Signature Box_Meera Charnalia

Man, essentially, by nature is a nomad!
Moving from one place to other for work, leisure, adventure, to discover, to seek, nurture, experience, to re-engineer, for love, entertainment, or simple just be! Forever embarking on a new journey towards exploration and evolution. The human impulse to travel is innate.
For reasons obvious or not, in today’s times, one wonders what are the real reasons why people travel besides the maybe latent but already existent nomadic DNA within us.
And, I have listed out are just a few.
Every journey has a story to tell and that’s what I love about it.
My journey started from Kanpur where I was born and I attained my education from St. Mary’s Convent High School, Christ Church Kanpur. Next Stop was Sita Academy where I learnt more about Travel & tourism, which was my ticket to in Mumbai. After a few important stations in the travel world, I finally landed on Thomas cook junction. I landed in Mumbai sometime around the millennium and with the turn of the century, my life turned around completely and there has been no looking back since then. Travel has become my life. I eat, sleep, breathe, travel and Thomas Cook.

But despite of the fast paced lifestyle that this city and industry has to offer, I have gained a perspective that one can only get in good ol’ Mumbai.
I have been studying the traveller for over 14 years and when one is in the “business of travel” and especially a part of the “travel for business”, I can say that I have quite understood the corporate traveller psyche. We work closely with large conglomerates, we strive to make it our goal to ensure perfection in our work, i.e. travel for business.
Travel in today’s times is smarter and easier, and comes with the aid of technology, way too much information and reach n accessibility but with the complexities of manmade borders and its rules and regulations. But yet the fun in it when you can set out like Columbus did but with GPS and plan your route and know where you are heading with your gadgets exactly.
But the urge to discover never ends!
Today’s traveller is smart, tech savvy, well informed and independent. He knows how to get his way around. Of course, if he is equipped with the world on his fingertips with loads of ways to search, ask, book and move around.
With the innumerable options available today, it can get a bit confusing only.
What does today’s traveller need?
He needs information, which gives him power of choice.
He needs impeccable service, end to end.
He needs comfort and convenience
He needs safety and security, even a back-up plan
He needs enough money without having to worry about it getting stolen!
He needs entertainment
He needs good food
The list is long and demanding. But how it should be.
With travel companies cropping up like mushrooms rushing to consumer with the promise of competitive pricing or the convenience of internet, the traveller has a lot to gain. Somehow in this mad rush, some are losing the most basic and important aspect of service and that is the Human Touch.
Today’s traveller is smart, tech savvy, well informed and independent! All I do is simply add the Human Touch to travel!
The journeys still go on…

By – Meera Charnalia – Sr. Vice President Thomas Cook India (MICE Division)

Thank you Mumbaikar Meera Charnalia, for sharing your story with us and being a part of OCOW. May your journey of life always be filled with health, laughter & continuous success!