Describe yourself in 3-5 words: outdoorsy, reliable, kind, outgoing.
Describe your travel style in 3-5 words: adventurous, budget friendly, immersive, solo wanderer.
Why did you choose to study travel & tourism? I have always had a passion for the outdoors and have always been intrigued by new experiences and seeing the world. After a failed psychology degree and years of working in the restaurant industry, I decided to pursue the travel & tourism industry so that I could find work directly related to my passions.
What is your greatest professional strength? I have always been determined to do well professionally and to provide myself with the future and experiences that I hope for.
What’s your dream travel & tourism job? My dream job would be to either create my own business where I could focus on travel planning and providing incredible experiences for my customers or find a job where I can work remotely and travel the world.
It is super important to recognize ways in which we can protect our planet but also give back to local communities. Slow travel also interests me as it provides more of an opportunity to spend time in a certain destination, learn more about the local communities, and gain more experiences, as opposed to jumping back and forth through different cities and only seeing the top tourist attractions.
Ariel Wilkinson
In your opinion, what’s the most exciting trend in travel right now and why? The top travel trends that are of interest to me are sustainable travel and slow travel. Since Covid, it is quite obvious that we have had a recent boom in travelling and it is super important to recognize ways in which we can protect our planet but also give back to local communities. Slow travel also interests me as it provides more of an opportunity to spend time in a certain destination, learn more about the local communities, and gain more experiences, as opposed to jumping back and forth through different cities and only seeing the top tourist attractions.
What is one thing you can’t travel without? Ear plugs and sleep mask. Great for long plane rides, layovers and noisy hostel rooms.
How many countries have you visited? Six.
Name your favourite travel experience so far: Doing a solo road trip for two weeks through BC and ending up in Tofino where I got to surf and take a sea plane ride over the island.
What’s on your travel bucket list? Road trip through Iceland, visiting all the National Parks in Canada and the United States, and island hopping through Greece.
Name your greatest achievement so far: Pursuing and completing a degree that I could envision myself doing long term.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Still travelling the world, owning a camper van to live in full-time and being my own boss as I will have my own travel planning business.
What’s the best OR worst piece of travel advice you’ve received? The best piece of advice I have received is to be flexible with your plans and don’t plan everything down to the second. Also, pack less than you think. You’re likely not going to need that 4th pair of shoes.
