Text Credit: Shibul Pavithran 

Rashmi Chadha is on a mission to make travel in India safe, especially for women. Rashmi is the founder and CEO of Wovoyage, a travel start-up, which is particularly inclined to making women travellers’ time and money worth their while. Her company aims to solve issues which are faced by tourists while they are in travelling. The company specialises in budget travel and safety for women tourists, provide women tour guides so that they feel comfortable, and book women friendly hotels around India. Rashmi’s inception, Wovoyage is a one stop solution for all women travellers looking for a hassle free tour of India.  

How did you come up with the idea of Wovoyage?

I have always been active in improving our society, encouraging people to keep their surroundings clean, talking about our country’s culture, food, and helping people in need. I met with a major road accident in 2011 and was admitted in the ICU for 12 days.

As soon as I recovered, I started travelling. I used to perform Seva (temple services) at Manikaran Sahib Gurudwara in Himachal Pradesh, which I often visited. There, I used to accompany foreign tourists and tell them about Sikh culture and India. I also started working with NGOs while travelling and that’s how I came up with the idea of Wovoyage. I felt that it’s my duty to improve my country’s image as India is really incredible.

Did you face any problems as there are few Indian women in this kind of travel business?

No, I have always been doing things which people think is difficult for women to excel in, whether it is sports or business. I think women are good in multitasking, so this is the best quality to get into the tourism industry.

What is the most unique point of your business idea? How are you different from others in the market?

We have customised packages for solo travellers, groups, and senior women. We provide women tour guides and 24/7 assistance, irrespective of their location. For example, if a German lady wants to shop in Delhi, we assign her a girl who knows German and is expert in shopping. We make it safe for foreigners and at the same time empower Indian women with employment. We are proud of it and we are going to change the perception of travel companies in India. We provide budget tours in which we arrange hostels and cheap accommodation; we also cater to luxury tours.

We made women of age 62, travel with a 21-year-old girl on a photography tour. They both had a very fruitful experience and had an opportunity to share their knowledge. So age doesn’t matter but passion does and we totally understand that drive.

What are the kind of places you cover in your tours?

We cover mostly cities in India and abroad. We have also started promoting states like Chhattisgarh which are lesser known as tourist destinations and countries like Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Bhutan which are still less explored. Providing offbeat tours combined with workshops is our core specialisation. Having an activity or a workshop, while you are on your trip is something we look forward to cater and have received good feedback for the same.  Sri Lanka, Singapore, Indonesia, Europe, Maldives are some places we are already focusing on.

You have a unique connection with Gurudwara Shri Manikaran Sahib. What makes it special and why?

Gurudwara Shri Manikaran Sahib has changed the way I used to think. After my accident, I was not in a condition to travel but I did. I had gone there just for a day’s visit but stayed longer and did sewa, which made me realise that there is lot to give back to the country rather than just taking from it. People need leaders who can work for change and create more employment. I have seen kids who lost their parents, met people who are less fortunate, yet all of them were serving other people by doing sewa. I was very deeply touched by this experience.

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Describe your most memorable tour incident with a foreign traveller?

One of the most memorable and satisfying incidents is organising a trip for two sisters, aged 63 and 67, based out of Canada and Australia, who dreamt of travelling India for the past 40 years, but were apprehensive about safety and travel. It was Mrs Alison’s (67) son who had travelled with us in India and referred us to his mother and aunt. It was like bringing someone’s dream to life.

What do foreign tourists like the best about India?

They fall in love with our culture, how everyone loves to smile at each other irrespective of the fact that they don’t know each other. They are in love with our festivals which they find colourful and enjoyable. Foreigners really like to experience village lifestyle, stay at local homes and participate in all local rituals, all the simple things that we do here are something they are unaware of and really enjoy participating in.  

What is your worst moment as tour operator and CEO?

We are into service industry, so we are on our feet 24/7 but still there are some situations like natural calamity, transportation (buses, trains) getting cancelled or getting late. For some travellers it is difficult to understand; then we have to find other ways to get there or find a suitable substitution for their requirements. For eg: There is a trip to Manali, which involves trekking and skiing but sometimes due to bad weather conditions, these activities may get disrupted. And sometimes the tourists are hard to convince, and some refuse to buy any reasons that we give. So it gets tough sometimes, as we are also responsible for their safety and satisfaction.

How has your journey been so far, professionally and personally, since you started Wovoyage?

Every day is an adventure replete with new problems and creative solutions, and that’s what gives me the energy to go on the quest to do better for my brand and for our clients. In a start-up, professional life is not different from the person due to long working hours and you need to keep trying to crack new problems while keeping the steady growth. All in all, I am loving the air under my wings and on my face, and want all our clients to feel the same kind of adrenaline.

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