‘WE’RE READY FOR NEW ADVENTURES’
Missing out on those much-needed getaways has been hard on all of us. Here, four inspiring women leaders from the travel industry share their own love of holidays and how they’re getting back to business after one of the toughest times in the industry’s h
Leaders in the travel industry on their hopes for the future
‘Travelling can bring out the best version of yourself’ Dawn Wilson started her career working as cabin crew and is now managing director of TUI Airways.
When I was growing up, my mum would save up every year for a holiday overseas. I come from a working-class background – Mum was a lollipop lady and Dad was a bus driver – and we couldn’t afford anything glamorous, but we’d go on coach tours around European cities. I fell in love with these new experiences.
I had only been on a plane once before I started working for an airline – it was a trip to Sicily to stay with a foreign exchange student.
I felt so cosmopolitan and independent walking through the airport. Flying felt exhilarating. When I graduated from Nottingham with a humanities degree, I decided to work as an air hostess for TUI (then called Britannia) while I worked out what to do long-term.
It was 1988; air travel and mass-market holidays were becoming more affordable.
Whatever happens, there will always be a demand for travel
People would arrive on the jets suited and booted and I enjoyed being part of their excitement. Sometimes it would be short-haul trips and I’d be home in time for Coronation Street, other times we’d stay overnight in five-star hotels. I remember paddling in the sea in Puerto Rico, thinking, ‘I can’t believe I get paid to do this!’
I was only intending to stay in the job for a year, but I loved it so much that I never left, and have worked for the company for 32 years. In 1996, I became a cabin crew manager and started to interact with management in different parts of the business. I became more interested in the commercial side and thought: ‘I want to be a part of shaping this.’ I’ve always been eager to learn, and I progressed to head of cabin crew. Since then, I’ve held numerous senior positions, including director of operations, before taking up my current role two years ago.
My grounding in cabin crew has been invaluable because I gained a fantastic understanding of the customers. TUI is a holiday airline – the trips people take with us are often the highlight of their year. I place customers at the heart of everything we do; my current role involves overseeing strategies to ensure we create a safe and seamless experience when they fly with us.
WORKING THROUGH COVID
Crisis management is a big part of my job, but nothing could have prepared me for the scale of Covid-19. Our cruise director informed me that we needed to bring people home from their cruises in February 2020 and, within three weeks, we were repatriating people from every country we fly to. By mid-march, we’d brought 45,000 people home.
Throughout the pandemic, my job has shifted. I lead 5,000 people, including 1,000 pilots and 500 engineers, so it has been important to stay connected with everyone from home, even when there has been no work. At the same time,
we’ve been focused on customer service; at some stages, we were receiving 1m calls per day to reschedule holidays and issue refunds. I have also interacted with the Government, developing new protocols for when flights are operating normally again (such as making masks mandatory).
Our income dried up overnight, but thankfully we were able to get loans to see us through the darker days. I’m hopeful that travel will bounce back – I think everyone wants to escape more than ever. People will become more discerning about where and when they travel, favouring trips with less interaction, such as self-catered holidays and villas. Customers will want to fly more sustainably, too – we’re gradually replacing all our older aircraft with planes that are more carbon efficient. Whatever happens, I believe there will always be a demand for travel. It broadens minds, connects people and allows us to be the best versions of ourselves.
My partner, Andrew, also holds a senior position at TUI. It’s amazing having someone who understands the challenges and it has strengthened our relationship. I don’t have kids of my own, but spending time with his two grown-up daughters has brought a lovely new dimension to my life.
I like to switch off by cooking – and travelling, of course! But even when I’m relaxing, I always stay connected to work. What I do partly defines who I am, but I’m not embarrassed about that. I love my job. I get to take people on holiday. What could be better than that?
Find out more at tui.co.uk