Can you tell us a little about yourself and how long you’ve been in the industry?
I was fortunate enough to be hired by British Airways (BOAC then) and worked for many years at YYZ airport and also in the reservation centre in Toronto. I wanted to move back to the Haliburton Highlands, so I found work as a travel agent. In 2001 my office was purchased by Transat AT and became part of their chain of travel agencies, both franchises and in my case, corporately owned Transat Travel. My office on the main street of smalltown Haliburton was successful, and but unfortunately was closed during covid in 2021. I then began working remotely from home, linked with the Transat Travel office in Peterborough, Ont. I wasn’t sure how I would manage working remotely, as so much of the success of the office was from the years of trust built up between myself and my clients, face-to-face. Luckily, I continued to be as busy as before and won BRAVO sales awards with Transat Distribution Canada (TDC). After 50 years of work in the travel industry, and almost 34 years with Transat, I retired Nov. 1, 2024. I probably would have continued working, but I had an offer I couldn’t refuse – marriage to my true love, a retired helicopter inspector with Transport Canada, and life in Ottawa.
What did you specialize in and why?
Prior to my retirement I specialized in Europe – all of Europe, river cruising, escorted vacations and a la carte travel. I, of course, was also busy with travel to the south in winter months, and cruising of all kinds, but my greatest interest was Europe. I love the history, the architecture, and the food!
I recently read a study that women above the age of 50 will drive $746 billion in travel spending by 2035 – coming in right after millennials. Does that align with your clientele?
The majority of my clients were aged 50+.
Are you noticing any interesting trends from the bookings you have? Are your clients still travelling to the U.S. with the ongoing tariffs?
As I retired before the insanity of Trump, I can’t really comment on the change of travel avoiding entering the USA, however I did have clients who told me they were taking trips to the USA prior to the election as they had no intention of returning if Trump was elected, and this is before his rhetoric about Canada becoming the 51st state. I know personally that I had planned to take my husband on a Cunard cruise to Alaska in August 2025, as I had cruised on the Queen Elizabeth in August 2024 to Alaska with a dear friend, a fellow colleague in TDC, but will not do that now. We will vacation in Canada instead or my second favourite country, Wales.
What’s your biggest piece of advice for travel advisors right now?
My biggest piece of advice to travel agents is to know your clients, know their budget and know your destinations. Don’t hesitate to try and upsell when you can, if you feel it is worth it. There are special moments that might not happen if you don’t know more about the tour operator or the destination. As an example, there are many tour operators that offer guided vacations of Ireland, but not all offer a walk in the forests of Ashford Castle with a falconer like RIT does.
Tell us a little bit about a booking that stands out – whether it’s the most expensive, the longest, the most adventurous, etc.
A booking that stands out for me was many years ago when clients of mine had me arrange a Princess Cruise from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso. Airfare from Toronto to BUE, (always, always arrive in the port of embarkation at least two days in advance!) and home from LIM was included, and of course, I had also included full medical, trip cancellation and Concierge Club insurance with Manulife. The trip was going smoothly until an earthquake off the coast of Chile meant the cruise ship could not continue as planned.
With the assistance of Manulife, Air Canada and Princess, I was able to communicate with my clients, had them stay onboard and the ship returned to BUE. From there I had arranged their new flights home. I kept in constant communication with their family back in Canada as they were very worried. I was relieved when they arrived home safely, and I appreciated their gratitude and knew I had done a good job taking care of my clients.
What are your thoughts on FAM trips? Are they valuable? Why? Do they help you sell more? How can they be improved?
I think that FAM trips are a very important component of being an educated travel advisor. Whether it is a Cruise Academy for new agents, a week in the Mayan Riviera visiting various resorts, or as my years in travel industry grew, trips to India, Iceland, Jordan, Ireland and Wales, FAM trips provide such a tool for learning more about the country, the resort area, the culture. It helps you match your clients to a region that would most suit their desires. I know that after my FAM trips I was able to sell those destinations with much more confidence. I could tell my clients, ‘Yes, I have walked the Great Wall of China, seen the Taj Mahal at sunrise, the glory of Wadi Rum and Petra and they are truly life altering experiences.’ Closer to home, being able to go down the Big Pit Coal Mine in Wales, see the 5,000-year-old Standing Stones of Orkney, walk in Ireland with a falcon on my arm, are all experiences I shared with my clients and encouraged with confidence that they visit there themselves. I do prefer in-depth FAMS… No 20 hotel inspections in one day, they all become a blur!
What’s the biggest challenge you are facing in the travel industry right now? What do you think can be done to help it?
Because I am no longer working, I can’t say what is now the biggest challenge in the travel industry. However, I would speculate that we, as travel consultants, need to stress the hands-on experiences, the desire to please our clients wanting their well-earned loyalty and repeat business is something that online sites and google searches can never provide.
Nominator:
“Linda was an exceptional travel advisor and she was very well known in her hometown of Haliburton, where for many years, she ran the very successful Transat Travel office. Unfortunately, the store front closed due to the pandemic, but that didn’t stop Linda from creating unforgettable trips for her clients all over the world. She continued her amazing work from home (and sometimes made the long trip to the Peterborough office) and it is a testament to her professionalism that she continued to offer the highest standard of service to her clients. She was a wonderful supporter of RIT. I had the pleasure of travelling with her on a FAM trip to Wales, which I know was a very special trip for her with some close family connections. Linda will be missed by many in the industry, including all of us at RIT. Thank you, Linda, for your amazing career!”
