By Anju Handa
Published: 12 Jul, 2019
With about 22 years of experience in the travel industry, Reena Chopra carries an immense knowledge and a vast experience and expertise in this industry. A seasoned travel professional with experience across multiple travel verticals and in-depth knowledge, Reena uses her management skills to put together events for both corporate and consumer segments.
Reena’s first travel venture ‘Magical Holidays’ has made its mark in the travel fraternity of being a company of strong repute, catering to highend luxury travellers. She has an extensive knowledge and expertise in conceptualizing & execution of events, group tours, organizing business and trade delegations, managing business seminars & conferences, and destination management.
But her journey was not easy. Reena started her career at the esteemed office of Thomas Cook in 1995, where she worked for 5 years.
In 1996, with an eye on the future, Reena decided to set up a travel firm ‘Magical Holidays’ with the help of her husband who is a financial expert.
Life isn’t easy. Reena confronted a number of factors that are associated when one starts a new business. Besides arranging for finances, she needed to be recognized by various Trade and Travel Associations. She has to be well-versed with innumerable travel for the Central Reservation System of airlines. She had to take care of the timelines of bookings, invoices, and payments.
Today Reena’s organization, Magical Holidays has grown to be recognized as a Premium Tour Operator specializing in designing luxury holidays and offering the best and most personalized service to its customers. Her principles to serve customers with integrity and offer innovative holiday options has helped her to be associated with a strong brand like Thomas Cook as its Gold Circle Partner for Leisure Travel business for entire Gurgaon (Haryana) for past 6 years.
Reena’s efforts were recently awarded when Magical Holidays bagged the Best FIT Sales Award for the year 2016-2017 from Thomas Cook for Delhi/NCR & North India.
Reena is now associated with leading travel associations like ADTOI, OTOAI, TAFI, NIMA, and ETAA. She is currently elected as an Executive Council Member of ADTOI (Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India), which has over 700 travel and tour operators as members. With this, she has broken the glass ceiling as she is the first woman to be elected to the Executive Council of ADTOI. She is also Chairperson, Women Empowerment and House Cultivation for ADTOI. Reena is building a fraternity of women entrepreneurs and increasing their active participation in the general house in which they have succeeded. As the Chairperson, Reena has organized a Self Defense Workshop for the female members, who participated along with their staff and female family members and learned techniques of self-defense.
In 2015, Reena took two initiatives to create employment opportunities for women and youth. She has launched a special program called ‘Home Maker to Holiday Maker’ that provides a work-from home opportunity for housewives who has domestic responsibilities do not allow them to take up employment. Secondly, she has also partnered with the Skill Development Council in Rajasthan to run Skill Development Centres for under-privileged youth in the hospitality domain.
Reena has today moved above the usual tour and travel operator to become a Travel Curator, a person who actively plans a holiday according to a client’s preferences, which in itself is a niche category in the industry.
