N.M. Travels and Tours to celebrate 12th anniversary on 24 Feb. at BMICH

By Ruzaik Farook

N.M. Travels and Tours – the leader in Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage packages – will shortly celebrate its 12th anniversary. The company commenced business in 2000 and has since sent over 18,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.

Chairman and Managing Director M.S.H. Mohammed said at media briefing in Colombo that the company initially undertook Hajj tours and soon pioneered Umrah packages and he participated at an Umrah exhibition in Jeddah and realised it could be organised in Sri Lanka. He obtained the necessary hotel contacts and got started.

The venture has since proved very successful over the past 11 years, N.M. Travels and Tours has sent 15,000 pilgrims on Umrah and 3,000 pilgrims on Hajj. This year alone they sent 3,000 pilgrims on Umrah and hope to send 5,000 next year. The aim is to send 100,000 pilgrims by 2025.

“The reason behind our success is the small profit margin we keep,” said Mohammed. “This enables us to provide an opportunity to Sri Lankan Muslims from the middle and lower-middle classes to perform Hajj and Umrah.”

He recalled his mother’s words when he presented her the license to operate Hajj tours. She said, “Son, you must support the poor.” She said this because she knew what a struggle they underwent during her Hajj pilgrim in 1987. 

The company offers a very special discount of 50% for those who have provided a service to the Muslim community. Muezzins, katheebs of mosques and retired school principals benefit from this concession.           

N.M. Travels and Tours has also been involved in social service activities. In 2000, at a time the Muslim Service SLBC was struggling to survive, the company came forward with a sponsorship for the popular religious programme ‘Ayyamum Telivum,’ which was broadcast every Thursdays. This programme has continued broadcasting live for nearly 600 weeks. At the 2010 G.C.E. (O/L) exam, 108 Muslim students who obtained 9As in their O/L were felicitated at a function held at Zahira College Colombo organised by the Muslim Education Progressive Society (MEPS). The students were given gift packages, and based on a draw six of them were selected to receive free Umrah packages with all expenses paid by N.M. Travels and Tours.

Mohammed said that in celebration of their 12th anniversary, they will select the top-scoring 25 students from among 400 in Madrasas (Islamic religious schools) islandwide based on a competitive exam and offer them free Umrah packages with all expenses.    He has been fortunate in having many people who have him supported on his path to success, said Mohammed. These include the Chairman of The Traveler Global Rizmi Riyal, Hassan Rauff, General Manager of the Dallah Taibah Hotel in Medina, Saudi Arabia, the late Niyas Moulavi and Managing Director of Skills Advertising and Marketing Ananda Samarasinghe, whose agency has handled the company’s advertising most successfully, and all print and electronic media.