KOCHI: A desire to enjoy her passion while not being indebted to the family for funds prompted 37-year-old Ami (Amina Kutty) to launch her own travel business. However, unlike other tour operators or agencies, Ami’s venture ‘My Travel Mates’ caters only to women. So far, she has taken women and girls aged between 4 and 83 on various tours.
“It has been four years since I started My Travel Mates,” says Ami, who used to go on solo trips within Indian and abroad. Her first solo trip took her to Thailand. “It was a helluva trip! Not many could digest the sight of a Muslim girl with a backpack, travelling all alone to an unknown place,” says Ami. “Earlier, there used to be murmurs in my neighbourhood. However, things have changed today. My parents and two brothers are my greatest supporters now. Even neighbours and relatives are now eager to hear about the places that I have been to.”
Ami says negative comments never discouraged her. Earlier, Ami used to travel along with one of her friends. “But later on, things didn’t work out as planned and I decided to go solo,” she says. However, as she began charting new journeys, Ami realised that she needs to find a source to meet her travel expenses. “One cannot depend on the family to bankroll the adventures. That wouldn’t be right. It will also be detrimental to the freedom that one needs in such matters. So, I thought of conducting tours,” says Ami, whose first tour saw participation by 18 women to destinations like Jodhpur and Delhi.
The rave reviews posted by satisfied clients on My Travel Mates’ Facebook page provide Ami with the much-needed motivation to continue with her journeys. “So far, I have conducted more than 200 trips not only within the country but also to countries like Dubai and Thailand,” she says.
According to Ami, now more women, especially the elderly, are coming out of their homes, wanting to explore new places. Ami finds the Western concept of working for six months and then travelling for the next six very enticing and practical.
“Earn and then spend exploring the world! A beautiful concept, right?” asks this spinster, who gives credit to her single status for being able to do all these things. But if you thought that operating a tour is a smooth affair, then you are wrong.
“We are dealing with women, especially the elderly who consult with everyone once they plan to go on a trip, and also Google the places,” says Ami. “However, the information they get is not always updated. So, they end up expecting things that might not be conducive for that particular season. This leads to some disagreements and murmuring of dissatisfaction.”
But, My Travel Mates has been receiving very good reviews and most of my future trips happen thanks to the word of mouth from previous customers, says Ami, who takes all precautions needed since the elderly are involved. She is now preparing for a Mumbai trip with a group of elderly women.