06 Mar
2023

“Travel is the industry to work in” says new careers video from ABTA

ABTA – The Travel Association has launched a new video campaign which highlights travel as a great industry to work in. 

The two-minute video is the latest phase of ABTA’s ‘#BePartofTravel campaign’, which aims to support members to attract and retain talent in the industry. It has been launched to coincide with National Careers Week which runs 6 – 11 March.

The video features testimonials from ABTA member travel agents and tour operators explaining why they work in the industry, and the various reasons it should be considered as a career path by graduates and career changers. The opportunities to travel, culture and career development are among the top reasons people highlight as why to join the sector. The video can be viewed here

The video will be advertised on LinkedIn and shared on ABTA’s social channels during National Careers Week and will continue to be promoted in the coming months ahead. There is also a series of shorter videos, each featuring a travel industry professional.

ABTA is encouraging its members and ABTA Education Partners to get involved with the campaign by sharing the new video across their own channels, as well as ABTA’s existing social media assets on career opportunities. They are available from the marketing toolkit.
 
Vicki Wolf, ABTA Head of Education and Career Development said: 

“This is an exciting time to join this fun, dynamic and versatile travel industry. Young people who are looking for career ideas and those who have worked in with transferable skills should consider a career in travel.
 
“These are exactly the messages we’re trying to get across with the new video and ‘#BePartofTravel’ campaign as a whole. The campaign has received positive feedback from ABTA members, who have been facing recruitment challenges as the industry continues to recover from the pandemic.”

Giles Hawke, CEO of Cosmos Tours, reflects on his extensive career in the video:

“I’ve been in it for 30 years now and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it, even in the tough moments. We’ve had to deal with some really big things, and you learn a huge amount about yourself. You learn about what you’re capable of.  
“You get to travel to go to some amazing places around the world and have experiences you would struggle to do as a consumer on a holiday. So, travel is the industry to work in”.

ABTA member travel professionals featured in the Be Part of Travel campaign:

•    Chris Wright, Managing Director, Sunvil
•    Vicky Yates-McCowan, Travel Consultant, Luxury Holidays and Honeymoons 
•    James Thornton, CEO, Intrepid Travel
•    Annika Nickson, Travel Consultant, Not Just Travel
•    Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director, C&M Travel Recruitment 
•    Giles Hawke, CEO, Cosmos Tours 
•    Gemma Standish, Travel Consultant, Not Just Travel
•    Brian Young, Managing Director EMEA, G Adventures 
•    Susie Taylor, Travel Consultant, Club Voyages

Notes to editors
ABTA is a trade association for UK travel agents, tour operators and the wider travel industry. We’re the largest travel trade body, with over 3,900 travel brands in membership who have a combined pre-pandemic annual UK turnover of £40 billion. We work closely with our members to help raise and maintain standards and build a more sustainable travel industry, and provide travellers with advice, guidance and support.

Our members sign up to a code of conduct and commit to agreed service standards and fair trading. When you need clear travel information, and accurate and impartial advice relating to your trip, we’re here for you. We’ll help you understand your level of financial protection, and what to do next, in the unlikely event that an ABTA member goes out of business. So whatever happens, when you book with an ABTA member, reliable advice comes as standard.  This means that booking with our members brings peace of mind. Together with our members, we help you travel with confidence. www.abta.com