Claire Talks Travel

Well this is new for me! Writing a blog has always been on my to do list. Having been in the travel industry since I knew that all the roles I have undertaken and the amazing places I have been during this time would mean I had a lot of experiences that are worthwhile sharing.

After starting my own travel business 5 years ago, it became even more apparent that this would be a great way to showcase my knowledge and my skills to prospective clients. But as any self employed business owner who starts from scratch will tell you - its hard! And completing the blog stayed firmly on the to do list.

It was still on the to do list when in 2020 the world shut down - completely! An infant business just 2 years old and faced with no income - like most it took a lot to keep getting out of bed every day and getting back in the saddle. But I did it, with the support of my beautiful girls Daisy and Darcy. And the unwavering faith of the other half of me, Paul.

Now here we are, a mere couple of weeks away from the start of 2023 and after having made it through to the other side, I have decided its time to tick blog off that to do list.

When I started making lists about what I wanted to talk about it lead to a brief rundown of the roles I have had over my career -

• YTS in retail travel and working my way up to management level,

• overseas holiday rep,

• cabin crew & ground staff,

• operations,

• VIP management concierge for an overseas hotel chain,

• customer service

• and in a legal customer relations team for a leading OTA

And I realised that I not only have lots of funny stories and beautiful renditions of trips that have gone before, I also now realise that the depth of experience and changes to the industry that I have seen gives me a unique perspective. And I am passionate about the young people that are looking to be a part of this diverse and vibrant industry. So much so that I am an employability partner to a local college working with travel and tourism students to help them navigate their course and build skills to get them into industry.

So, what can you expect next? I want this blog to be informative, helpful and insightful so will be sharing

• lots of sumptuous destinations to get your wanderlust flowing

• spotlights on resorts and hotels

• insights into the day to day life of a travel business owner

I'm starting with my most recent trip. A Caribbean twin-centre in St Lucia and Dominica. The entire trip will be unveiled over several blogs, making sure you get all the finer details of each stop and all the amazing hotels we stayed in.

Watch this space!