INFLUENTIAL WOMEN
Charlotte Williamson speaks to four influential women who work in the travel industry
MEET THE WOMEN WHO MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY DREAMS COME TRUE
JENNIFER ATKINSON, 42, IS CEO OF BRITISH TOUR OPERATOR ITC TRAVEL GROUP (INSPIRINGTRAVELCOMPANY.CO.UK). SHE LIVES IN MANCHESTER WITH HER HUSBAND, DAVE, A GRAPHIC DESIGNER, AND THEIR CHILDREN, FOUR-YEAR-OLD BILLY AND BELLE, TWO.
WE’RE SEEING A RISE IN MULTI-GENERATIONAL TRAVEL – WE’RE NO LONGER JUST BOOKING
FOR COUPLES OR THE AVERAGE 2.4 FAMILY. NOWADAYS, GRANDPARENTS, COUSINS AND FRIENDS MIGHT COME TOO. BARBADOS AND GREECE ARE OUR MOST POPULAR DESTINATIONS. THE NUMBER ONE REQUIREMENT OUR CUSTOMERS ASK FOR FROM A VILLA? A PRIVATE SWIMMING POOL. EVERYONE IS KEEN TO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL VIEW TOO!
THERE’S ALSO A TRAVEL TREND TOWARDS THE EXPERIMENTAL, WITH HOLIDAYMAKERS KEEN TO GET UNDER THE SKIN OF THE DESTINATION THEY’RE VISITING. EVEN TRADITIONAL BEACH RESORTS ARE TAPPING INTO THIS BY OFFERING LOCAL ACTIVITIES, EVERYTHING FROM COOKERY CLASSES TO CONSERVATION PROGRAMMES.
PEOPLE WANT TO CONNECT WITH OTHER PEOPLE. DURING THE CREDIT CRUNCH OF 2009, THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT EVERYONE BOOKING THEIR TRAVEL THOUGH THE INTERNET. BUT OVERWHELMINGLY WE HAVE FOUND THAT PEOPLE WANT FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND REASSURANCE.
I BECAME CEO AT 34 HAVING NEVER RUN A COMPANY BEFORE, AND IT WAS ALL DOWN TO MY NAIVETY. IF I HAD KNOWN HOW HARD IT WOULD BE, I WOULD NEVER HAVE PUT MYSELF FORWARD! I STARTED AT ITC 13 YEARS AGO AS HEAD OF MARKETING. THEN, IN 2009, WHEN THE COMPANY WAS IN DIRE FINANCIAL STRAITS, THE FOUNDER, DREW FOSTER, DISCOVERED THE TERRIBLE NEWS HE HAD TERMINAL CANCER. I PRESENTED DREW WITH MY BUSINESS PLAN. I FELT PASSIONATELY THAT THIS WAS A GREAT BUSINESS, BUT IT WAS A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY. THAT FIRST YEAR, THOUGH, WE BROKE EVEN.
MY CHILDHOOD HOLIDAYS CONSISTED OF US HOOKING UP THE CARAVAN AND DRIVING TO AUSTRIA – MY MOTHER IS AUSTRIAN – OR GERMANY. I GREW UP IN LEEDS AND WE’D ALSO GO TO SCARBOROUGH. WE WENT ON ONE EXOTIC LONG-HAUL
TRIP TO FLORIDA, AND WHAT REALLY STRUCK ME WAS THAT ALL THE COLOURS AND EVEN THE GRASS LOOKED DIFFERENT. I ALWAYS TELL OUR CUSTOMERS TO LOOK OUT FOR THE DIFFERENCES IN COLOUR AND LIGHT.
IF I COULD GO ANYWHERE TOMORROW, I’D DO WHAT WE DID ON OUR HONEYMOON. WE MARRIED IN AUSTRIA AND THEN WENT SKIING WITH FRIENDS BEFORE ENDING UP
IN THE MALDIVES. IT WAS BLISS.
“On long-haul trips, the colour, light, even grass looks different”
INDIA IS ON MY BUCKET LIST. I AM SAVING IT UP FOR WHEN THE CHILDREN CAN APPRECIATE IT. I WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE CULTURE AS WELL AS TAKE IN SOME YOGA, WHICH I ALREADY DO – I ENJOY THE SILENCE.
JULIA HANDS, 57, IS CHAIRMAN
AND CEO OF HAND PICKED HOTELS (HANDPICKEDHOTELS.CO.UK). SHE IS MARRIED TO GUY HANDS, AN ENTREPRENEUR, AND THE COUPLE HAVE FOUR GROWN-UP CHILDREN. SHE LIVES IN SEVENOAKS, KENT.
FROM OUR EXPERIENCE, THE STAYCATION
IS A GROWING TREND, AIDED IN PART BY THE ADVERSE FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES. THE BRITISH COUNTRYSIDE, TOWNS AND CITIES HAVE SO MUCH TO OFFER THAT THIS IS NO SURPRISE. GREAT BRITAIN IS SUCH A VARIED PLACE; IT IS A REAL JOY TO TRAVEL FOR JUST A COUPLE OF HOURS AND EXPERIENCE A NEW PART OF THE COUNTRY – THERE IS ALWAYS SO MUCH TO DO AND SEE.
