Travel Agent - September 1, 2008 - (Page 80)

BUSINESS OPER ATIONS AGENT PROFILE All About Kali Ramesh Kalicharran looked for his roots and helps others find theirs BY MARK ROEGRS RAMESH DALCHAN KALICHARRAN, POPULARLY KNOWN AS KALI, personifies the virtues of diversification. In an age when travel agents are facing reduced commissions and one setback after another, Kalicharran has created a whole new revenue stream that perfectly complements his New York City travel agency, Kali Travel (www.kalitravel.com). Kalicharran was born in Guyana in 1949 into a second-generation Indian family. This gave him a natural empathy for his fellow Indians in search of their roots. In order to reconnect people with their pasts, Kalicharran created a second company that researches Indian ancestries for his India-bound clients. “First, for me to conduct a successful search, my clients need to have an immigrant past, and to also know what ship they came on,” he says. “If my clients give me enough information to get started, I can then reach out to my contacts in the Caribbean and in India and begin to reconnect them with their past.” Kalicharran charges a fee for these services in addition to the price for his scheduled Kali Bharat Yatra Tours to India. Presently, Kali Travel splits its business down the middle, with half going to India and half to the Caribbean, where Kalicharran sells more mainstream vacations such as cruises and resort vacations. Kalicharran first visited India in 1983, when he was 34 years old. “I had an instant sense of belonging when I arrived in India,” he says. “I wasn’t alone in feeling this way—some people in my group kissed the ground or hugged a tree.” Kalicharran has been sending clients to India ever since, helping them achieve that same sense of belonging. “India is a window onto the world,” he says. “The ethnic makeup is like a bouquet of different flowers.” Ramesh D. Kalicharran (left) receives citation from Shri T. Balakrishnan of the Ministry of Tourism, India Tourist Office Ramesh Dalchan Kalicharran KALI TRAVEL Headquarters: 169-12 Hillside Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11432 Phone: 718-291-9292 Website: www.kalitravel.com CONNECTING YOU For other inspiring stories about agents, visit www. travelagentcentral.com/industry-profiles Kalicharran is fond of using Taj Hotels and hotels from The Ashok Group for his clients, as well as Ramada Inn and Holiday Inn properties throughout India. He warns against trying to take in the whole country in one visit. “I suggest first-time visitors concentrate on touring northern India,” he says. “Here they’ll see New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Mumbai, the Bollywood film capital.” Kalicharran is well connected, and often gets noted film stars and musicians such as Padma Shri Ravi, Nirupa Roy and Mahendra Kapoor to entertain and mingle with the tour party during their farewell function. As a young man, Kalicharran left Guyana to study at the University of London. He then made his way to New York City, where he worked in the medical field at Bellevue Hospital. He worked as a manager in a department store, and opened Arcel, a driving school for immigrants. He then created Kali Travel and Kali Bharat Yatra Tours. As if all these activities didn’t keep him busy enough, Kalicharran is well known in his community as a leading philanthropist. He has received numerous awards from city agencies and community organizations for his contributions, including the Ellis Island Award for outstanding immigrants. Kalicharran has some advice for travel agents who are considering selling India for the first time. “See it first before you sell it,” he says. “You have to experience India for yourself.” I 80 | TravelAgent September 1, 2008 http://www.kalitravel.com http://www.kalitravel.com http://www.travelagentcentral.com/industry-profiles http://www.travelagentcentral.com/industry-profiles

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Travel Agent - September 1, 2008 Online Now Contents Contributors From the Editor From the Publisher Europe: Apartment Rentals Offer a Different View of Paris Pacific/Asia: Authentic Sarawak Culture and Longhouse Experiences are Highlights of a Visit to Malaysian Borneo South Pacific: Fiji’s Denarau Island Offers Paradise within a Paradise Las Vegas: As Business Slows, Discounts and Deals are in the Cards at Many Vegas Properties Central & South America: São Paolo, Brazil, is Ideal for Business or Leisure Vacations Caribbean: The Caves in Negril, Jamaica, Offers Quiet Luxury Rosecita Jeffers Takes Over the St. Kitts Tourism Authority Cruises: Crystal Cruises is Making Plans and Changes for the Future Keeping Cruises Affordable with These 12 Tips for Clients Cover Story: Top Supplier Sales Reps Hotels: At Chicago’s Stylish Avenue Hotel, the Kids are all Right Bali is Reinventing Itself as a Family-Friendly Destination Tours: GOGO Worldwide Vacations Renews its Commitment to the Travel Agent Community Agent Profile: Ramesh Kalicharran Looked for His Roots and Helps Others Find Theirs Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Luxury Travel Expo The YTB Controversy Rages On The Latest News From the Caribbean Australia Promotes Australia New Flagship to Relaunch Orient Lines Classified Marketplace Agent Access In the Spotlight Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - September 1, 2008

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