Jennifer is a born wanderer, so it’s no surprise she gravitated towards a career in travel. Not only has she worked her way up to Country Manager of Hawai’i Tourism Oceania, but she also created her own travel business called Unmapped.
Hailing from Manchester in the UK, Jennifer studied journalism and started writing for Nat Geo Kids after backpacking the world. After taking a year to teach English in Peru and Columbia, Jennifer moved to Australia, where she began a career in destination marketing.
Aside from being the Country Manager of Hawai’i Tourism Oceania based in Sydney, Jennifer also launched her low-impact travel business Unmapped just before the pandemic.
What’s happening in your business, and how does the forthcoming period look?
It’s been an incredibly busy year for Hawaiʻi Tourism Oceania. We’ve added a new team member, and we’ve just wrapped up Aloha Down Under.
We have forged some significant trade partners, have several famils coming up, and we have a really exciting filming project in the works.
I’m also in the process of re-launching Unmapped Travel, a business I started just before Covid. So it’s all systems go!
What are you excited about right now?
So many things! But the most exciting thing for me at the moment is my team.
Working with Kris, Anna, Darragh, and Maree is a dream. I feel incredibly lucky to work with people as passionate about travel and the Hawaiian Islands as I am.
Are there trends you are seeing that are driving change in Hawaii or the industry?
Our most significant change this year has been our approach to tourism. The Hawaiian Islands are seriously considering tourism’s impact on people and the environment and are making several changes to minimise the negative impacts.
We’ve been promoting Malama Hawaiʻi a lot this year. The idea is to ask tourists and trade to take care of Hawaii when they visit. We suggest activities such as being involved in beach-clean ups and respecting local residents. We also recommend they participate in cultural activities to have a deeper bond with the island on their visit.
For a destination like Hawaiʻi, which is already so popular, it will take some time to see the impacts of these changes.
Still, I think for destinations just starting on their tourism journey, there’s a huge opportunity to design their tourism strategy to benefit the local people and environment from the very start.
What are the biggest challenges for travel?
It is balancing the need for tourism to have an economic impact with the need for tourism to impact local people and the environment positively. I don’t think anyone has got it quite right yet, but seeing so many destinations and other tourism companies trying is encouraging.
What about the biggest opportunities?
I think the biggest challenge also represents the biggest opportunity. I’m a true believer that travel can have a really positive impact both on the visitor but also on the destination and the environment.
When people see beautiful places with their own eyes, they will want to protect them. Similarly, when people have the chance to experience different cultures and ways of life, they gain more empathy and understanding of the world. We just need to get the balance right.
How important is leadership right now? What should leadership look like?
Leadership is hugely important. I’m lucky to be led by one of the best, Jacqui Walshe. The strides I’ve made here at The Walshe Group, the growth in my skill set and my confidence are down to having an encouraging and supportive leader.
What would you like to see change? Or more of?
I would love to see us as an industry come together and find a way to attract more people. Travel is a rewarding area to work in, but we seem to struggle to find the right talent.
How key is collaboration in the industry?
Huge! I’m a big fan of partnerships and collaborations. We can only get stronger together. I love working on collaborations with airlines and other destinations and with businesses outside the travel industry.
Do you think enough emphasis is being placed on sustainability in travel and addressing the climate crisis?
Yes and no. Some destinations and companies are doing great work and finding ways to make changes, big and small. But I think the truth is that it’s just not a priority for some destinations and companies.
I think companies like Intrepid and G Adventures are leading the way in sustainable tourism.
For the re-launch of Unmapped Travel, I’ll be really focussing on regenerative and eco-travel. I think one area we need to address is the perception that sustainable travel is a lot more expensive.
While it’s true that people are willing to spend more on sustainability, I think it’s important to show that there’s more to having a sustainable holiday than staying in a fancy eco-retreat.
What are your personal learnings from the pandemic?
I’m more of a social person than I thought I was!
What is your message to the industry?
Let’s not just go back to what we were doing before the pandemic; let’s get creative and do things differently.
You can find out more about Jennifer or get in touch via Linkedin
