Working in travel
Insider Insight
Wondering what it’s really like to work in the industry? We spoke to four insiders at different stages of their careers to get the lowdown on a week in the world of travel
ADEL’S TOP TIP: Be imaginative about what you can do within aviation – there are so many opportunities I’d never have known about if I hadn’t gone into it.
Adel Johnson,
HR director, dnata UK airport operations
I didn’t know much about the industry before I joined the aviation sector – but there’s a whole world of opportunities. My friend Charlotte’s job was to taste muffins for an airline, sampling the menu options on board – that made me realise you can literally do anything in aviation!
In my current role as HR director for the UK airport operations business unit at dnata – a global air and travel services provider that offers ground handling, cargo, travel and catering services across six continents – I look after 2,700 colleagues, setting the HR strategy and ensuring our people are happy.
I started in aviation as an employment law consultant, and one of our clients was a new airline looking to expand. I then joined another company that was working with the same airline, where I was senior HR advisor looking after their cabin crew.
There were 50 nationalities and 30 languages spoken across the crew, so it really showed the diversity and the environments you could work in. I then joined dnata as HR business partner for Gatwick airport, which involved supporting the staff there, before progressing through the ranks.
I love getting to work with so many different people and it’s constantly changing – sometimes there might be a bird on the runway and I’ll get called in to help. If you like the kind of environment where no two days are the same, then aviation is definitely for you.be in.
MY WEEK IN TRAVEL
MONDAY: I’ll usually be in the office, planning out my week and ensuring everything is running smoothly.
TUESDAY: We have a local executive committee so we can plan the week together. Then I might be out at an event – for example, I recently went to an Innovation Academy with physicist professor Brian Cox to encourage young people to enter the sector, which was really interesting.
WEDNESDAY: I might go to our cargo facilities to engage with our people and check everything’s running safely, then head to the crew rooms to get face-to-face feedback, ideas and suggestions.
THURSDAY: I’ll be out and about attending external stakeholder meetings – I have regular coffee catch-ups with our unions so we can discuss and resolve any concerns early on.
FRIDAY: I normally try and make this my admin day to plan for the week ahead – but things can change. I could find myself supporting staff at the airport because of an unattended bag alert or celebrating an inaugural flight for a new airline route – they’ll sometimes have live music, cakes, mascots and photoshoots, so these are great to attend! I’m not just in the office every day and I definitely don’t get bored – I get to do all sorts of things and engage with people, which I find really exciting.disabilities. Many family resorts meanwhile offer kids’ clubs geared up for children with autism and other neurodiverse needs. These are all steps in the right direction, but there’s still a way to go until they become truly mainstream.
CHELSEA’S TOP TIP: Never let your background stop you from chasing your dream career. I worried about English not being my native language, but it’s never held me back.
Chelsea Toco,
Sales and marketing coordinator, Intrepid Travel
My interest in travel began when I discovered my love for languages. Portuguese is my native language and when I started learning English, I realised I wanted to travel and be able to talk to locals. I wanted this passion to be part of my everyday life, so I took a college course in tourism before moving to the UK.
I studied a BA in International Tourism Management at the University of Hertfordshire, and got a one‑year work placement with Intrepid Travel through my university, where I did six months in sales and am now doing six months in marketing. My initial role in sales gave me a really good understanding of Intrepid’s products, which I’ve been able to apply in my marketing role.
Intrepid is a tour operator that organises small‑group adventures around the world, and my responsibilities include supporting the sales and marketing teams with campaigns, creating promo codes, supporting our events team, ordering merchandise and processing supplier invoices.
There are some amazing perks – we get a free Intrepid trip every year, so this year I’m going to Morocco. I love the work‑life balance and being able to attend industry events where you meet inspiring people.
MY WEEK IN TRAVEL
MONDAY: We have a marketing team meeting where we talk about priorities for the week. Then I create an engaging newsletter with our latest updates and offers, which is sent out to travel agents.
TUESDAY: We start the day with an SEO meeting to discuss what website landing pages will look like to maximise traffic. We also have an industry meeting to discuss how to support the travel trade and check how our partnership promo codes are doing.
WEDNESDAY: Midweek, we work on post-campaign analysis. We recently launched a special offer on Premium Tours, so we’ll look at what went well and what didn’t.
THURSDAY: Another day, another marketing meeting! This time, we talk about our ‘sparkle’ moment of the week and brainstorm event ideas. Every Thursday, we also have drinks after work and we recently had a charity pub quiz for the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, which rescues victims of human trafficking in Vietnam.
FRIDAY: Fridays are my catch-up admin days, so I’ll normally be ticking off things I didn’t get done during the week and preparing for the next week ahead.
