With nearly three decades of experience in crafting tailor-made travel across the Indian subcontinent, Hi DMC has built a solid reputation among European B2B partners. From chartering private jets and exclusive heritage dinners to delivering high-impact incentive programs across India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the Maldives and beyond, the Delhi-based DMC combines local insight with international standards. An interview with Director Hunar Syal and Vice President Satpal Singh Sisodia.
By Tijn Kramer
Hi Tours has been around for quite some time. Could you tell us about the origins of the company and how it has developed?
Hi Tours was founded in 1996–97 by my father, Mr. Prem Syal. He came from a hospitality background—my grandfather ran a hotel in Delhi—and saw an opportunity to meet the growing demand from foreign travellers coming into India. He started the company at a young age, with a strong B2B focus, working with travel agents in Europe, including the Netherlands and the UK. From those early years, we expanded rapidly. Within three or four years we had opened new offices and added new verticals. Today, we have three main branches within the business: Hi Tours, our B2C division; Hi Offsite and Hi DMC, our B2B destination management company. We have a team of over 100 people and operate from three offices in Gurgaon, next to Delhi. Like everyone, we were hit hard by the pandemic, but we’ve since bounced back and even surpassed our pre-pandemic numbers.
What sets Hi apart from other DMCs operating in India?
We don’t offer a one-size-fits-all product. Our strength lies in in-depth knowledge of India and our ability to design trips around the specific needs of the client. Whether it’s adventure, cuisine, Ayurveda, wildlife, photography, or even vegan travel, we tailor our itineraries accordingly. Especially in leisure travel, we ask the right questions first. What does the client want? What is their motivation? We then design the experience around that—not the other way around. The same goes for B2B clients. Today, there’s rising demand for more specialised requests—like dietary preferences, slow travel, or offbeat destinations—and we know how to meet those needs with precision and care.
In the MICE segment, you work with some well-known international clients. Can you give some examples of what you’ve organised?
We’ve worked with major companies including Toyota Europe, TCS, BP, Castrol and Motivation. One thing we hear often is that clients don’t want the same standard product they’d get as an individual traveller. Take Toyota, for example. They didn’t want any off-the-shelf experiences. So we created an exclusive breakfast on the rooftop of a haveli in Old Delhi with a chef-curated menu of forgotten Indian recipes. One evening was hosted in a private Members of Parliament residence in Lutyens’ Delhi—neither a hotel nor a restaurant, but a unique location with historic value. In Rajasthan, we’ve organised camel races, Holi festivals, and even arranged for betting on the races in a safe, controlled way. We’ve chartered entire trains, and once flew a group in a Boeing 737 from Delhi to Agra and on to Jodhpur. Since Agra doesn’t normally process international charter flights, we coordinated with India’s aviation authority to open a dedicated immigration terminal for the group. These are experiences that require deep local networks and a high level of trust—and that’s what we bring to the table.
Is there a particular region of India you recommend for clients who’ve already seen the Golden Triangle?
Absolutely. If someone has already been to Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, we often suggest Kerala in the south. It offers a more relaxed pace, with backwaters, beaches and excellent wellness resorts. Udaipur is another favourite—it’s a beautiful, calm city with lakes and palaces, perfect for groups that want charm without the chaos. There’s also growing interest in Northeast India and Ladakh for clients looking for something different. Thanks to strong air connectivity, we can often bypass Delhi entirely and have clients fly directly into cities like Jaipur or Udaipur, which saves time and energy.
What sort of group activities or team-building experiences do you offer?
We tailor activities to the group’s age and interests. For younger groups, we might organise a treasure hunt in Old Delhi or a MasterChef-style cooking competition, like we did for TCS—400 people cooking full meals in under 40 minutes with the help of celebrity chefs. For older groups, we might plan a curated walking tour or a wellness session. Every detail—from the logistics to the cultural context—is handled with care. That’s what allows us to deliver unique, high-quality group experiences.
Health and safety are often top of mind for European clients. How do you address those concerns?
