Q: Chris, welcome back to the Australian travel fold. You’ve been living in France recently so was it hard to give that up and relocate back to Australia?
A: I’ve been back in Oz since October 2024, but we did love our time in France, it was great to work in Europe and experience another side of corporate life combined with the cultural nuances of being in a different country.
The team there were very welcoming and importantly all were very generous to me in speaking English, saving me the embarrassment of trying to learn French! France is a great spot to travel from and we made the most of that opportunity.
Coming home for a second summer was an easy decision – I’d finished my contract, had travelled for three months across Europe and parts of Africa, and it was time to come home to see our dog and our sons.
It’s great to now be leading Globus family of brands in this region and setting a strategy for growth over the next 18 months.
Q: What was it about the Globus role that attracted you to the job?
A: Globus family of brands is a great company with Globus, Cosmos and Avalon Waterways all so well-regarded.
Globus offers exceptional trips to more than 70 countries across six continents and our relationships and the on-ground experience we deliver because of this is stand-out.
I’ve got deep experience in both the cruise and tour sectors so being able to make a difference and evolve the GFOB brands to ensure the brands’ continued success is something that appealed to me.
In just three years Globus family of brands will have been operating for 100 years, success over that period of time requires constant innovation and evolution and I look forward to working with our trade partners to ensure travellers from this region realise their travel dreams with our brands.
Q: What do you believe you bring to the role of Managing Director?
A: I’ve got a keen understanding of what travellers from Australia and New Zealand want from touring and cruising holidays.
Matching this market knowledge to hone the GFOB product offering and market positioning is one of my first objectives.
We have an opportunity to grow our sales via our trade partners who we are keen to support with great offers, packages and service.
I’ve worked my way up in this industry so have a very hands-on understanding of the sales and marketing functions, as well as operations.
In this industry, partners are incredibly important so ensuring we have the product and support in place to ensure travel agents can easily sell our guided tours and river cruise itineraries is also top of my agenda.
Q: How do you think the travel industry is looking at this moment in time?
A: I’m very pleased to say our industry is in solid shape right now. We’ve rebounded strongly following the pandemic and our industry has seen robust growth over recent years.
The landscape is perhaps more competitive than it’s ever been with newer players dominating the consumer direct space with significant advertising budgets.
Travel advisors are more important than ever and at GFOB we’re continuing to invest and support the trade, prioritising the trade channel and supporting with additional training, famils and incentives to build product knowledge and make it easier to sell our brands.
We’re also constantly seeking feedback and have open conversations with advisors to find out what they and their client’s need.
Traditional media, print newspapers and magazines are still attracting strong advertising from our sector – they are alive and well and consumers are still turning to them for inspiration and deals.
Q: Do you have a message for the travel agents of Australia as to what they can expect under your reign?
A: Travel advisors across Australia and New Zealand can expect continued commitment and support from GFOB. We’re dedicated to ensuring we work together to achieve mutually beneficial success.
Something we love to do is reward travel advisors, who are the backbone of the industry, with trips and prizes as a thank you for their hard work.
We are looking at how the traditional tools of the trade – brochures by destination, product focuses by brand and the all-important advisor training and getting advisors from near and far involved – can be prioritised.
We are planning some really exciting product launches to come so, watch this space for some great opportunities to sell GFOB.
Q: What is it about travel that excites and inspires you so much?
A: It’s the age-old cliché but it remains true – travel inspires, educates, broadens horizons, unlocks possibilities, fulfils dreams, builds communities and so much more.
There are not many products or industries that can impact a person or community in such way. It’s a privilege to be part of.
Q: Finally, have you set yourself any long-term goals as managing director of GFOB?
A: Yes, we’ve got some key goals starting with brand awareness. We want consumers to include GFOB as part of their upcoming touring or cruising holiday plans, know what we stand for and what we offer them and ask for us by name when engaging an advisor.
Ultimately, if we build our brand, it makes the role of a travel advisor easier.
I also plan to focus on educating trade on the great value products that are part of Cosmos’ offering.
Our Cosmos tours deliver incredible value and group touring continues to be one of the best ways to see the world, both in terms of experience and also cost. That is a message that we’ll be sharing with our trade partners – there’s no better value than a Cosmos guided tour.
Lastly, our business is only as good as our people, so I look forward to working with the GFOB team to enhance their job satisfaction, provide career pathways within our company and support the professional development of our team.
We want to ensure our team is the best in the business. The success and happiness of our team is imperative to our success, so we must invest in developing talent, which, in turn, will make GFOB the employer of choice in the travel industry.
