The Travel Nexus organised its second annual Travel Meet at The Ananta Udaipur on June 28 – 29, 2024, bringing together over 400 trade partners from across the country. The 2024 event marked a significant milestone in promoting collaboration and unity within the industry. TTJ spoke with Kuldip Nair, Founder of The Travel Nexus, for insights into the association’s mission and future direction.
– Ravi Sharma
The Travel Nexus is a dynamic, collaborative network that fosters camaraderie, ethical practices, and an annual celebratory meet. Passion drives members at Nexus, where bringing people and opportunities together defines their commitment to honest and ethical trade practices.
Transforming Travel Networking
The Travel Nexus started as a WhatsApp group in 2019 with BNI travel agents from all over India. “Initially, the purpose was just to network and get to know each other without any business intentions. However, members soon began posting their queries, and it became apparent that vendors from other regions were offering much better rates than our traditional suppliers. After proper verification, members started conducting business with one another. Today, the group boasts nearly 1,000 members from 23 states, with business transactions within the group totalling around 8,000 crores. This number could be even higher, but many DMCs are reluctant to disclose their business dealings due to concerns about travel agents discovering other DMCs and eventually turning to them for business tie-ups,” apprises Kuldip.
The association stands out among other networking groups in the travel industry by fostering deep emotional connections and a strong sense of camaraderie among its members. Kuldip shares, “Unlike typical networks, we prioritise personal relationships and mutual support. Members willingly refer business to each other, even when rates are slightly higher. Members have gone that extra mile, such as standing in line for COVID vaccinations for fellow members. Countless success stories highlight our commitment, including members personally receiving clients from other agents. Beyond business, it is all about genuine care and mutual upliftment among our members.”
Pioneering Travel Collaboration
Today, The Travel Nexus boasts a membership of 990 individuals, including approximately 30 members exclusively engaged in B2B operations under renowned names like Classic Holidays, Global Odyssey, Garg Holidays, Auslen Holidays, and Intersight. Additionally, 300 members specialise in B2B transactions for specific products while concurrently engaging in B2C activities for other destinations. For instance, one member might handle B2B cab services in Chennai but purchase services for Gujarat from other agents within the group. There are also cases where two to three members have teamed up to create successful businesses together.
Upholding Integrity and Excellence
The mission of The Travel Nexus is to make itself the strongest travel group globally. Unlike administrators of other large groups who avoid accountability, Travel Nexus has a dedicated core team that maintains transparency and integrity in all dealings among members. If issues arise, this team conducts arbitrations, and members agree to abide by the final verdict and provide appropriate compensation. “We operate with strict discipline at The Travel Nexus, adhering to specific guidelines: we refrain from exchanging festival greetings, maintain fixed group timings, avoid referencing non-members, and strictly prohibit reselling within our network. Importantly, we enforce a zero-tolerance policy against any attempt to poach clients from fellow travel agents or DMCs, with offenders facing a lifetime ban from our community,” informs Kuldip.
At The Travel Nexus, the administration upholds stringent standards with zero tolerance, led by an example of adherence to rules. The administrator maintains impartiality by ensuring that even their staff remains outside the group. Communication ethics are strictly observed, with no messages sent before 7 am or after 11 pm, ensuring consistency in rules applied uniformly to all Nexus members. Kuldip also shares, “Every member of The Travel Nexus also belongs to BNI, which offers a mobile application for tracking business transactions. When a member gives business to another, they log a referral, and the recipient logs a thank-you slip for the amount received. This system measures everything, from a Rs 120 train ticket to a 1 crore 65 lakh group booking for Australia.”
Prospective members must verify their BNI Connect before joining. After verification, they fill out details on the website to be added to the group. They receive proper mentoring, and for their first few transactions, they must obtain admin consent before making any payments. Any problematic booking must be reported to the admin and core group members. Repeat offenders are removed from the group.
Impactful Annual Meets
Annual meetings are crucial for fostering collaborations, as Kuldip believes that no matter how much you promote yourself through WhatsApp messages and broadcasts, true trust is built when you meet and converse in person. Kuldip explains, “People have earned thousands and lakhs of rupees after attending our members’ meetings.” He cites a recent example of Grishma Patel, a B2C agent from Ahmedabad, who attended the Nexus meet in Surat in February and made an additional Rs 4 lakhs within four months by doing business with Nexus members. “Many Nexus agents renew their BNI membership just to stay in the group. At our recent meet, over 400 travel agents from 72 cities in India participated, spending between Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000 for the three-day event. Not a single person left the resort or missed any event, demonstrating the group’s commitment,” he adds.
The event partners for Travel Nexus 2.0 edition at Ananta Udaipur were Travel Urze, Auslen Holidays, World of Atara and Discovery Travel and Tours.
Clear and Bold Future Ambitions
The Travel Nexus has ambitious goals and milestones set for the coming years. “We would love to keep growing because our tagline is ‘Let’s Grow.’ We plan to introduce and aim to develop various travel educational programmes where experienced members can train others on selling destinations that they have yet to master. Our aspiration is to have all major players in the Indian travel industry join our group while seeking to include the highest quality B2C agents to create a powerful, robust, and cohesive network,” says Kuldip.
Overall, with a strong emphasis on personal relationships, mutual support, and a commitment to excellence, The Travel Nexus ensures a trustworthy networking environment where members thrive and excel.
Sumit Saluja, Owner, Sai World Travels International, and Committee Head, Travel Nexus, expressed his excitement, saying, “We are thrilled to have successfully completed our 2.0 Edition this year, and it would not have been possible without our dedicated members. We are proudly over 1,000 members strong. This year has certainly been a step up, and the enthusiasm from our members has been phenomenal.”
He continued, “The term ‘Nexus’ signifies a connection or link between entities. The platform we have with Nexus to connect with people from across the country is simply incredible, and we know this team will continue to grow stronger each year. The support we provide to each other in this fraternity is unmatched and truly trustworthy.”
Sumit concluded, “The Travel Nexus within BNI India has achieved remarkable success, and we are confident we will excel in all our endeavors. We look forward to an amazing meeting next year, filled with surprises. See you all at Nexus 3.0.”
