Vadodara engineer runs rural travel venture with 80 annual trips
Chirag Munjani left a corporate career in 2012 to focus on experiential tourism across 17 destinations.
Chirag Munjani, a Vadodara-based engineer, organises between 70 and 80 trips annually through his venture, Rural Pleasure Journeys, according to The Times of India. The company focuses on rural and experiential tourism, taking travellers to villages, forests and communities across 16 to 17 destinations.
Munjani left his corporate career in 2012 to start the venture. He previously worked as a management trainee at Bajaj Auto and worked with Bajaj Auto Finance after completing an MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management in Pune in 2004.
The travel venture offers both fixed and customised itineraries. While the business initially focused on Gujarat, it expanded into Madhya Pradesh in 2023 and Rajasthan in 2024.
The trips aim to connect visitors with local livelihoods and conservation. For instance, travellers in the Little Rann of Kutch can learn about salt production, while those near Gir National Park can participate in making protective grills for wells to assist in wildlife conservation.
Munjani noted that his work in rural markets during his corporate assignments helped him realise the opportunity to introduce travellers to destinations through heritage and ecology. He has faced challenges such as forest regulations in Dang and the difficulty of convincing tribal communities to welcome outsiders.