WE MAKE OUR MENUS AS SEASONAL AND LOCAL AS POSSIBLE – IT’S WHAT OUR GUESTS WANT. WE VERY MUCH SEE OUR HOTELS AS BEING PART OF THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH THEY ARE BASED, AND ACTIVELY ENCOURAGE OUR CHEFS TO COOK WITH LOCAL INGREDIENTS. YOU SIMPLY CANNOT BEAT FRESHLY PICKED LOCAL ASPARAGUS OR STRAWBERRIES.
OUR BEDS ARE EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD. THEY ARE BY HYPNOS AND IT TOOK US FIVE OR SIX ATTEMPTS BEFORE WE GOT THE RIGHT FORMULA. OUR RESEARCH SHOWS THAT WHAT GUESTS WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING IS A GENUINE WELCOME – OTHERWISE HOTELS CAN FEEL QUITE IMPERSONAL – PLUS A GOOD SHOWER AND A COMFORTABLE BED.
I SPENT 12 YEARS WORKING IN THE CITY AS A LAWYER BUT THEN TOOK A CAREER BREAK. DURING THAT PERIOD, IN 1999, MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED TWO GROUPS OF HOTELS TO CREATE HAND PICKED HOTELS, A COLLECTION OF VERY INDIVIDUAL HOTELS – HENCE THE NAME – AND TWO YEARS LATER, I TOOK ON THE ROLE OF BOTH CHAIRMAN AND CEO. OUR AIM IS TO CREATE A RELAXED ATMOSPHERE FROM THE MOMENT YOU ENTER – FOR IT TO
BE THE KIND OF PLACE WHERE
YOU FEEL YOU CAN JUST KICK
OFF YOUR SHOES.
I READ ALL THE LETTERS – COMPLIMENTS, FEEDBACK AND RECOMMENDATIONS – THAT WE RECEIVE. I LEARN SO MUCH FROM THEM ABOUT HOW OUR GUESTS PERCEIVE US AND THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
I DON’T HAVE A FAVOURITE HOTEL –I ALWAYS SAY THAT IT IS LIKE CHOOSING BETWEEN YOUR CHILDREN – BUT CERTAIN HOTELS ARE UNDOUBTEDLY LOVELIER AT PARTICULAR TIMES OF
THE YEAR. L’HORIZON BEACH HOTEL AND SPA IS SITUATED RIGHT ON THE STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL ST BRELADE’S BAY IN JERSEY, AND ON A SUMMER’S DAY IS UNBEATABLE. MEANWHILE, RHINEFIELD HOUSE HOTEL NESTLED IN THE NEW FOREST IS IN A GLORIOUS POSITION WHEN THE TREES OF THE FOREST HAVE JUST GOT ALL THEIR NEW LEAVES.
GROWING UP IN KENT, WE DIDN’T HAVE A CAR SO WE DIDN’T TRAVEL MUCH – WE’D
VISIT FAMILY IN WALES AND, OCCASIONALLY, WE TOOK DAY TRIPS TO FRANCE. IT WAS ONLY AFTER I’D LEFT HOME THAT I CAUGHT THE TRAVEL BUG, EXPLORING IN PARTICULAR FRANCE AND SPAIN. I REMEMBER MY FIRST TRIP TO NEW YORK – THAT WAS WITH GUY, BEFORE WE WERE MARRIED – AND IT WAS HUGELY EXCITING. IT WAS IN THE DAYS OF FREDDIE LAKER [HE CREATED LAKER AIRWAYS, ONE OF THE FIRST NO-FRILLS AIRLINES] AND THE EXCHANGE RATE WAS $2.40 TO £1 – A
STUDENT’S DREAM! THIS SUMMER I’M PLANNING TO GO TO ANDALUSIA – I LOVE THE CITIES OF GRANADA, SEVILLE AND CORDOBA. I ALSO
WANT TO PLAY SOME GOLF THERE, A RELATIVELY NEW HOBBY. SOUTH AMERICA IS ON MY BUCKET LIST – I’D LOVE TO GO TO PERU AND SEE
MACHU PICCHU, AND TO ARGENTINA AND EXPERIENCE PATAGONIA AND THE MENDOZA WINE REGION.
FOOTBALL IS HOW I RELAX – I HAVE A SEASON TICKET TO ARSENAL. I ALSO LOVE WALKING – WE HAVE A COUPLE OF RED FOX LABRADORS WITH BEAUTIFUL GINGER COATS AND I LOVE TO TAKE THEM ON WALKS IN THE KENTISH WEALD NEAR OUR HOME. ANOTHER OF MY GREAT PLEASURES IS WINE – GOING TO WINERIES OR SIMPLY DRINKING IT WITH FRIENDS! >>
“Our clients want a warm welcome – and comfy beds!”