Senior director , Travel Industry Sales for Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations in Orlando , Florida
How many years have you been in the industry ? I ’ ve been in the travel industry for 23 years , serving in various sectors , including themed restaurants , vacation ownership and theme parks .
Tell me how you got started , and why you wanted to work in travel . I started my career right out of college , at Orlando Entertains , a themed restaurant company . It allowed me to work in many segments of tourism , such as meetings and incentives , as well as the U . K . and LATAM markets . Through this first company , where I worked for 10 years , I fell in love with representing Orlando in the tourism industry .
More and more women are now filling leadership positions in the travel industry . What do you make of this change ? We have many amazing female leaders at Universal Orlando Resort , including our CMO and CFO . And , just to highlight one segment of the industry , home-based travel agencies are predominantly owned and operated by women , who have been and will continue to be strong drivers of tourism growth .
What wisdom can you offer to other women in travel ? My biggest advice is to be a contributor and do not let fear or uncertainty hold you back from being a leader . You can be a leader , no matter what your title or position . Also , women mentoring other women is the best thing we can do .
Do you have any predictions for the future of travel ? I think travel on a broad basis will come back in stages over the next two to three years and there will of course be more safety protocols with regard to improved sanitation measures . However , I think the pandemic has really made people treasure the ability to travel , more than ever before . Wanderlust folks will never take travel for granted again and will look for ways to explore this amazing world .
Where are you traveling next ? I am planning to visit some of the many parts of North America I have yet to discover , including Montana , Alaska and Lake Louise . And my new dream destination is the Maldives . I am scuba certified and I cannot imagine a more perfect destination for that activity .
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