 Hello there, welcome to why in the morning if it's Tuesday it's entrepreneurship Tuesday at Y254 channels We can find us across all our social media handles at Michelle Ashira is where you can find me across all my social Right. So in this particular session, we dive into an interview that looks at tour and travel business in studio I'm joined by Humphrey Moffat who is the co-owner and CEO of Moffire Adventures Limited and he'll be taking us through What the company does and this is the conversation you would like to look out for Keep up keep up the conversation going on our social media handles That is at Y254 channel at Michelle Ashira is where you can find me across all my social Humphrey yes, thank you So studying us off first of all Moffire Adventures What is the company all about considering that you guys do a lot? I went through your profile Yeah, and a couple of other things the company does so what does Moffire Adventures deal with? Well Moffire Adventures is a tours and travel company We do a lot of things related to tourism and hospitality Mainly we do We customize tour packages for our clients either private bookings or Or the usual ones that usually have at our websites or our social media Pages yeah, so we also do current halls and hotel bookings Airport is your transfers and the water view. Yeah, all right So you and I know that during the month of January and March. Yeah Traditionally, it's an off-season when it comes to tour and travel Especially right now during COVID-19 Looking back on normal years. Yeah, it was well known like January to March. It's an off-season For travel. Exactly. What is the situation looking like right now? Well, I would say that Currently as we speak In the recent past we had COVID-19 being a very serious matter you find that Kenyans really liked traveling. They really were wishing to travel a lot. So when their restrictions were lifted Lifted you get that Kenyans were now traveling so much now as January sets on it came with a lot of responsibilities that we all know That that reduced the number of people who travel. Yes Just as usual. It's a low season off season. Yeah, so we the business is not very bad, but Just a few bookings here and there. Just a few bookings. Yeah so the appointment of British Supermodel and Naomi Campbell as Kenyan Tourism Ambassador Just a Twitter Storm about a week ago. Yeah, what is your take on that Naomi Campbell being named ambassador? Yeah Of the two and travel. Yeah, Kenyan tourism. Well, according to me the issue has recently been a great concern Okay, and according to me, I would say that I would not dispute her appointment because I believe that in her Capacity she also has our own following and our own influence and I wouldn't according to me for our company We wouldn't choose our I wouldn't choose my own child to be my own ambassador. According to me. I would maybe take someone I mean someone with the of course, I'm not saying that our own own Our own someone someone else that maybe some people would have preferred is not fit for the position but I would say that Appointment is still, you know, it's still having an impact to our tourism Sector, so I wouldn't dispute Appointment I was actually supporting her appointment because of the huge following and also she loves coming to Kenya Traveling Kenya lot towards the coast here. Okay. Yeah, going back to the business aspect of it Yeah, someone is watching this conversation and they want to get into the turn travel sort of kind of business Yeah, what sort of skills does one require is there any educational background that I should have Similar business According to me, I want to talk on my own according to my own personal experience I have a degree in a different field back in campus, I did the battle of commerce risk and insurance and I wouldn't say that they just passion tourism is passion and interest because I developed Left passion when I was a student club chairman in Chuka back in my university days From there I developed passion. I used to take those students to for trips to various places and The fact that after that particular trip they used to ask where next where next they really would go I had to take the responsibility So that gave me a passion and interest in the field I wouldn't say that someone is really really needed to to study so much about it But once you develop interest you'd actually now create time to learn new things because I've actually learnt over the past Couple of years that have been here in this. Yeah. All right. So how did more fire adventures start? I was initial capital Well, let me say that It's begun a buck in the university when I was a student. I was a chairman of a club. When is this? That was recently 2017 Yeah, so I was a student leader and this club used to take students for trips And the moon bus was a very popular destination. It was my first time in Mombasa actually So I organized the trip We went to buses and from there students from other campuses KU jquart and all that began asking can we bring along our Cousins our neighbors and all that I allowed them so beginning as a Student base base as clients Afterwards when I graduated now I started focusing on the outside market People like you I mean people in the corporate World people in other facilities Yeah, so that is how we began and currently we began as a business with a capital of registering a business name costs around 900 Bob 1000 so a total of 1500 plus the name search When I was settling in the name of our adventures. We had to Pay something. Yeah, then that's a total of around 1500 and then now it's grew now to a private limited Company, we have an office at jquart towers Yeah, okay. Yeah, so that is how we began and now we're moving. I began alone But now I'm not working alone. You have a partner ever partner and a few marketers here and there Okay, and also drivers too entire team. Yeah So who are your first clients our first clients as we speak Yeah, your first clients will starting off the business or when we were starting when we were starting those were Purely students now from the students. We graduated to lecture as the institution noticed Notice to my moves. I began by taking some lecturers to north coast And then now from their university staff here and there and now from there now the lecturers brought their relatives and all that then now We now doing even corporates. So apart from student tours. We also do a team buildings in companies We also do We book villas and and and what have you for companies and also workmates and and colleagues and all that Yeah, what is your marketing strategy in the in the in this space that you're into marketing strategy? Yes So that you that whatever you guys are doing can be known out there for people potential clients the greatest marketing strategy we have currently is We focus much on referrals We ensure that we give the best And what whatever the client has paid now after that this client will always do referrals He or she will bring more