We are ISO 45001 certified, which is a globally recognised standard for occupational health and safety. Our audits are conducted every six months by SGS UK, and we follow strict protocols across 140+ parameters. This covers everything from food hygiene and accommodation safety to transport and local guides. We’ve developed internal systems that monitor everything in real time, and we maintain a risk assessment registry for all activities. If something isn’t safe—say, a walking tour in a congested area—we won’t recommend it. Instead, we’ll offer an equally engaging alternative that meets our standards. We’re also certified by Travelife and take sustainability seriously. We work with NGOs like Salaam Baalak Trust and Waste Warriors and prioritise local ownership when choosing hotels, restaurants, and transport providers. This ensures the economic benefits of tourism stay within the local communities.
India is developing rapidly. Are your clients surprised by how modern the country is today?
Very much so. India now has the largest internet-connected population in the world, which has transformed education, infrastructure, and public awareness. Train stations are cleaner, cities are more connected, and the middle class is growing fast. There’s also a shift in mindset—people are more environmentally conscious and customer service is improving across the board. Guests often come with old stereotypes in mind, but they leave impressed by the modernity, efficiency and hospitality they encounter here.
What kind of feedback do you receive from European groups after their trips?
We hear the same thing time and again: India is a “sensory explosion.” The colours, the sounds, the cuisine—it’s a feast for the senses. Clients are always enthusiastic about the hotels, the curated events, and the care we take in crafting the experience. They feel like they’ve seen the real India—but without compromising on comfort, safety or organisation.
You also operate in other destinations. Which ones are currently part of your portfolio?
Alongside India, we operate in Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Bhutan, Nepal, Egypt, Mauritius and the UAE. We’re expanding further into Asia as well. Our model is simple: we work with the same clients across different destinations, offering one trusted point of contact for multi-country travel. For example, we’ll often create a program that combines India with the Maldives, or Sri Lanka with the Maldives. One client might start in Dubai, continue to Bhutan, and then finish in India. It gives them a rich, varied experience—and it’s all handled by one partner who knows their needs and expectations.
Are you seeing growing interest from European markets like the Netherlands and Belgium?
Definitely. Especially since the pandemic, we’ve seen renewed enthusiasm for travel. With more airline connections opening up—both direct and via the Middle East—India is becoming more accessible than ever. We’ve seen a rise in requests from Dutch and Belgian agencies. What we’re also noticing is that lead times are getting shorter. People want to book last-minute, and we’ve built an in-house customisation team that’s trained to handle short-notice MICE queries efficiently.
The visa process can be a hurdle. How do you manage that with your clients?
Most European and American travellers are now eligible for e-visas or visa-on-arrival, which makes things a lot easier. But we still recommend clients plan at least a couple of months in advance. That said, we’re increasingly getting last-minute queries. We don’t process visas ourselves, but we help clients stay aware of the requirements. As lead times shrink, being proactive becomes even more important.
How do you support MICE agents and meeting planners in Europe?
We act as their local expert and collaborator. Many of them are pitching India for the first time, so we make sure they have everything they need: destination presentations, sample itineraries, pricing, hotel options, and ideas for activities or experiences. Communication is key. We’re flexible, fast, and ready to provide multiple versions of a program so agents can offer clients a variety of options. It’s about giving them the tools and the confidence to sell India—and sell it well.
What’s an ideal length for an incentive trip to India? And can you share some sample itineraries?
We usually recommend a minimum of four to five days, but ideally seven. India is a long-haul destination, so it makes sense to maximise time on the ground. Sample itineraries could include Udaipur and Mumbai, or Goa and Mumbai for a beach-and-city combination. In South India, we often recommend Kerala—houseboats in Kumarakom paired with beach stays in Marari. In North India, we might suggest skipping Delhi altogether and flying straight to Jaipur, then adding Agra and Udaipur.
Is there still a lot of untapped potential in India that agents might not know about?
Absolutely. There’s so much more to India than the classic itineraries. We’re talking about remote corners of the northeast, high-altitude deserts in Ladakh, or even Bhutan and Dubai combinations thanks to new flight routes. Multi-country travel is becoming increasingly popular, and our clients appreciate that we can create seamless transitions between very different experiences. It’s one of our strongest selling points—deep local knowledge across multiple destinations, all coordinated under one roof.
