Acclaimed businesswoman, passionate mentoring advocate and founder of Spencer Group of Companies and Travel Industry Mentoring Experience, Penny Spencer is a force of nature.
Would you believe Penny Spencer’s travel career began by stamping Adventure World brochures for six months for free?
She then landed a Girl Friday job picking up passports and doing errands around the city. And nothing has stopped her since; not even a pandemic.
Accolades for Penny include being listed in SmartCompany’s list of Australia’s Top 30 female entrepreneurs, being a finalist in the Telstra NSW Australian Business Awards and being inducted into the NTIA Hall of Fame. She is also an author and a big fan of red lipstick.
What’s happening in your business, and how does the forthcoming period look?
Business is back! We are inundated with both leisure and corporate enquiries and new business.
This is what we have been wanting since the pandemic hit; however, it has come with another set of issues. Staff are working very long hours due to the complexity of the work, such as schedule changes, cancellations, lack of inventory, and clients getting sick.
Staff retention is key, and bringing new entrants into the travel industry to train and grow is paramount at the moment. Even if there is no time to train, it is still worthwhile having a couple of juniors learn on the job.
What are you excited about right now?
I’m excited about the opportunities that have presented post-pandemic. We have changed our working model to hybrid, allowing for flexibility within the workplace.
Employing remote staff was something I wouldn’t have considered prior to 2020, but now we have people working remotely from interstate.
We have seriously looked at the technology we need moving forward and what tools we require, as well as the right partnerships.
Instead of sitting back and waiting to see what is going to happen, I feel excited about being in control again to some extent to move forward and look at different ways of doing things
Are there trends you are seeing that are driving change at Spencer Travel or the industry?
One trend I have observed is people are prepared to spend large amounts on travel at the moment. The airfares, of course, are very expensive but corporate clients and the leisure traveller are prepared to pay.
They want to travel, and they need to travel. Clients are planning their next three years of travel, and many are looking at their bucket list and saying let’s book it in.
Instead of booking a hotel room, they are booking suites. Instead of booking premium economy, they are booking business class. Clients are also very happy to pay fees, knowing they will get the service and will be looked after 24×7.
What are the biggest challenges for travel?
Lack of capacity, restrictions and regulations, delays and cancellations. Lack of hotel service staff, airline crew, cleaning crew, ground and baggage handlers. If we can get past the lack of staff and capacity, all the challenges of booking and travelling will be a lot less.
What about the biggest opportunities?
The biggest opportunities are educating the client to pay for the services of a travel agent and ultimately changing the model.
Working together as an industry. I think this has happened very well during Covid, and this is something that should continue. We need to have one voice, and AFTA has done a great job of supporting the industry over the last two years.
How important is leadership right now? What should leadership look like?
Leadership is always important, but during a crisis and difficult times, it is imperative. Leadership is not about telling people what to do but supporting and helping them through.
Leaders must be able to listen, observe and be willing to change course when necessary. They must show courage, passion, confidence, commitment and ambition but most of all, inspiration.
What would you like to see change? Or more of?
Fewer complexities of rules and regulations and especially airfare complexities. NDC was to take some of those complexities away, but this is still an area that needs work.
I would also like to change people’s perceptions of working in the travel industry. Now is the time to talk about a career in travel and why people should stay in the travel industry.
We should be proud of how we have survived and rebuilt. We need to tell positive stories and inspire others to join the industry in the future.
How key is collaboration in the industry?
Extremely important. The pandemic bought the industry closer, and we have a much stronger relationship with each other. The support we received in the last two years from our hotel, cruise and land suppliers made such a difference.
Those partnerships are stronger than they ever have been, and from those relationships come more opportunities to build a stronger and more connected industry.
Do you think enough emphasis is being placed on sustainability in travel and addressing the climate crisis?
Yes, I do; many travel companies, hotels and airlines are now talking about sustainability and reducing their carbon emissions. Clients now want to know about sustainability options when they travel and who is doing what in this area. Yet, of course, there is still a way to go.
What are your personal learnings from the pandemic?
There are so many, so I won’t bore you with them all; however, the main one is dealing with change and not being in control.
I am a crazy planner, and for the first time in my life, during the pandemic, I could not plan. I didn’t write any goals or business plans as we had no idea what the future looked like or any control over it.
I learnt to accept that and to keep to my daily routine to keep my sanity. Getting up every day at the same time, getting dressed to go to work, putting on makeup and heels, and sticking to a routine was key for me.
I also learnt how much people cared about each other and how like-minded people come together in a crisis to support each other.
What is your message to the industry?
Stay strong; we have come this far. We will recover and rebuild.
Be kind to each other; it’s stressful at the moment, and everyone is on edge. Take some time to stop and ask someone if they are ok or if they need help.
Laughter is the best and cheapest medicine.
You can find out more about Penny or get in touch with her via her LinkedIn profile.