CHENNAI: Touring the world and seeing the beauty that it has to offer has never been more in vogue than it is now. With more people having an expendable income and bitten by the travel bug, La Alegria International Tours Pvt Ltd hopes to tap into this market.Led by SR Thirumurugan Shivalingam, the company offers packaged domestic and international tours at affordable rates for those struck by wanderlust. In a tete-a-tete CC Shivalingam shares his vision, trends in the travel industry, and his other interests.
How did La Alegria International Tours Pvt Ltd come to be?
I started the company in December 2015 with my wife. We curated specific tours for just our close friends first. When that kicked off, we expanded the business. We offer tours in India as well as in Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Thailand. I discovered that different people want to see different things — some want the beauty of the sea in the Andamans, and some want the culture of Singapore.
Do you travel a lot?
My family often went on trips to Ooty and Kodaikanal when I was younger. My wife and I curated these trips after we visited the places ourselves. But now, with the amount of work we have, we cannot travel for non-business purposes much.
How are you at home vs at work?
I am mostly the same. I am very focused on my work all the time. Because we work overseas in different time zones, it is difficult for me to detach myself from my work. I take most calls personally to ensure my customers are having the best experience. My wife, however, is very clear cut. Once she is home, she leaves everything behind.
Do you have any other hobbies?
We love to go to watch films. We love Kollywood, and my favourite actor is Vijay Sethupathy. Whenever his new film releases, we go for the first-day first-evening show. I like more entertaining genres like humour and romance. One day, I hope to get into film production.
How have your travel habits changed over the years?
Social media helps market good for travel agencies as well as destinations. Now, a lot more people are looking for international tours. This is because international tours are not as expensive as they used to be, and are almost level with the costs of domestic travel. Affordable airline prices also contribute to this, and consumers interest in other cultures drives them towards the international.