HANNAH’S TOP TIP: Get as much experience as you can and jump at every opportunity – and always have your LinkedIn up to date.
Hannah Whitney,
Events and marketing executive, Connections Luxury
I got my degree in International Events Management at the University of Surrey and immediately started looking for jobs. I started as an events assistant at Connections Luxury, which organises international networking events for those working in travel, and was later promoted to events and marketing executive.
So far, I have coordinated 18 virtual and in-person events – in Barcelona, Madeira, Seoul, Tokyo, Oman, the Philippines and the US. This includes finding venues, arranging travel and catering, checking audiovisual needs and building strong relationships with suppliers, venues and destination management companies.
What I love most is the ‘wow, I did that!’ moment when I see an event I worked hard on come together. People might perceive conference travel as boring or dull, but it can be really exciting – the experiential element of our events is what really brings them to life. It’s true that travel can be demanding when you’re going to so many different places – it’s a very fast-paced environment, and you have to keep ideas fresh.
But despite the challenges, it’s a really exciting industry to be in, and I’d love to run my own team one day.
MY WEEK IN TRAVEL
Our Connections events usually start on a Thursday – here’s what a typical event week looks like:
THURSDAY: The day before an event, we have a team meeting in the office and go through the agenda, coordinating who does what. I hand-write personalised welcome notes for all our delegates, pack everything we need and get ready for a late-night flight.
FRIDAY: We land in the morning and head straight to our hotel, then set up our meeting room before heading out for a team dinner.
SATURDAY: Pre-event preparations continue with more than 200 bags, badges and collateral to set up, and a briefing with the videography team.
SUNDAY: We head to the venue, set up the event space and registration tables, then ensure everything runs smoothly throughout the day. Later, we guide attendees back to their hotels.
MONDAY: Today’s wake-up call is 5.30am! Back at the venue, we ensure the AV and video team are all ready, brief the photographer and help set up for lunch and dinner.
TUESDAY: On our last day, we transfer all buyers to our second hotel and head to our closing party. When we did this in Oman, we had dinner and drinks on the beach and I saw my idea come to life – a fire-breather projecting the number 10 to celebrate our 10-year anniversary!
WEDNESDAY: We pack up all collateral and say our goodbyes, before flying home after a memorable week.
LLOYD’S TOP TIP: An apprenticeship in a travel agency is a great introduction to the industry, so if you’ve got one local to you, go in and ask if they have any openings.
Lloyd Morris,
Key account manager, Riviera Travel
I’ve always had an interest in travel, so I did a two-year national diploma in travel and tourism at college. I’d applied to study travel and tourism at university, but I got offered an apprenticeship in a local travel agency, so I ended up doing that instead and stayed for seven years! It was the best introduction to the travel industry I could have had.
I became assistant manager of the headquarters branch in Bridgend, Wales, so I made as many connections as possible by attending events and trips, and heard about a position at tour and cruise operator Globus (which owns Cosmos and Avalon Waterways). I stayed there for just over five years until I got my current role this January.
Riviera Travel sells cruises and tours across the world and my role involves managing relationships with our agent accounts, visiting agents in store, attending training and other events and sometimes hosting trips. Our goal is for Riviera to be at the forefront of agents’ minds so they think of us when they get an enquiry, so a lot of that is about building trust and friendships.
Everyone is so passionate about what they do, and I love working in travel – I’ve made friends for life. It’s like one big family and there’s no other industry like it.
MY WEEK IN TRAVEL
MONDAY: I work from home and get my admin done. Recently I was preparing for a trade conference for adventure tour operators and travel agents, helping to design an interactive stand that will encourage agents to stop by.
TUESDAY: I’ll be out on the road visiting the stores of travel agencies I work with. I try to visit around five in a day to talk about Riviera Travel’s cruises and tours, and update agents on our latest offers or new itineraries. I travel all over the country and often stay overnight in places – recently I’ve been to Blackpool, Manchester and London, so it’s really varied.
WEDNESDAY: Midweek I might be heading to a client event to give a presentation; sometimes I’ll do three or four a week, which keeps me busy! During these events, the travel agency invites their customers along and we talk directly to them about our tours and cruises.
THURSDAY: I’m usually visiting more agencies. But I might also be training agents at a roadshow or attending a conference – and these are far from boring! There are usually lots of fun events and it’s great to catch up with travel industry colleagues.
FRIDAY: I’ll normally get more admin done, but every week is different – occasionally I might be hosting a fam (educational) trip so our travel agents can experience our cruises or tours. This year I took six agents to Croatia on a yacht cruise, and in summer I took a group on a river cruise on the Rhine and Moselle – it’s a great way to see the product and one of the many bonuses of working in this industry.
