DIVE INTO THE TROPICAL NATION WITH

CAPITAL TRAVEL

Mr. Yoosuf Riffath, Founder and Executive Chairman of Capital Travel & Tours Private Limited, Maldives, one of the most reputed travel company in the island nation, is a visionary leader and dynamic entrepreneur with more than 3 decades of experience

Looking for that perfect vacation in Maldives- a romantic getaway or a fun filled family holiday by the beach but not knowing which hotel to book? Capital Travel is the answer that you are searching. Capital Travel & Tours Private Limited is a premiere inbound tour operator in the Maldives established in 1990 having a wide range of special offers and last minute deals for top resorts and hotels. The company specializes in inbound and outbound travel management having a global network of prominent tour operators and clients due to its 30 years of experience in the field.

Mr. Yoosuf Riffath is a dynamic entrepreneur and well-known tourism professional, who has successfully launched and managed new business concepts with global outlook in the Maldives. He is a leading figure and a pioneer in the tourism and hospitality industry of the Island nation. His strength lies in his pioneering spirit coupled with his organizational capacity, his capacity to network and engage with others, to bring in their participation, for the development of the industry.

Mr. Riffath is a visionary, a pioneer and a business leader who is willing to face the challenges of a changing global business environment. Capital Travel & Tours is one example which demonstrates his ability to evolve with changing times and changing global demand. He has the innate capacity to see the opportunities in the market and develop business models that fits perfectly into existing gaps. During his illustrious career in the industry, he has served to develop the industry and worked for the development of others in the industry.

In 1981 Mr. Riffath was a young aspiring youth, working in the civil service, on the lookout for opportunities, the most appealing of which at the time was the budding tourism industry. His opportunity came when he saw a vacancy ad in the papers for a post in one of the largest resort operators in the country, Universal Enterprises. It was here he learnt the ropes of the industry working in various departments of the Company. After nine years in Universal and equipped with the experience gained, Riffath started his own company, Capital Travel & Tours in 1990.

From its humble beginnings, the Company has become one of the most prominent travel agents and tour operators in the country. At a time when resorts were heavily leaning on the business of foreign tour operators, it was an uphill battle for small local firms. A num-

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ber of travel agents were formed during that time, but it was only a few that succeeded. It was Riffath’s determination and his vision to succeed that enabled him to rise above the rest and gain the confidence of the resort operators in order to create one of the most successful local travel agencies during this period.

The company has extended its services into flight bookings, room reservations and local transportation catering to the needs and luxury of the client to personal satisfaction with utmost efficiency and reliability. Capital Travel has over 500 partners around the world and is classed as one of the largest and most reliable tour operators in Maldives having allotment contracts with all the leading resorts and hotels in the Maldives. Since its formation the company has served more than thousands of customers from countries across the world.

In 2002, the Capital Group ventured into Hotels Supply business with the formation of ASTRABON Hotel and Resort Supply Private Limited forming into one of the leading companies in the business with the largest collection of kitchen utensils and equipment. The group carefully diversifies its business operation by engaging in trading for last 15 years. Some of it includes Resort and Hotel Supplies, Office stationery and equipment, importing Motor cycles, Cars and other vehicles as well as the establishment of a Vehicle Service Center.

Capital Travel envisions businesses with great care and confidence; constant improvement in services and provision of best deals. The company’s mission is to bring in right balance of human resources and technology to become a modern and efficient organization.

Riffath’s vision is on the tourism industry, be it matters related to its operation or youth participation and employment in the industry. In 2002 he formed Astrabon Pvt. Ltd., yet another pioneering venture, dedicated to providing resorts with operational supplies of a quality befitting the upmarket tourism industry of the country. The Company is a tremendous success with a portfolio that includes the most respective brands of kitchenware and related products from around the world.

Getting people to take part in the tourism industry, connecting them with business partners, providing those with opportunities on which they can stand on, these are things that Riffath is passionate about. In his quest to get youth participation in the economy and to create a platform for young people to prepare for employment, in 2006, he formed the Employment bureau (Maldives) Pvt. Ltd. The broad objective was to complement the national effort to strengthen the human resource base of the country, offering a variety of training opportunities. Riffath serves as the president of Employment Bureau Pvt. Ltd.

Riffath sees the development of small-scale local tourism as the next big frontier. He is already planning and implementing ways and means to provide a platform that can be used by local tourism agencies and guesthouses in the operation and marketing of their businesses. His vision is to implement ways to support the segment by offering comprehensive solutions that will assist in the development of the sector.

Mr. Riffath is the founding member and former president of Maldives Association of Tour Operators and Travel Agents (MATATO) and Maldives Travel Association (MTA). He is currently serving as the chapter president for the Maldives at the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) and board director at the Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC). He is also a founding member of the Liveaboard Association of Maldives (LAM). He has been recognized by the Government of Maldives as a prominent contributor to the advancement of Maldives economy in Tourism Sector.