Muthuri Kinyamu is the co-founder of Turnup. Travel Global Limited. Turnup.Travel is an inbound and outbound tour operator, a holiday concierge and a production arm that delivers stunning visual content, digital campaigns and stories. The business triples up with a digital marketing arm called Turnup in Motion which has a dedicated professional crew of photographers, filmmakers, writers, producers, and licensed drone pilots and Turnup for Good, which is a storytelling, production house that organize impact themed tours and craft campaigns to amplify sustainable tourism, fundraising, and CSR initiatives.
What products and services do Turnup.Travel Global Limited offer?
We do safaris, honeymoons, hotel bookings and ticketing, team buildings, event and talent management, videography, photography, aerial cinematography. Ideally, we design, document and promote unique experiences during your next business trip or leisure holiday. We also produce commercials and digital content.
Being an agency on wheels and a production company in the tourism industry, we have pioneered a new way to help brands, counties, and countries map out attractions, package signature experiences and promote what’s uniquely yours since January 2017. We based at 14 Riverside on the 6th floor of Belgravia Building.
Targeting both leisure and business travelers, multinational corporations, tourism authorities, and both national and county governments, we able to serve our customers to their satisfaction
How did you start your Travel Company?
Turnup.Travel was conceptualized at Voyager Beach Resort when two guys met during one of the KTB Social Media Takeover Campaign trips and decided to start something. Modern travelers are looking for unique experiences and we are changing how Kenyans travel. We’ve been pretty much on the road with our crew and clients since October 2016, with our gear charged and documenting our experiences.
What has attributed to the success of your business?Â
Teamwork. Aligning my business with the right people has really been very impactful. With a supportive community around an entrepreneurs network and collaborative space, Turnup. Travel, stands tall today.
What challenges have you faced running the business and how did you overcome them.
Financial constraint has been quite a challenge considering our business is self-funded. It also becomes very critical to allocate resources effectively in our financial budgets. On the positive side, we are able to break free from debts and plow back our profits into the business without having to finance loans in banks.
What are the best moments for Turn. Travel Global Limited?
The success of our Instagram tours popular Instagram tours which is a photographic tour that takes you to the ‘must-see’ places and hidden gems of our counties and cities have seen us partner with big corporate brands, hotels/ lodges/ restaurants/ camps.
We come in to showcase their offers and amenities, help county governments to map out their attractions, tourism authorities, bodies, and associations to promote, position and document signature experiences. Leveraging on the power of photography, film and social media has made it possible.
How is Turnup in Motion vlog series performing in the market?
The reception is very positive. With the vlog we deliver a raw experience, covering all the highs, lows, misdeeds, misadventures, laughs, shocking moments of clarity, discovery & pure adventure and it has gained quite a legion of followers. Check out Turnup in Motion travel and adventure vlogs on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2uKvoTBgiD9L4p4ovlhCtg
We are also looking to launch an app where you can find, book, plan and pay in installments for signature experiences. It’s an experience marketplace with a financial management component to help you check what’s available (discovery), budget and book. Check it out here https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.turnup
What’s your attitude towards being your own boss and a young entrepreneur?
For me, it’s such a good feeling. Having something that provides income-generating opportunities, learning and sustains livelihoods across our value chain is really motivating. It’s thus about the impact we create directly or indirectly by doing what most see as just fun and good life on Instagram. So for me, it’s our core mission to plug a triple bottom line approach – great experiences for participants, value to our trade partners and impact in the community.
Where do you see yourself and your business in the next five years?
We are seeing increased uptake of our well curated and targeted experiences as more people travel for a personal interest or a theme around a particular destination so we hope to do more inbound and outbound packages to lesser known places. We will always be your hub of experiences with full exposure packages.
There’s an intense global demand for travel experiences that resonate on a deeper emotional level so hopefully, we should have our own travel TV show to reach the adventurous consumers to inspire a new generation towards their path of self-discovery.
If you were to go back on time, what would you differently that would have contributed enormously to the success of the business?
I’d hire the right people first and faster. I am however happy we have one of the best production crews in this country doing world class content and a core tours and travel team. It’ll always be people first and ideas second for us.
What would you tell upcoming entrepreneurs who are struggling at the bottom but determined to make it to the top?
Entrepreneurship is hard and building a business is not sexy. Being your own boss requires some discipline unlike the perception it’s a pursuit of freedom. Give it your all every time and be patient.