Nine Personal TravelManagers (PTMs) have gained the Premier Aussie Specialist status, which is Tourism Australia’s top tier for training in its Aussie Specialist Program.
To become a Premier Aussie Specialist, agents must complete at least 20 training modules, undertake additional training activities and have visited at least three Australian states in the last five years.
Among those who successfully attained the status this year is TravelManagers’ representative Bev Edwards from Oakleigh South, VIC.
“I was already a ‘specialist’ of various Australian states, so when Tourism Australia extended the Program to include local agents during the pandemic, I jumped at the chance,”
“There are so many destinations and tourism products that, despite having lived in Australia and worked in the industry for 30 years, were new to me”.
Daiana Magalhaes from Dianella WA was keen to use the quieter time to learn about Australian tourism and use her newfound expertise to create exciting travel experiences, especially in WA.
“The program taught us how to sell every region of Australia. I’ve loved being able to pick from the extensive range of available modules; I chose to become a Luxe-Expert”, said PTM Rose Febo.
Randwick based PTM Sue Kuti said she realised with the impact of Covid, she needed to focus on more than just international travel.
“I had always been hesitant to book domestic travel, but I enjoyed learning about Australia. Now I’m planning to organise an Australian small group tour every year if possible”.
Tourism Australia’s Executive General Manager Commercial and Business Events Robin Mack said the high calibre of applicants for the Program reflects how much Australian based agents are supporting the local tourism industry.
TravelManagers’ Executive General Manager, Michael Gazal, “Travel Managers’ PTMs have connected clients with experiences all around Australia”.
“This is reflected in the increase in TravelManagers’ Australia domestic travel sales figures. Between January and April 2022, they accounted for sixteen per cent of total sales, which is more than double the same period in 2021.”
For more on the Aussie Specialists program, head to www.aussiespecialist.com