Heena Raheja had been travelling for three years. Along with her job, she would plan trips and follow her passion for the unbeaten road. This is when she started getting requests from people who wanted to accompany her. And this is the beginning of the story of Travel Affairs.
Heena says, “I would plan and execute one group trip every month. Then we started Travel Affairs in March 2017. And now, I have quit my job and work in my own start-up. It is extremely fulfilling because I am following my heart.”
Travel Affairs organises community trips. That is there no profit or loss involved. It is done with the purpose of promoting experiential travelling. She says, “People want to travel, but at the same time, it is important to inform them about why they should travel. It is not only about hopping from one touristy place to another.
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Travel Affairs also want to promote sustainable and responsible travelling. Heena ensures that the travellers who come with her stay in local homestays. They avoid hotels and resorts. She says, “Some of these homestays are not available online. We prefer these lesser-known local places. It is a win-win for all. The villagers get customers, and the travellers get a unique experience. Also, I like to ensure that we consume locally, like eating the home-cooked meals in villages, and avoiding packaged food. We also don’t carry plastic water bottles. The travellers are requested to carry their flasks, and we fill them in the villages. This way we are trying to reduce the use of plastic on our journeys.”
In the last few trips, Heena has been helping the villagers promote their homestays on online forums. She feels that when we travel, we should owe some responsibility to the land where we travel.
Heena feels that gathering experiences and memories is an important factor in travelling. When people come with Travel Affairs, they meet a whole new group of strangers, who end up becoming friends. Heena says, “We also include some form of activity like storytelling to make the trip more memorable. For instance, the owner of a 100-year-old homestay in Kumaon once entertained the travellers with his stories. We have also stayed in a tree house made with a fallen trunk, where no tree was harmed to make the house. We go for village walks and interact with the locals to understand the customs. And whenever we travel we go to lesser known villages. If we are going to Manali, we stay in the surrounding villages like Jilori, Soja, or Alchumai.”
Travel Affairs plans to hold meet-ups in every city in India. After holding meet-ups in Delhi and Chandigarh, Heena feels that they are good places for like-minded travellers to share stories. They also want to start travel hostels, where people can stay for budget trips, or even pay the rent by sharing their skills.
Heena travels for passion. She quit her job to help other people also find their passion on an experiential trip.
Good interview Heena.Thanks for your tips for travel and thanks for sharing.