Meet Jamie Milton
Throughout the pandemic, Jamie Milton has been actively standing up for the needs of advisors and raising awareness about issues facing the travel industry. She penned multiple letters to parliament and MPs calling for the removal of travel restrictions, unfair policies and testing requirements, which were a big roadblock for travel advisors on the road to recovery.
Jamie Milton
Uniglobe Carefree travel group
Jamie is a true advocate for the travel industry and travel agents. She has passionately written to Governments voicing her concerns over decisions made that affect the travel industry. Throughout all of this, she has also managed to grow her empire. She is a terrific leader and well respected in the industry.
Nominated by:
Jodine Clement
Partner Marketing Specialist, TTC Tour Brands
Tell us a little about yourself and how long you’ve been in the industry?
I started in the travel industry in July, 1997 – almost 25 years ago! It’s hard to imagine that it’s been that long, but I spent a little bit of time working for a charter airline, then quickly moved to Uniglobe in September 1997. I was very lucky that I was given the room and opportunities to grow with Uniglobe Travel. I started as a corporate travel consultant, then became a leisure travel consultant. I took part time university classes to round out my travel knowledge with business skills and transitioned into a management position and eventually, 13 years ago, became a managing partner at Uniglobe Carefree Travel. Over the past several years, we have expanded our agency and grown our footprint from Saskatchewan to now cover all of Western Canada. We have a three-pronged approach and offer corporate travel services, leisure/group travel services and host agency/IC travel services. Customer service, both internal and external has always been my highest priority and I love seeing my team thrive, even in the most challenging circumstances.
Why and how did you decide to become a travel advisor?
I decided to be a travel advisor when I was very young. As I was finishing high school, I knew I didn’t want to spend the next four (or more) years in university. I wanted to be working and having adventures, experiencing life. I loved travelling and knew someone who was a travel advisor, so I opted for a 10 month Travel Counsellor program and haven’t looked back.
What’s your favourite part of being a travel agent?
I love that every day is different. There is no boredom or risk of being overcome with mundane tasks. Every day I get to help make people’s dream vacation plans come through, or help someone reunite with a loved one, or assist someone who is in need of help. I also love connecting with so many different people and being able to build those relationships year after year and see couples transition from honeymoons to family vacations and those with families transition to bucket lists and retirement travel plans. I see the businesses we book travel for growing and thriving in our communities and I am proud to be a small part of their success.
What got you through the pandemic?
There is no doubt that it was my team who carried us through the pandemic. We are very lucky that we had each other to lean on during the past two years. I have a very special group of people around me who kept bringing sunshine to the office, even on the darkest days. They dig in and work very hard, even when there is little recognition or appreciation for that hard work. I am in awe of their grit and determination to bring this company and this industry back even better than we were.
What trends are you noticing from the bookings you have?
There are a few key trends I have noticed over the past few weeks:
1) There is now a sense of urgency to bookings. As space is filling up for winter vacations and prices are rising, there is a lot of demand for last minute travel and clients willing to commit right away and pay more for that experience.
2) We are booking a lot of Bucket List Vacations. Whether it’s an around the world cruise, a trip to Africa, an extended European Vacation or a trip to Churchill to see Polar Bears, it seems like clients have spent the past two years dreaming and are now ready to make those dreams a reality.
3) We are booking a lot of groups for late 2022 and into 2023. There is a lot of demand for wedding groups, family groups and corporate incentive group travel as people are eager to reunite and spend time with family, friends and colleagues.
What’s your biggest piece of advice for travel advisors right now?
Now is the time to make sure you are prepared for your future. I truly believe the worst of the pandemic is now behind us and we are about to see growth and demand for travel like we have never seen before. I would urge advisors to make sure they are with the agency or host agency that they want to partner with going forward and to also focus on what they want their travel business to look like post pandemic. If there is a niche market you want to promote – now is the time to train and market that expertise. If there was ever a time to dig deep and put in the work to make sure you are ready and prepared to capitalize on future opportunities, it is now… but nothing comes free or easy. You have to put in the time, the effort and the work to be successful. You have to market your skills and abilities and let the world know what you, as a travel advisor, can do for them.
Can you share a special travel memory and what travel means to you?
In 2012 I was lucky enough to travel to Africa. We started our adventure with a three night stay at Kapama River Lodge, near Kruger National Park. On the second day of our stay, we had a bit of a slow day for seeing animals… until our evening game drive made up for it. It was a perfect night with a bright, full moon. We started out seeing elephants and rhinos, followed by a cheetah and several up close lion sightings. The evening ended with spotting the ever-elusive leopard. We followed up our game drive with dinner by a bonfire and the staff singing traditional songs. It couldn’t have been more perfect… or so I thought. On our walk back to our lodge, my boyfriend proposed and we have now been married for nine years. A perfect ending to a perfect day.
What’s still on your travel must do list?
I am so lucky to have travelled as much as I have, but it seems the list still keeps getting longer. I would love to experience Croatia and Greece and I have not yet travelled to Spain and Portugal. Those southern European destinations will be next on my list.
