has its moments, but I came across my notebook the other day and was reminded of a recent trip:
Get up 7am and drive to airport, queue for 2 hours. Spend 14 hours on flight and land at 4am GMT- note to self, check Indian time. Queue for an hour and a half at immigration and to get bags- lovely to see Mathew!
Drive to Cochin and go for walk whilst waiting for the rest of the party to arrive, then go sightseeing. Back to
hotel at 5pm. (12.30 GMT) Go for coffee- no-one else wants to eat as they ate on plane. I don't eat when flying. Then out to dinner for business meeting, get to eat at 9pm, (4pm GMT) first food for 20 hours, apart from emergency biscuit bar.
Have now been awake for 29 hours and am beginning to halucinate, as usual, hear strange music and see people who are not there. However, not too fuddled to spot the way the "magician" in the restaurant was palming coins.
Bed at 11pm. It now seems as though several days have passed- a good way to extend one's holiday.
Up early to drive to mountains- takes 9 hours because of stops for breakfast, snacks, forays into rubber and spice plantations- mandatory when being driven by Mathew, who wants you to see everything. Have business meeting and dinner at 9pm. Fall under mosquito nets in gruesome homestay- the result of some plea-bargaining somewhere along the line after a vehicle theft, as rooms owned by local police inspector.
Up very early for boat trip... and so it goes on!
Trips like these allow us to persuade clients not to do the same thing. Arriving in India in the early morning
allows you to chill out in a hotel not too far from the airport and adjust to local time, the heat and the
bustle, have a short dose of culture-shock, if it is the first time in India, and then go on your way refreshed
and ready to enjoy the sensory feast.
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