Here at She Soca we love to embrace talent in all areas. With that in mind, we came across a young lady entrepreneur who is in the process of starting a fabulous new business from her passion for travelling and experience in managing big group bookings.

Hello Syreeta or can I call you Sy which do you prefer? 

Hey SheSoca, thank you for taking the time to interview me. This is so official lol. You can call me Sy.

How did this whole concept come about? 

I would say my Dad has always been my inspiration for wanting to see the world, he was always travelling with work and often to St.Lucia as this is where his parents are from. So I do think travelling has been instilled in me from a young age.

I took to travelling more seriously when I was in the position to travel independently and see different parts of the world. Firstly the UK partying in most of the big Cities and then Europe and expanding out to the US and the Caribbean.

The name SyTours was a nickname for me created by my friends as I was always travelling and organizing our group holidays.  The maximum people I have organised has been 11 – think about managing 11 people and getting them to agree on anything, let alone spend money on one destination. It is not easy but I love it.

How has the journey been from the start to present day?

I am still at the very early stages of the business idea and I am continuously researching and understanding the Travel Industry from a business perspective. There are different routes and growth opportunities within the Industry, however I would like to focus on a niche and provide a service for groups wishing to travel for a special Birthday, Hen, Stag or just for a get away!

When you take away all the stress? Can people literally just contact you with their needs and you take care of everything?

Yes, literally if someone is thinking about travelling with a group of friends they can email [email protected] and I will research and manage the group holiday with all parties by discussing dates, locations, budgets, activities and helping to find a suitable destination even to the point of sending printed boarding passes (you will be surprised some people forget). This service can be provided for a small admin fee per person.

Being so young where did you get your talent for entrepreneurial skills from?

I think I am a natural networker, I am that one person in a group of friends and family that brings everyone together and is happy to take the lead in organising everything. I think knowledge is power and the more you equip yourself with this, the more inspirational you become. I also think working in the business field has contributed to my ability to develop entrepreneurial skills.

Whilst travelling I have met some truly inspirational individuals who have started successful businesses from scratch and now have established brands and loyal follows such as ShorBlu Events in New York, Sleek Magazine in Jamaica, Punchy Punch Drinks and Trini Jungle Juice from Trinidad and our own home grown teams SheSoca and UK Soca Scene!

I do think we need more independent black owned business in the UK, however they will only succeed if they are being supported by their communities at the start up. This is basic principles in America and the Caribbean, the UK has a long way to follow!

I bet you get great satisfaction when a crew of people have embarked on their trip?

It is the best feeling to hear that everyone has enjoyed their holiday and reminiscing on all the fun that they had… Often followed by a request for another holiday!!

Where do you see SyTours 5 years from now? 

I would like an established brand and loyal consumer base with satisfied customers. The Travel Industry is constantly changing so I hope to have a flexible business model to adapt to this. My goal would be to become the No 1 independent travel consultant with the ability to broker group bookings to get people the best deal!

Are there any companies out there that you would love to build a business partnership with?

I would like to build a network across the globe initially utilizing my contacts that I have built through my travels. I am open to ideas of how SyTours could partner with other businesses. Personally, I would love to partner independent carnival bands across the Caribbean, as I feel everyone needs to experience the vibe of carnival at least once in their life! I am not exaggerating! I know some people are put off by the cost and having to plan so far ahead especially with groups, so if I could have a partner with a team abroad to make it a smooth transition that would be great.

Other big players would be BA, Virgin, Caribbean Airlines and hotel chains.

What is next for SyTours? 

My goal by the end of 2016 is to spread the word about the services that SyTours can provide and to secure some new business.

To those women out there who have an idea but don’t know or are too scared to make that idea a reality, what would your advice be to them?  

I think that if you have an idea you firstly think whether you have the time and passion to make it a success. They should research into their idea and discuss it with business minded individuals who may have experience in that particular industry to see whether the idea is feasible or not. Most of all I would say believe in yourself.  The world is your oyster – SyTour it!

Well good luck for the future, we here at SheSoca wish you all the best and will continue to support you.

Go check out Sytours people @

FB – www.facebook.com/TravelwithSyTours/
Insta – www.instagram.com/sytours/
Website – In Progress
Twitter – www.twitter.com/sytours
Email – [email protected]