Travel Industry Life
Travel inspires passion, and for many people those feelings lead to seeking a career in the travel industry.
If you’re new to this you’ll know about travel agents and a few other professions, but the chances are that you won’t be aware of the sheer diversity of career paths that exist within the wider travel sector. But the good news is that whether you’re young, old or somewhere in between, there is a place for you. Many come to the industry after abandoning less interesting careers in search of working in an arena that’s truly meaningful to them.
Listing every role in travel would be impossible, so instead we’ve asked a handful of people currently working in the industry to describe how they came to be where they are today. As you’ll see, career progression is often anything but linear and opportunities present themselves in segments of the industry that you’ve never considered. In many cases for our friends who’ve helped put this page together, neither had they!
This page will grow to contain more stories and links to helpful websites for newcomers. In the meantime sign up to our newsletter to be kept in touch with career trends, opportunities and info from inside the industry.
Career Stories
There are so many avenues within travel that might be suited to you. If we explained each and every one you’d be reading this all day, so instead we’ve asked a few friends with diverse industry roles to say a few words about their own careers.
We offer our very sincere thanks to each of them, and hope that you’ll enjoy reading.
Fiona Richards
Sabre Corporation
Hi, I’m Fi
I’d love to say my journey into travel is a super interesting one, but like so many people you meet in the travel industry I fell into it by accident.
Once inside, it didn’t take long before it grabbed me hook, line and sinker.
That’s because it’s dynamic, it’s global and it’s full of opportunities to innovate and inspire. I wholeheartedly love what I do.
I’m a 40-“something” living in Sydney working for a company called Sabre. We are a major software company powering the travel industry, connecting airlines, hotels, and other suppliers with travel agencies and buyers worldwide. It’s a BIG company and it’s exciting. I’ve just celebrated my 20 year anniversary which is scarily almost half my life.
I haven’t always been a city slicker though, I grew up in a tiny country town north of Newcastle. I had a life goal of becoming a high school sports teacher, but by the time my final exams concluded I was burnt out and ready to see what life was like outside of my little country bubble. I decided to defer University and move to Sydney for a gap year.
To cut a long story short, my sister was working in travel at the time looking like she was having the time of her life. This led me to enroll in a short travel and tourism course to see what the hype was about. University was still 11 months away and a diploma on my resume couldn’t hurt….
What happened next? Well, I learnt to read IATA Air Tariffs, construct fares using NUCs and ROEs (don’t worry) and updated coupons on fake paper tickets. It was a blast, and I became best friends with a class full of randoms that I’m still in touch with.
After 6 months I graduated and got offered a temporary corporate consultancy job. I accepted knowing that I was never going to stay, but I needed money to live, eat and party with my new travel buddies.
It was then that my talked me into moving to Canada. She had a job lined up already, and encouraged me to apply for a helpdesk role at Sabre.
And I’m still here, based in our Sydney office. In the travel industry, growth often comes from passion and perseverance. I started by learning the fundamentals, building partnerships and delivering exceptional service for clients. Staying in the same organization allowed me to see the bigger picture, and how every booking, every itinerary, and every customer interaction shapes the brand. Over time, that commitment and dedication turned into trust, and trust opened doors to leadership roles. For me, climbing the ranks wasn’t about rushing, it was about staying curious, being resilient, and proving that dedication can take you anywhere, just like travel itself!
My advice to anyone starting out in the travel industry is start with passion, because the travel industry thrives on people who genuinely love creating experiences.
Gareth Coakley
Hi, I’m Gareth
I originally started my working life selling tennis racquets, and the sports industry is where I thought I would spend the rest of my career. However, during this time I was dating someone who worked in the travel industry….and it wasn’t long before I’d caught the travel bug.
It wasn’t until a few years later, when I moved to Australia, when the opportunity came up to work in the travel industry. Like a lot of jobs, it was a combination of good fortune, knowing the right people and having the rights skills and qualifications that got me that job. That role was working for a company called Stray as the “Straylian Sales Manager” (an actual job title!), who focused on the backpacker market, operating hop on/hop off transport through New Zealand and South East Asia.
My next role was still within the youth/adventure side of the industry, for a day tour operator in Sydney, and as my knowledge and experience grew I joined one of the biggest tour operators in AU/NZ as their State Sales Manager. This was a great role, where I was able to learn about the traditional side of the travel industry, meet many important people and build strong relationships that I still have to this day.
