- Tourplus CEO embodies leader hurry, with keen gaze for chance
- Owners have the highest duty, may convey optimism &, hope
.jpg "The partnership with Tourism Selangor will earn Rickson Goh revenue, expand his supply of products and give him market inroad.")
Some Malaysian startup founders have acquitted themselves as well as Rickson Goh, the gentle said founder of travel tech company Tourplus Technology Sdn Bhd, if you want to see how well they have handled the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the midst of a terrible halt in Malaysia’s tourism industry, he never merely raised eyebrows in the ecosystem with a powerful US$ 1 million seed capital fund raise, but he also went on to form some partnerships that will place his travel tech startup quite well when the tourism rebound occurs. Plus, he has also started talking to buyers on raising his second large as he projects profits for 2021 to reach US$ 1.65 million ( RM7 million )– almost none of it coming from vacation.
But what exactly is he smoking and what exactly is he spitting in his te sir? Turns out it is nothing more than leader rush and a strong desire for success.  ,
Cuts win-win cope with Tourism Selangor
Tourplus, which had no mobile application before this, announced in a simple press release that it had worked with Tourism Selangor to create a wireless application for the state agency.
The true story is that Tourplus and Tourism Selangor have a 50:50 revenue share contract under the name Get Selangor for any income made through the game. Better yet, the state agency will start promoting Tourplus to those interested in the state agency’s database by encouraging all manufacturers of travel-related products to start digitizing their operations ( though this is not an exclusive agreement ).
As Rickson points out, the majority of these vacation players are small businesses, which would have been nearly impossible for Tourplus to enter. Instead, then it gets a reputable position company to make the introduction.
” We expect the game does go sit in Oct 2021″, says Rickson. Tourplus did examine business arrangements and installation in the app, operate and make the payout, etc., he states.
As Selangor intensifies efforts to prepare the journey ecosystem for the post-pandemic go rebound, Go Selangor may serve as the state government’s official travel app.
A crucial part of the efforts to find habitat players, most of whom are SMEs, available, is to encourage them to digitalise so that their vacation packages, services and inventory may be added to Get Selangor.
Rickson, who first proposed the idea in March and was given approval by the Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corp. in July, believes that this partnership will benefit more rural operators or “hidden gem providers” that are not in the main stream platforms like Klook.
It is also a sweet deal for Rickson, who is preparing himself for the post-pandemic rebound by adding new inventory to his database. The latest of his recent cutbacks to his fundraising efforts in October, 2017.
.jpg "Rickson Goh shows how you deal with a pandemic")
His back was against the wall by that point, so the timing could n’t have been better. It was not an easy time, he admits. There was little to no money being made, and the statement” We were running out of money then” was true.
Even Rickson ( pic ) struggled to see any light, and the team had lost hope. It was very difficult for me. Day and night, I was trying to figure out a way to survive. We founders have the highest responsibility. No matter how we feel inside, and sometimes I felt helpless, but we have to exude hope and optimism for the team”, he says.
A quick foray into providing frozen food to consumers was unsuccessful. The key moment, however, came when he made the decision to forgo any international travel for at least for 24 months. A startup that had built its future off of inbound travel to Malaysia made a chilling realization.
Hanging out in Parliament, getting TSP status, convincing investors
Rickson swung into action. In the early stages of the pandemic lockdowns, webinars rose in popularity, and Rickson started taking classes there to learn from other business owners. He also became aware of the benefits of local players going digital and learned about the various government initiatives that are being implemented to help businesses. This would serve as Rickson’s lifeline as domestic tourism was awaiting a return to life.
” I was able to persuade my investors that domestic tourism was the best course of action and that the various government Covid aid recovery programs offered short-term opportunities.”
One of his biggest advantages was the stable government relations he established over a short period of time. He claims that it was not from funding any projects but rather from supporting the government in digitizing brick and mortar businesses, particularly those in the travel industry. He had to travel to the Malaysian Parliament to meet with relevant ministers in order to make his pitch, which helped Tourplus become recognized as a TSP ( Technology Service Provider ).
With this recognition Tourplus was able to assist businesses in requesting the Digital Marketing Grant, which is a component of the Malaysian Government’s efforts to assist businesses in recovering from the effects of the pandemic. They were qualified for up to a RM5,000 grant, and we have already received 200 companies ‘ approval from an overall 800 applications for the grant.
This work not only keeps his 20-strong team ( 30 % are part-time ) busy but has helped with cash flow as well.
Key collaborations in China, instant access to 200k hotel rooms globally
One important collaboration between Rickson and the Chinese travel agency ChongQing China Youth Travel Service started in April of this year.
Even though we raised money, traveling is still our main business, according to Rickson, adding that income and cash flow must be closely monitored.
” We need to keep innovating as well and I need to hire tech people, UI/UX designers, product people which will also help us scale”.
Another exciting development, one that he has kept under wraps is a partnership he has struck with China’s largest OTA ( Online Travel Agency ), the Nasdaq listed Ctrip. Users of the Tourplus app can now now directly book 200, 000 hotel rooms from all over the world where Ctrip has hotel partners thanks to an API integration.
” It is a very exclusive priviledge to be given the trust of API integration with a business like Ctrip,” Rickson asserts. That likely cuts both ways because Ctrip, which was founded in 1999, likely sees a little of itself in the ferocious startup from Kuala Lumpur and its gritty founder.