The word `Bestination' may not appear in a dictionary in the way the company uses it, but in just two years it has become a familiar name among travellers. The brand positions itself as a travel partner that goes beyond simply taking people to places, it focuses on delivering memorable journeys and unique experiences.
According to Jeena Fernandez, director and chief executive officer of Bestination Holidays, the name reflects the idea of “best of the destination”. Travel, she says, is not just about reaching a place. It is about the journey, the experiences along the way, the sights travellers encounter, and the memories that stay with them for life.
Those who have travelled with the company often describe the experience in simple terms: travelling with Bestination feels like travelling with your 'bestie'. That personal touch has been present from the company’s first group tour in November 2023, when it took a group of 23 travellers to Kashmir.
“We were not the first company to organise trips to Kashmir. But we wanted travellers to see something different, especially places many tourists rarely visit,” says Jeena. One such destination was Doodhpathri, known for its milky-white streams and scenic landscapes. The Kashmir tour turned out to be a success, prompting the company to organise another trip soon after.
Bestination Holidays did not emerge by accident. It is the result of more than 25 years of experience in the travel industry.
Jeena began her career as a tour manager long before smartphones and the internet became widely used. She travelled with groups to various international destinations, learning the business from the ground up and gradually building a reputation for designing memorable journeys.
“For nearly 25 years I worked with the same brand,” she recalls. “One day I walked out of the company, literally with nothing in hand. I was not even thinking of starting another business.”
It was her husband, Shaibin Varghese Mathew, who encouraged her to build a new travel brand.
Bestination started in a small 200-square-foot office. When word spread that Jeena was launching a new venture, three former associates joined her team. There was a time when travellers booking tours would ask only one question: whether Jeena herself would accompany the trip as tour manager.
Her reputation for personal attention and carefully planned itineraries became the foundation for the new brand.
“At the beginning we had very little money to design tour packages,” Jeena says. “We focused on ticketing and visa services to cover expenses.”
Around that time, a television channel invited her to participate in a programme highlighting women entrepreneurs. The recognition boosted her confidence.
“I decided to plan a Kashmir tour and posted a video about it on social media. Enquiries and bookings started coming in soon after.”
Although she had earlier specialised in international tours, the Kashmir trip, planned with limited resources, became a major success.
As demand grew, Bestination Holidays began offering more travel packages while focusing on making every journey distinctive.
Jeena says she never approached airlines directly to promote packages. Instead, a few airlines themselves approached the company to collaborate. One of the company’s early international packages was inspired by Jeena’s own travels. “Our first trip after marriage was to Kenya,” she says. “Africa is a paradise of extraordinary landscapes.”
The company later introduced a 12-day tour package covering Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa. Despite costing around ₹5 lakh per person, the package became popular because of its unique itinerary.
As bookings increased, the company expanded its office space at Marine Drive. Shaibin eventually left his corporate career to join the business full time.
Having worked with global automobile brands such as Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz, Shaibin brought expertise in administration, systems and customer relationship management, while Jeena handled sales, finance and travel products.
Later, Bestination moved to a larger office. During preparations for the new office launch, Jeena and Shaibin approached brand consultant, filmmaker and actor Sijoy Varghese to inaugurate the office. That meeting turned out to be a turning point for the company. Instead of merely inaugurating the office, he joined Bestination as its brand consultant and brand ambassador.
“When I met Jeena and Shaibin, what impressed me most was their passion for the brand,” says Sijoy Varghese.
Bestination Holidays aims to stand apart by offering travellers experiences that are both unique and memorable. Each itinerary is designed to highlight the most beautiful and often lesser-known aspects of a destination.
Sijoy Varghese says he evaluates brands based on three factors: the founders’ knowledge of the industry, their commitment to human values, and their honesty in dealing with people.
“In all these aspects Jeena and Shaibin score highly,” he says. “Their deep understanding of the travel sector allows them to offer well-designed itineraries at competitive rates. Even when profit margins are lower, they prioritise the customer’s experience.”
He believes this approach has helped Bestination quickly gain recognition in Kerala’s travel industry.
The company has also introduced several unique travel packages, including itineraries covering multiple countries across Scandinavia, the Baltics and Eastern Europe.
Beyond building a successful business, Jeena and Shaibin say their broader aim is to encourage more Malayalis to explore the world.
One moment that shaped Jeena’s thinking was meeting a traveller who was visiting his 100th country before turning 40. The encounter inspired her to promote the idea of travelling to 100 countries as a personal goal for travellers.
“Travel changes the way we see life,” she says. “It helped me overcome difficult phases in my own life and taught me that the world is far bigger and more diverse than we imagine.”
Another priority is empowering women in the travel industry. Until recently, Bestination operated with an all-women team. Although the team now includes men, the company continues to train women employees to become tour managers by sending them with travel groups.
“If I could build a career in this field, other women can do it too,” Jeena says.
That spirit of exploration and encouragement is captured in the brand’s message to travellers: travel now, not later.
Bestination’s call is simple — Let’s go today.