The one thing I absolutely love about the travel industry is that it’s incredibly welcoming to everyone. If you put the work in, you’ll be noticed and appreciated by those you’re working with.
I spent another seven years selling Australia/New Zealand touring before I was lucky enough to find myself in the role I am now, as the Key Account Manager for HX Expeditions. If you’d told me when I was studying my marketing and finance degree that I’d end up working for an expedition company,with the opportunity to visit incredible places like Antarctica, I would never have believed you.
I love what I do every day, and while there are always new challenges and curveballs thrown at me I thoroughly enjoy what I do and the people I am lucky enough to work with.
The highlights of my time in travel aren’t just the incredible places I have been lucky enough to go, but the people I get to work alongside every day. My fellow salespeople, even those from different companies, have become some of my best friends. There are not many industries that you can say that about.
My one piece of advice for those looking to step into the travel is to be aware of the many different travel styles and sectors within the industry. You may think you want to work for a tour operator in their operations or product team, which is fantastic, but that doesn’t mean that this is where the opportunity is going to be. Take those opportunities that come to you, because they will then create new ones for you further down the track. It is also quite likely that you will end up in a different area of the industry than you originally planned, but I promise you, you will love it.
Morgan Taylor
Hi, my name is Morgan.
I live on the Sunshine Coast, and my journey into travel is probably not the most conventional one!
I began in hospitality as a teenager, working café and restaurant jobs around studying at school, and my background from a young age until 18 was studying performing arts and live theatre. Some significant health challenges interrupted that path, and when I recovered, I decided to travel.
What began as a few months in Europe followed by a three-month stint in Africa turned into four transformative years. I started hosting international volunteers in South Africa and later Zimbabwe. They were arriving for wildlife conservation, research, community outreach and to experience the magic of Southern Africa.
Those years shaped everything that came after.
When I returned to Australia, I managed reservations and project development for an award-winning ecotourism company that was recognised for several years running as Africa’s top volunteer ecotourism operator. I stayed proudly with them up until COVID reshaped the industry.
As travel bounced back from that period I found my way back too, working in marketing and business development, always rooted in ecotourism. Today, my role allows me to plan “FIT” travel to Africa, crafting itineraries for people eager to explore the continent that left such an imprint on my heart. It’s a privilege to share my personal insight, passion, and love for a place that I believe everyone should experience at least once.
I’m a wildlife nerd, an animal lover, a nature enthusiast, and someone who genuinely lives and breathes Africa. And if I could offer any advice to anyone looking to work in travel, it’s this: there is no single pathway into this industry. Take every opportunity, stay curious, be willing to adapt, embrace the challenges, and trust that the journey will unfold in its own way. It’s a fluid, surprising and incredibly rewarding world to be part of.
The people I’ve met along the way are so inspirational! I feel incredibly fortunate and grateful for this path I’ve been on.
Simone Thannhauser
Whilst I have always worked in the Human Resources space (now more commonly named ‘People & Culture’), I actually only found my home in the travel industry eight years ago.
Prior to that, my CV had the feel of a Spanish restaurant tapas menu – I ‘tasted’ a number of various industries, before landing in the sweet churro that is travel.
Being a ‘people person’, for me the most important thing is that my values align with those around me, and that the culture of the workplace really nurtures human connection. I’ve found travel to be uniquely special in this way because it’s all about connecting people in real life, often with others from differing cultures, religions, beliefs and lifestyles.
Many moons ago we used to just read about the adventures of characters in far-off lands, but in this day and age most people have had the wonderful experience of travelling either domestically or internationally to see magical places for themselves.
In our company we live by an African proverb known as UBUNTU, which means “I am because of you and we are because of each other”. It talks to our collective responsibility to look after other humans. Travel provides the perfect opportunity for us to experience how other people live and to grow our understanding, tolerance, curiosity and compassion for them.
With modern technology, travel is even more accessible than ever and I love the fact that my job nurtures both personal and professional growth in the employees who form our work family.
Kylee Kay
Hi there!
My name is Kylee Kay. I left school early and started in tourism working for DreamWorld on the Gold Coast in the accounting department in…I hate to say this out loud….1987. I went back to matriculate a few years later though – an important part of the educational growth that happened over the next ten years.
I had a passion for numbers, and accounting was a natural fit.
Over time, that love of numbers transferred into a passion for travel. I moved through a number of tourism organisational accounting divisions in CFO roles until, in 2000, I landed my first Managing Director role at DriveAway Holidays. I would remain there until 2007, and this experience opened my world beyond finance and into the more front-facing roles of sales and marketing.
