Globus family of brands Head of Sales, Peter Douglas, wants everyone to just stand back from the baggage collection carousel and step forward to collect your bag when it comes in sight!
Find out what else Peter had to say when Travel Monitor caught up with him in this week’s Talking Travel.
What does your job involve?
Leading an amazing Australian sales team of 20, working with our fantastic trade partners and ensuring that the Globus family of brands are included in the consideration phase when customers are presented with holiday options from their travel agent. We do this by continually training, advertising and regularly updating our key partners.
What do you enjoy most about your profession?
We are selling travel which is a passion of mine and I cannot think of another industry that I would prefer to sell in.
What are the biggest challenges for you in your profession?
Factors that are largely out of our control affecting the areas we travel to. This could be political instability, market volatility, currency fluctuation or natural disasters.
What do you think are the biggest challenges the industry faces?
The disruptors that come into the market to drive prices and margins down are usually temporary, though consumers are often drawn in with their low-priced packages. As an industry, we need to encourage consumers to focus on the quality of the product and brand, in addition to the price.
What do you think will be the biggest game changer in the travel industry in the next 12 months’?
The ever-changing nature of technology. We’ve seen technology disrupt the landscape for years now and I believe it will continue to evolve exponentially and impact how people travel and how they choose their travel. Travel agents, airlines, cruise and tour operators need to ensure that they meet the changing needs of the customer, provide a seamless experience and offer customers a wide variety of experiences / travel options to differentiate themselves from the market.
What destination/travel trend do you think is the next big thing?
We are seeing great interest in a more active approach to travel. To really experience a destination, it’s great to jump on a bike, go for a hike or paddle in a canoe to explore and get to know the local area / culture.
What are your thoughts on responsible travel and how do you try implement this in your workplace?
We all now have a responsibility to travel responsibly. I personally, cannot accept bad treatment of animals for human enjoyment. I also believe that when we operate in a destination, we must respect the local people and culture, ensuring our tours benefit the locals just as much as our own customers. The tours and cruises that the Globus family of brands represent understand this value of responsibility and sustainability – these are at the core of all decisions when designing and building our products.
Who inspires you most and why?
The sales team I work with. They are so passionate in what they do and the brands that they represent. They go above and beyond for their agent partners and thrive on seeing the results of all their hard work.
What is your must pack travel item(s)?
Noise cancelling headphones and my audio books.
Who would you invite on your next holiday if you could choose anyone and where would you go?
My wife. I travel a lot without her in my job so it’s fantastic when we get the opportunity to travel together. We have just booked a Monograms tour of Galapagos and Peru – Peru is one of my favourite places to travel to, and it’ll be the first time that we’ll both see the Galapagos. It’s going to be an incredible experience.
Contact Email – pdouglas@globus.com.au
