Q: What was it that inspired you to join the travel industry?
A: As a child I was obsessed with ancient history – all the tales and stories of times gone by. Whether it be the Roman, Greek, Pompeian, Viking, Celt, or Egyptian civilisations, I’d imagine myself in their world.
Getting the chance to see and visit these places of legend was awe inspiring. However, it was fate that lent its hand with my first gig in travel.
I was on a flight to Dubai on an airline I’d never heard of to go live there with my Irish boyfriend whose Aussie visa had expired. I remember playing around with the inflight entertainment and found one of their ads.
It featured these two travellers seeing something from their window and excitedly leaving their hotel room. Then sheepishly trying to slow down as they went past the front-lobby staff, before exiting outside to gleefully look up and see falling snow.
The looks on their faces, their childish wonder as they had their first snow fight was everything.
Then, when the music kicked in with the line on the screen, “When was the last time you did something for the first time. Keep discovering,” I had major goosebumps. I said to myself I want to work for that company. It was Emirates.
Q: What is it about the travel industry that you enjoy the most?
A: It’s all about possibilities, seeing new perspectives, creating memories and discovering new things.
Not to mention you are ‘selling the dream’, it’s fun and you get to connect with likeminded people who are passionate and curious with great stories to tell.
Q: If you hadn’t gone into travel, what other career path might you have taken?
A: My degree was in teaching, so I’d probably start there! It only lasted for three years before the call of the working holiday fever kicked in and I temporarily left my job in Canberra to live in Scotland for a couple of years.
Q: What advice would you give someone wanting to start a career in travel now?
A: Go for it – it may not pay as well as some industries, but if you are passionate about travel, where else would you rather be?
Q: What’s the first thing you do when you start a new position?
A: Listen and absorb as much as possible – from my team, my boss, my colleagues, my stakeholders and my partners to see where and how I can add value and build trust.
I’m a big believer in the power of listening and seeing things from different perspectives before you act.
Q: How do you think the travel industry is looking at this moment in time?
A: It was tragic to witness the effect of COVID on the industry, particularly when travel was at its all-time high.
I’m so excited to see the irrepressible need of Aussie and Kiwis to travel can’t be stopped and we’re seeing that for Hong Kong with year-on-year visitation increases from Australia and New Zealand of more than 30 per cent.
Q: Who would you most like to sit next to on a plane, living or dead?
A: It might be cliched, but it would be my mum, who lost her battle with dementia several years ago.
We’d be flying in first class, (we would take business, too!) with lots of damn-fine champagne and childish giggles enroute to somewhere we’d never been.
Q: What are some of your favourite spots around the world?
A: Aside from Hong Kong, of course, I feel like there are too many to mention and too many still to explore!
Q: What is your best travel story?
A: Going to the Empty Quarter, the largest sand desert in the world which includes parts of the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman with my girlfriend.
We ended up jumping into a jeep with some locals who took us up this massive sand dune and then whisked us off to an authentic Bedouin camp in the middle of nowhere where we ate camel biryani and watched their peregrine falcons fly.
In retrospect, probably not the safest thing to have done but it was one of the most unforgettable experiences. The best parts of travel for me are revealed when you get off the beaten path.
Q: What are you most looking forward to about working with HKTB?
A: Getting to unpick and learn all about Hong Kong, including all its local gems, to bring to life its magic to inspire more Aussies and Kiwis to travel there.
It’s got everything in one destination: food, culture, sights, history and mystique, and it’s only a short stop away.
I had visited Hong Kong prior to joining the Tourism Board and I’m excited to explore the destination further and help tell its story.
