Millennial brings Pluto closer

Having joined the family-owned travel business 11 years ago, Sapna Aidasani, Manager—PR & Marketing, Pluto Travels, has elevated her company to a next generation of personalisation. Over the past years, she has carved a niche for herself as well as the company that places it on an entirely different pedestal in the business.

Shehara Rizly

Sapna Aidasani, Manager—PR & Marketing, Pluto Travels, is one of the most alluring strengths behind the company. Travel and tourism, according to Aidasani, is one of the most dynamic industries. She shares, “My key role is to ensure the satisfaction and happiness of each of our clients. Over the years, I have also worked on developing our corporate image and identity and met several corporate travel managers to discuss the benefits of working with our organisation.”

Focus on personalisation
The key to success in any business is to ensure customer satisfaction and this is where Aidasani steps in to ensure that every client is able to experience personalised service which they yearn for when they book with Pluto Travels. “The best thing about working in Dubai is that people are very welcoming and accepting as we all come from different countries and cultures. My first client, an Azerbaijan company, had booked a holiday package in Jordan with us and when they came back, they called me up and personally thanked me for arranging a memorable travel experience.”

Exciting journey in travel
Aidasani has mastered the art of the game in this competitive world of travel by staying ahead of others due to her strong skills of networking and influencing many specialists from all different types of industries. “The travel industry has maintained a steady growth graph over the last two years. Also, the sector has expanded and spread to other industries such as business, medical, leisure, incentives, adventure and many more. Being a part of this wonderful industry has given me the unique opportunity to meet people from various backgrounds and nationalities. It’s also a matter of great privilege to plan and organise holidays and memories of a lifetime for our clients. When I meet them after their incentive travel or holiday and I see joy on their faces, that for me is the ultimate form of job satisfaction,” says Aidasani.

Adapting to changes
For the past 11 years, Aidasani has witnessed growth, challenges and development phases in the industry. She explains, “I have witnessed a sea change in my 11 years in this profession in how the travel and tourism industry works. Nowadays, when considering a bid for a new travel management company (TMC), there are many factors that clients consider apart from pricing. Agent experience and tenure, technological innovations and strong data collections, all lead to a more compliant travel programme ultimately providing more savings and a better business travel ROI. An experienced TMC will provide you with the data needed to decipher your current costs and how money can be saved while providing them security, technology and traveller tracking capabilities. I have also observed that the client invests in developing a relationship with their travel company.”

New era of travel management
Talking about how OTAs are fast becoming a major travel trend, Aidasani relates, “Every option has its own benefits and conveniences. OTAs offer the opportunity to make quick comparisons between a number of different airlines and accommodation providers. On the other hand, travel companies have their own niche market for specialised travel. At the end of the day, we are committed to creating the experience clients expect, based on the budget they are providing.”

Millennials take centre stage
Travel and millennials are a match made in heaven, feels Aidasani. “Social media plays a vital role here as most of them follow travel brands online and therefore they are much more aware of unexplored destinations,” she says. Aidasani’s roles are many at Pluto Travels as recently, she took up a new role as a luxury travel influencer which has provided her a host of opportunities to be invited by tourism boards of many countries for educational trips and travel fairs. With her social media accounts, she’s been able to reach out to people all across the globe and share her experiences with them as a luxury traveller.