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Publication: The Straits Times, p D8 Date: 19 March 2011 Headline: Looking for fellow travellers

fellow travellers THEY will take you to the roof of the world for the holiday of a lifetime - with a guarantee that they will never leave you in the ' lurch as tour operators sometimes do.

This is the promise made by Mr Ethan Lin, 26, Mr John Tham, 25, and Ms Nicole Lim, 22, founders of Traveller, a year-old tour operator.

A newcomer in a crowded, cut-throat industry, their compa- ny is focusing on 10-day trips to exotic locales, in India, Nepal and Bhutan, such as the ancient kingdom of Sikkim, and Darjeel- ing, of the famous variety of tea. They also offer educational "eco-tours1' through the Himalayas, where local guides teach tourists about the region's flora, fauna and culture. Each tour ac- commodates between two and 15 travellers, and costs between $2,380 and $3,700 - with no "hidden costs".

At least one of the trio will even accompany tour groups if it is more than 10-strong. Ms Lim said: "We will give them a de- tailed, personalised travel advisory, from day one to 10. We'll make sure they feel secure."

The trio set up Traveller with an investment of $20,000 in Jan- uary last year, six months before graduation. Mr Lin and Mr Tham graduated from the Singapore Management University, the former with a double degree in business management and ac- countancy, the latter in business management. Ms Lim received a degree in sociology from the National University of Singapore.

They set up theirbusiness out of a shared passion for ventur- ing off the beaten path, something that "truly embodies a young spirit", said Mr Lin. ,

But getting it off the ground was no stroll in the park. The greenh'orns tried to sell the neighbouring state of Johor as an exot- ic holiday locale, but threw in the towel after several months, as the market was saturated. They turned their attention to the Himalayas in June, which required multiple visits to remote loca- tions, and hitting the streets back in Singapore.

"No one knew about us, so we did street sales from August to O~tober , '~ recalled Ms Lim. "It was like selling insurance. We would go to Clarke Quay and approach strangers."

To keep their eye on the ball, they had to be disciplined. Last June, when they acquired complimentary office space at SMU's Business Innovations Generator in Stamford Road, which houses start-ups, they set !heir own office hours, from 9.30am to 6.30pm, and business attire as their dress code.

Their perseverance paid off. Their first two tours took off in December to the Himalayas, and there are at least half a dozen more coming up from this month to the end of the year.

They have reason to be hopeful: Singaporeans' appetite for travel remains robust, with visitors to this year's Natas Travel Fair spending $90 midlion. Travel agency Chan Brothers pulled in $9 million worth of sales alone.

The trio will revamp their website www.traveller-internation- al.com by May, which would allow potential customers to cus- tomise tours online.

Most of all, they want their customers to go away satisfied. Said Mr Lin: "We want them to become our friends, people we Traveller founders (from left) Ethan Lin, Nicole Lirn and John Tham set up the company with an can go out for coffee with." investment of $20,000 in January last year. ST PHOTO: MUGllAN RAJASEGERAN

Source: The Straits Times O Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.