Michael Carter
Move over All Birds, there is a new Kiwi start-up in town and its growing fast.
VX Tours Nepal, a hiking tour company, has grown from selling small group tours to having single bookings of more than 400 people (for safety reasons these bookings are then split into smaller hiking groups).
The Company has experienced a rapid increase in growth due to its exposure at several prestigious Forbes events.
New York Summit
Chief Executive Vicknes Ganeshan was invited to the Forbes, exclusive, invitees-only Women’s Summit in New York, to bring together a community of inspiring and innovative visionaries whose ambitious actions are changing the world with unprecedented scale. Across industries and generations, the gathering spotlights how leading women are navigating monumental change to rearchitect industries, spark major movements and unlock opportunities for others.
The Summit featured keynote conversations and dynamic panel discussions from speakers in business, media, entertainment and politics.
Among the guests were Chief Flight Director for Nasa, UN Representatives, Eva Longoria and many other successful entrepreneurs.
Supporting businesses
Forbes events have helped businesses book 400 new customers from one such Summit.
In a recent interview, Ms Ganeshan said, “We cannot thank the great people at Forbes enough for these amazing opportunities. I was particularly excited to see Moira Forbes again and had the opportunity of thanking her for all the amazing work that she has done to help entrepreneurs like myself. She is truly an inspiration to men and women everywhere.
Forbes 30 Under 30
VX Tours Nepal was also invited to the Global Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit in Israel earlier in the year. This summit was the trigger for the Company’s rapid growth in sales and offers from numerous American investors.
The tours have been popular with the Forbes 30 Under 30 group.
There was so much demand that VX Tours Nepal is organising a Forbes 30 Under 30 Group hike to Everest Base Camp in 2020. This tour will be an event where entrepreneurs can network and discuss business ideas while hiking to Everest Base Camp and giving back to local communities.
Ivy League universities
VX Tour Nepal has also been in demand from Ivy League universities, with students from Harvard pre-booking their hikes 1.5 years in advance.
The tours to Everest Base Camp are extremely popular as they include helicopter flights that glide above Everest Base Camp, parallel to Mt Everest and many of the tallest mountains in the world.
An extra selling point is the great working conditions they offer their guides and porters. The company pays their porters at least 50% more than any competitor.
VX Tours Nepal is rapidly expanding the number of tours it organises for Ivy League students.
“It is great to see these young students seeking out ethical ways to travel to Nepal and hike Everest Base Camp. This is just further evidence that ethical tourism is on the rise and that companies do not need to take advantage of local communities to make a profit,” Ms Ganeshan said.
Endless potential
VX Tours Nepal started in 2019 with a small number of bookings and is booked out until November 2020. It is inspiring that a small New Zealand start-up can grow so rapidly and attract the attention of Forbes, while operating in a socially responsible way. It will be exciting to see where this unique New Zealand company will go next.