And that is where I have predominantly stayed. I had another brief stint back as GM Finance for Scenic Tours in 2008-2010, but realised I wasn’t meant to be in that finance world anymore – the front line was where it was at, and marketing was my thing.
I took over Asia Pacific Travel Marketing Services Pty Limited in December 2009 and have built that business, originally focused on product, into a full-suite sales, marketing and PR agency focused on destinations.
My job is about people and relationships. It’s about putting my team in the right roles, for the right clients, where they can be their best creative and administrative selves. It’s about storytelling. It’s about connecting stakeholders from around the world to the right trade or media here in Australia and New Zealand.
It looks glamorous, with events and fun…. and it is exactly that. There’s also a lot of hard work that goes into creating all that.
From 2014 to 2015 I was on the Visit USA committee and became President 2015-2018 (and had a baby in between!).
From 2020 to 2022 I sat on the ASTW (Australian Society of Travel Writers) board also.
My agency has been nominated for so many awards. That’s where I love to see my team being recognised for the amazing work they do!
What I have witnessed over the years is that it doesn’t matter where you start in travel – there is a pathway to the top.
We are selling dreams, not insurance. Those dreams are what get me up in the morning, and that’s what keeps it awesome.
Michelle Daniels
Hi, I’m Michelle
When I think of my journey in the travel industry, it’s been a wild ride – I feel like I’ve dipped my toes into just about every space.
As the end of school approached, I was feeling lost. I lived in a country town in SA, and I thought I wanted to marry my high school sweetheart, have a family and live there forever.
But things don’t always turn out as you expect. As I was knocking on doors at 16 looking for businesses who’d take me on for Work Experience, it was the local branch of Harvey World Travel that said yes. Two weeks later I was stamping travel brochures and doing stocktakes on the faded product rack of travel accessories.
Looking back now, it was those images in the brochures I was stamping that opened my eyes to the wider world.
By 17, I was working full-time as a travel consultant. With the guidance of three amazing and experienced teammates, I learnt about the world and how to see it.
I moved to Melbourne (and left the high school sweetheart behind) in 2003. I stayed in retail travel for six years in total and learnt from some amazing consultants who have gone on to win awards, own agencies and become very successful in their space.
In 2006 I took a career break to travel the world, backpacking Europe for 6 months and working a ski season in New Zealand for another 12 months.
Returning to Melbourne in 2007, I was dead broke! Needing money fast, I started in temping roles which led to a full-time position at Carlson Wagonlit Travel. CWT is a global company and I was now working in the corporate travel landscape on their very important BHP Billiton account. It was fast-paced, with a fun crew and great money.
But what was missing was my unquenchable desire to keep seeing the world. Corporate wasn’t for me – I loved talking about the destination, not just the purpose of travel.
The next five years were a dream. I scored a job at the best place possible – Peregrine Adventures (since acquired by Intrepid Travel). This wasn’t just a workplace – it was a family, full of friends I still cherish today. I joined as a Reservations Consultant and was quickly promoted to Assistant Team Leader. I loved every minute of selling tours to some of the most remote and incredible countries our planet has to offer.
Later, I answered a yearning I’d had since my retail days and applied to become a Business Development Manager at the company. And that was it for me – I had found my calling. One of my teachers had always told me I’d end up in a role like this, as I love to chat. He was right!
These days I say I’ve been in travel for 26 years, but the truth is I stepped away from the industry between 2014 and 2022. During that time I had my two beautiful kids, tried my luck in IT, and even worked in a hospital during the pandemic. It was OK, but it never felt like home. For me, that home is the travel industry.
I love helping agents sell amazing travel experiences to their clients and the buzz you get when bookings come through that I’ve helped influence. Since returning in 2022, my biggest highlights have been being nominated for the National Travel Industry Awards as Most Outstanding Sales Executive in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and becoming a finalist in 2024.
But it’s about more than just recognition. It’s about the friendships I’ve reignited after years away and the new ones I continue to make. That is what is truly special to me.
Earlier this year I volunteered my time to share my story with a group of 18-year-old students entering the travel industry. It was exciting to see these young adults, wide-eyed and ready to explore the world, and realise I was once one of them. In fact, it was so enjoyable that my future “Give Back” goal is to start visiting high schools to speak with senior students, offering them a vision of our industry that helps them see it as a genuine career path.
I always knew this industry would let me see the world — but it’s given me so much more than that.