people That is the first marketing strategy that we we currently have and of course It's it's the most perfect one for every business. And then another one is social media social media helps us a lot Facebook Helps as a great deal like we would just post an ad of a trip a day trip to say in Ivaca and We would get bookings just from that and then also Instagram. Okay. We have some good following on Instagram So we from the From the calls we get we don't focus much on the likes and the comments But the calls that we get for the bookings and now what we really focus on social media social media and and Under their furrows, those are the main ones Yes, if you check There's so many people who are starting to and travel businesses. Yeah, I don't know if I Decide to travel with you guys next day. You never know you start you as Michelle Yeah, so what's what's many people actually getting into this kind of business and What problem are you guys solving? Particular market, which is different Well, there is a very serious concern. Yeah, because currently most people are actually starting You would go online and find and new things coming up It's encouraging. It's encouraging But again on the other side, I would say that They're great hurdles. They're great hustles and I mean Like any other business tours and travel have great challenges Some of these people enter the market the following day they make huge losses and vanish. They get lost It's it requires a lot of sacrifice At the start you would make losses and and feel like losing up. I mean losing hopes. Yeah giving up. I mean So you only need Vega because people really started people really starting tours and travel business Because they see that Sunsoda is doing it daily. Why can't I also do it? Yeah What really matters is that One really needs to to view it in a different perspective Why is this person doing it and how is he doing it and what are the challenges because you will get frustrated with the Challenges. I'm talking from experience. I have friends who began and and lost hope But of course still traveling with us we keep in touch So they really need to maybe also consider the challenges challenges are great And of course there on the positive side are also, you know, also there. Okay. Let's be realistic Yeah, what do I need when I want to start a twin travel company? I just need to you know I have followings on social media. Yeah, I create a poster And start selling Next you can't know and then I call my friends I tell them this is the amount of your pay. No, so we can't have you come kill each other for us And so how does it go? Well, let me let me answer that That is a very wrong perspective. I mean if you heard that it would be a wrong one because That is not how to begin be business or any business. Yeah, what happens behind the scenes one You would see more fire adventures Selling Curator Forest, of course Next week as you said it You'd see us selling Curator Forest next week You will see we have a package a very little amount and also decided to pay to charge that particular amount You don't know our relationship and Agreement terms, you know terms and conditions We really signed with that particular service provider at Curator Forest You don't know our agreement. You don't know that you don't know how much they charge us for a particular service So you come charging the same price hoping that you would get the same price as us again, maybe That is at the venue and also service providers such as maybe travel mean vehicles and all that If you charge what I charge and my agreement with such service providers is different from yours. You'd mess You would I mean disappoint your clients and your clients will never come back. You would get a really bad name outside there So Someone really needs to consult someone in the business first if you're really interested Because the market is big the market is growing daily You really need to first consult someone who has been there for a couple of time And also after learning what this person really goes through You will get an idea of What really you need to do because as you've put it many people really start like that They go online find more for adventures online or any other to a company out there Talk to a designer and designer person starts selling and call themselves so-and-so tours. Yeah That is why you find that it's actually You know, it's actually a negative impact to the business because once a client is disappointed by this particular person If it was a newcomer someone testing what towards and travel really means He or she will get lost and we'll never get interested in touring again So that is actually a great challenge to tours and travels people should not just come and start Yeah, I learned as you mentioned More for adventures you guys deal with a lot of things. Yeah ticketing. We have car rentals. Yeah, there's so many things and More fire adventures. Yeah So what sort of packages does your that the company offer when it comes to to and travel? Well, the packages we offer we offer a range of services I would classify them in different ways and four to three four five ways one We have day trips. Okay. Those are The most popular a trips with with the I mean the most popular with us because you find that every weekend Every kind both Saturday and Sunday. We have a trip somewhere That is one. We could be going to a Vashua. We could be going to a new key about there is long or not And all that yeah, those are common ones all weekend And also Navidobi National Park everywhere can we have such and then also we have packages like group customized Customized toys where a group of you would come a girl squad colleagues or Men's conference and all that they would come and ask for packages We want to go to North Coast south coast Naivasha Kisumu and all that would design a package for them Either they choose a villa apartment or a hotel or we advise then we will see how much you want to Charge such a group. That is number two. Then number three. We also have We also have family packages a family would just randomly book a package to Ambroselli game drives and Nairobi Masaimara and Kuru and all that again Car rentals a group of you would just want the Transport service maybe employees in a company or or anywhere else a group of 50 and all that we have a range of of We have partnership with the travel agency that all we offer transport services that we use throughout our Operations and we offer such services too. Yeah, we offer range of services hotel bookings and all that Simply put if I want to travel I should just look up look out for you guys Yes, exactly when you get us anything travel you will get sorted Instantly, okay. Yeah, so Let's go back to behind the same behind the same behind the same Okay, they were actually work is literally up on the case in a unit exactly So on to behind the same. Yeah, how do you ensure that you you strike a good deal? Yeah, and also talk to us about negotiate negotiation skills. Yeah, how