Owning her own business one day was a given for Fatma Nosseir, managing director and founder of Astra Travel. The question was, when would she finally be ready to leave the corporate world and establish her own startup? But according to the 55-year-old Nosseir, leaving the corporate world behind was never her intention.

In fact, she took the skills she learned working for some of the biggest international companies in Egypt and created one of Egypt’s best corporate and business travel services provider in the country.

“I used to be so upset at travel agents when I was working in [the corporate world],” she says. “They never delivered what they promised and they didn’t understand how things like that are important to people.”

Now 240 employees strong and with annual revenues in the millions of pounds, Astra Travel has made a name for itself with its dedication to customer service and attention to detail — two pillars that have served the company well since it was established in 1988.

Nosseir started her climb the corporate ladder when she was just 19 after deciding to forego her fourth year at Cairo University’s Faculty of Arts.

It was a decision she doesn’t regret because the practical lessons she learned on the job allowed her to break out of her timid shell.

 “I had to be realistic, admitting the physical impossibility of coupling my practical working success with my obligations [as a] student. Hence, I had to give up my ties to the university.”

She got her start as an office assistant at a company owned by Yemeni businessman Shaher Abdel Haq, who became Nosseir’s mentor. Despite her junior position at the firm, Abdel Haq gave her several responsibilities early on, including placing and bidding on large sugar orders on global international commodities exchanges.

She admits that at first her new responsibilities scared her, as did the fear of making mistakes. But the fast-paced nature of her job forced Nosseir to take charge under pressure and gave her newfound confidence in her abilities. It was this same confidence that helped her get hired at several multinational companies, where she learned the ins and outs of customer service and international business standards that still apply today.

It was while working at Dresser M-I, a drilling fluids firm eventually bought by Halliburton, as the head of the company’s expatriates that she finally realized it was time to start her own company.

“My boss used to say: ‘Fatma, I would hate to leave and find out that you don’t have the same power as you have now. So why don’t you start your own private business? Either a restaurant or a travel agency?’ But he said a restaurant is not a good idea because I don’t know how to cook.”

She says his confidence helped her decide to get into the travel industry. But she didn’t want to cater to the typical tourists visiting Egypt.

Instead, Nosseir saw an opportunity to take on corporate clients and the myriad of special events they put on, from annual meetings and corporate conferences to major exhibitions and trade shows.

“After a short while, I realized that specialized corporate and business travel services were nonexistent in Egypt, in response to the operational needs of multinational companies and large Egyptian corporations,” she adds.

With an initial investment of LE 200,000, she opened up her first office in Mohandiseen in 1988. Nosseir then set out to find her first client. Using a network of contacts she’d built starting from her corporate days, she was able to arrange a meeting with Coca-Cola International.

In a stroke of luck, the representative had already seen Nosseir in action.

“I used to organize parties for Dresser M-I for 500 people at a family farm. [The Coca-Cola representative] said, ‘I watched you at one of the parties and was very fond [of] how you managed everybody,’” Nosseir recounts. “I asked, ‘How can I be so lucky? I’m taking the Coca-Cola International business.’ This was my good luck. It’s still my biggest corporate account and the closest one to my heart.”
 

Name of the trade
From there, Astra Travel branched out, getting involved in organizing conferences and annual meetings regularly. It also began to offer logistics support for several trade shows, including Food & Fresh Gate and Furnex Egypt. Both exhibitions welcome more than 1,000 trade professionals from all over the world. But Astra Travel isn’t limited to big events. The company also organizes business trips and acts as a go-between to facilitate any service business travelers might need on the road.

Her mantra is providing 24-hour service and always being available for her clients. To her, that is what differentiates her services from others in the market. Nosseir also does her best to cater to executive travelers, who are used to a certain standard when travelling. One of the most important lessons Nosseir learned from her days working as the expat coordinator at Dresser M-I, is that if a company can’t provide this kind of service to its clients, they would simply take their business elsewhere. There are always other agencies who are all too happy to meet the business traveller’s requests.

But despite her professional attitude when it comes to running her business, she hasn’t always had it easy. Many people she’s dealt with over the years did not take her seriously as a businesswoman.

“Sometimes people doubted my ability to face challenges and be successful as a woman in business. I was also not easily accepted as a woman managing a travel agency with a consolidated reputation in the market,” she says.

However, her dedication and goal-oriented approach went a long way in convincing her doubters and making Astra Travel a force to be reckoned with. It didn’t hurt that her company continued to attract big name clients into the fold, including Citibank, Piraeus Bank, Mobinil, Procter & Gamble and Alcatel.

Market blues
Astra Travel is somewhat shielded from the recent downturn in tourism after the January 25 Revolution because it serves a niche market. By catering to large businesses, whose travel needs vary widely and often include leisure and family travel that is not limited to Egypt, Astra Travel has several revenue streams to tap into. As the business environment stabilizes, so too will the company’s growth plans. Astra Travel is already organizing two major company conferences for Coca-Cola and Citibank slated to be held this May in Sharm El-Sheikh.

By promoting business travel and international conferences inside Egypt, Nosseir hopes to do her part to help the industry bounce back as a whole. But her focus on ensuring that her business continues to grow doesn’t mean she is not involved in Egypt’s recent political events. In fact, she participated in campaigns to promote voter awareness in the run-up to the referendum.

“I am proactive with lots of people and have been giving some small presentations about the Constitution and whether to say yes or no,” she laughs.

According to her, getting into the travel sector is a tough prospect, particularly these days. But those with determination can still gain a foothold, as long as they put their customers first.

“If you are not prepared for absolute dedication and commitment to provide professional customer service, you will [simply] join the existing crowded market, and you need to hope for the best in a […] saturated market,” she says. bt

“If you are not prepared for absolute dedication and commitment to provide professional customer service, you will [simply] join the existing crowded market, and you need to hope for the best in a […] saturated market.”