When we started to write this chapter, it turned out to be a lot harder than we expected. Our father wasn’t driven by the desire to run a business, but rather a passion to show the world the best India had to offer. Ours is a story of a vision, of a passion that went against all conventional norms. Ours is a very personal story.

In the early 1960’s, our father, Ram Kohli, was hired straight out of college by the then largest travel company in India. Impressed by his dedication, his company sent him to Germany to open the first ever office of an Indian travel company in Europe. A young bachelor, he adapted well to a new world. Ram married our mother Deepak in 1968 and soon Rajeev came along. But his company had greater plans and it was off to New York to repeat what he had done in Europe. Not only was Ram tremendously successful in building India as a major brand across the Americas, but also added one more member to the Kohli family in, Rohit.

In 1976, he felt the tug of home. He impulsively quit his job and moved the family back to India that year. To a country that was deeply mired in socialist ideology and a backward economy. We never really got around to asking him why he made the move back home when others from the developing world were trying to immigrate to the West. He was just driven in ways few others were. It takes a different kind of man to uproot his family from a comfortable life to start from the scratch in a new world.

In 1977, out of a garage at home, Creative Travel was founded. With nothing in hand, Ram spent months of the year traveling the world to create a following of partners & friends, many who still work with us today. We still remember the times when we would not hear from him for weeks and his coming home meant the arrival of great presents and many hugs. The travel industry was very different before emails or cell phones. One thing that our parents held dear was the value of education and we were both given the best opportunities they could afford. In 1994 we joined the company after gaining world experiences and have never looked back since then.

Why we tell you this is because Creative Travel is not just a business. It is a family. A family of the Kohlis, a family of our team members, a family of our partners across the world.

We are so very proud to be part of a family legacy of two generations that has showcased this part of the world for close to four decades. We have grown to become a prominent, respected and independent Destination Management Company offering the finest of cultural experiences, personal immersions and natural wonders all over India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Tibet & the Maldives.

We are a company with great influence in the region, with strong industry linkages and unquestionable credibility. Our reputation allows us priority and access at hotels, venues and with other providers and our region. We use our reputation and goodwill to ensure the very best for our partners like you.

We understand the difference between being cheap and offering value. Price is important, but more important is consistency in services and ensuring your guest comes back to you for their next trip. Our team has a strong attention to detail and a desire to question the conventional. They understand the need to be different in what we offer, in the importance of speed in their responses and in being vibrant in their thoughts.

We would give credit for our success to over 150 team members across our system who strive to deliver a flawless, world class destination experience. We recognise that we are only as good as the people that work for us and therefore invest heavily in product training and skill development, the results of which are reflected in the way we treat our partners and in the high levels of guest satisfaction we achieve. At Creative, we have the perfect blend of a professional environment with the governing values of a family run company. The people who work for us are truly amongst the best in the industry.

Every organisation needs a soul, a mission, a foundation. To us, business is about building relationships. Our partners are our family, not numbers. Our travellers are guests, not clients. We do not want to be the largest company in India, just the best. We hold close to our hearts, the values of integrity, of partnership, of quality and of trust – trust of our employees, of our partners, of our travellers. To us, working in this industry is a passion. We love showing the world the amazing sights & sounds that make this region truly incredible.

Ours is a story of passion, of love. Our story is about integrity and values. Our story is about living upto the ideals and learnings given to us by our parents.

Some things are just never to be compromised.

We look forward someday to the opportunity of someday welcoming you to our world, a Creative World.

– Get in touch with Rajeev and Rohit at engage@creative.travel