Although I started my career working for a hedge fund in China, I was always interested in travel and started to work with some high net worth Chinese clients in China organizing their travel for them. Then I was offered the opportunity to join the family company here and London in 2014, and I am now thoroughly invested in the travel industry.
What fascinates me is discovering new cultures and places – I don’t think that curiosity and wanderlust will ever wear off for me. I am also very interested in the functioning of our industry and industry partners such as airlines and hotels, and I am always keen to participate in industry events or research.
My biggest inspiration was by far my father Richard, who started Traveltrust 40 years ago. The fact that he built the company to what it is and has kept going with it through all the challenges that our industry has faced over 40 years is a huge motivation for me to continue growing the company on a global scale.
Some of my most memorable experiences were actually when I was working in China, travelling with the high net worth Chinese clients. We visited some amazing places and did some amazing things, sometimes even on private jet, and I was really grateful for the experience.
I think the greatest achievement in travel technology this millennium has been the increasing connectivity between industry partners across the world. Whereas when Traveltrust first started, we were printing paper tickets and sending letters via the post, I must say I am so glad today that everything is electronic.
To be honest, my favourite piece of technology created for the travel industry is the GDS. I know so many people love to knock it, but it really does make a travel bookers job so much easier. Now if only the GDS’s and the airlines could get along!
I would recommend travel newbies to get to know all aspects of booking travel, from the GDS to Online Booking Tools, and also even picking up a phone to call a hotel every once in a while. Our industry really is still very much fragmented, so it’s always good to have many booking channels available to you to be sure you’re getting the best deal for your client.
I think the most relevant challenge for industry will be how we adapt to the need for more sustainability in our society moving forward. We certainly need to reduce our footprint on the planet, and there are ways for us to do this and still travel for business. I know our airline partners are working on this with innovations such as sustainable aviation fuel and electric powered aircraft – I do hope that these innovations become more widespread sooner rather than later.
| Water or mountains? | Definitely water – it’s much more refreshing. |
| Train or plane? | Train for short haul and plane for long haul. |
| Tea or coffee? | Coffee for sure – I have at least two cups a day. |
| Dog or cat? | Parrot 😊 |
| Beach or adventure? | While I love the water, I think I would rather go on an adventure than just sit on the beach. |
| Remote, office or hybrid? | Hybrid – Especially when training new staff, being in the office together is so important. |
| Favourite movie? | Run Lola Run |
| Favourite song? | All the Pretty Girls by Kaleo |
| Favourite destination? | Paris |
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Being a travel rockstar yourself what Rockstar would you like to meet?
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I would love to meet the lead singer of Green Day – He seems like a really cool guy. |
| Have you ever met a rockstar? | I have never met a rockstar, but have run into a few celebrities every now and then. Last week I was getting my haircut and sat next to Julian Alvarez, the forward from Manchester City. |
| What’s next on your bucket list? | A safari |
I nominate Mark Colley of Sunways Travel.