you strike that deal to make that too affordable to me. Yes to make its Price friendly. Yeah for your client for your clients now. Yeah, well according to from our mission Providing affordable packages we We we really take a lot of time behind the scenes to to design these packages One we have to consult. I mean contact those service providers. We ask them about Save in various places like you mentioned creator come do under and all that we would call them ask them about a zip lining how they Charge it and all that and then we now negotiate further for our clients to make it affordable because if a client would go their book privately The cost would be higher. So that's why it's usually advisable to always contact us for any such services So we we design a package From what the company I mean from what the service provider has given us We we we regulate the prices to fit to fit their needs again behind the scenes when when when we we also compare I Mean we also compare what the market compare market participants not competitors But the participants in the market have yeah, we also have to see What is good for our clients so that we offer the best or among the best? Yeah, how do the business perform during the festive season the festive season during the festive season We Let me let me just pick from November to December. We had We had a booking At around four villas in more in South coast and apartment to apartment at North coast This was a group of colleagues a workmate and then another group was a group of family members around 18 people And that was I think extended family That is a South coast and then we had private bookings to several to other places but there's and also But as country large and also we had others to in Naivasha and then again We had now the day trips Which usually clients flock like in a day trip you would get up to a hundred client a hundred 120 You know people just coming for a day trip. Yeah, so That is just in a nutshell What we offered we couldn't travel Outside the country because of the restrictions, but we usually have such packages too Yeah, so what are a couple of measures that you guys are taking as a company to scale up the business During the 2021 and probably also your time frame. Yes For 2021 we have actually met as a team at the management team. We have met and designed the whole of 2021 packages and After designing them that is safe for the private bookings Because we wouldn't know what a client would want at a particular time, but these other Packages we have designed all of them and then we have ensured that they are competitive in terms of prices and then to ensure that we sell more in 2021 We have discovered even unique destinations that would actually I mean, I mean invite bring more clients to us and make them travel with choosers to travel with us Are we allowed to know about this unique destination right now? Yes, this unique destination Well, you know Okay, okay some would be one for example, let me just mention a single one. Okay A few people have actually traveled towards the western Nyanza regions Yeah, and and you get that One I mean in these these regions one would actually be up to age 60 without before stepping foot in for example Migori County, it's actually a very it's a I mean it has some destination So for example, we have a package that traverses about over 15 counties. Yes, it traverses over 15 counties. That is towards Towards that is along And starting from here Nairobi, Kiambo going all the way to Kisumu was in Gishu Traversing to Homa Bay Traversing to Homa Bay then getting to Migori then getting to Kisi Kisi is healing. It's a very nice place to visit. So then come exactly. It has nice sceneries from Kisi We get to Nyamira then Bomet as we come, you know, basically you're visiting more than you know Almost half of Kenya. So we are traversing that all those counties to win an overland VIP overland truck Yeah, so it's such an experience. We have videos actually anyone who would actually contact us We have such videos would share with you You see what actually an overland means and also what? Traversing all those counties In three days would mean all right. So what should people look out for when it comes to more fire adventures? New projects coming up. Yes Well, I would say that If you want affordable packages Get in touch if you want anything for your family, you know At least every Kenyan at one point or every person in the world at one point would want to visit a particular place That's true. So In that case you get that someone would be would be undecided on which maybe where to Get our tail where to get accommodation transport and all that And how much would that really cost? We offer such services for free quotations we offer for free so we Actually tell our Provide our client with such quotations so that they make a decision from the competitive prizes that we we you know We give them so Another thing that is maybe coming up in 2021 This 2021 also we would actually around In the next few months we will also offer at least some internship programs and also something that I didn't mention You get that we are unique our to accompany is very unique because apart from just the usual tours and travel We also do corporate career responsibility in this case You get that you know a lot of youth need mentorship out there so in in various institutions Universities and we have partnership with the various universities and also college colleges and and even a few high schools you get that You know we we we we we we we combine to resume and After we design packages now for such institutions We link them up with an expert an expert who would then An expert in a particular field say we take even for example There is a began as a chairman of a club now that particular club accounting club and all that when we take them Say to Mombasa would get an expert in in a particular field that they are in someone popular someone Impactful you know yeah someone fruitful in their lives Then would provide career corporate responsibility services, so that is one of the ways that we are unique Yes, so that's that's your niche in the market. Yes, that is our niche. That's our niche All right, so how can guys find on social media? We are available on social media platforms Instagram Facebook as more fire adventures. All our contacts are there. You can also Google your hunt We I mean we are everywhere We are we also here Okay, so that is Humphrey Moffat. Thank you very much for creating time Yeah, and talking about my just putting into and travel business. Thank you so much. I really appreciate So that is Humphrey Moffat Co-owner and CEO of Moffaya adventures helping us to talk about matters pertaining to our and travel business So make sure you follow us across all our social media handles That is that why 254 channel at Michelle as she raised you can find me across all my social Much more coming away right on why in the morning make sure you don't touch the dollar be right back Thanks