FRONTLINE SPECIAL EDITION
I’d qualified for Elite training in Mauritius. It was probably the best trip I ever did; I sold so many Mauritius holidays that would otherwise not have been on my radar.
Q. How did you cope in the pandemic? When we went into lockdown, I managed to save 80% of my bookings. I rebooked them, saying we’d roll it over, thinking next year would be fine. I’d move the holidays again, but more people wanted refunds. I travelled between lockdowns, which was difficult, because of testing and the traffic light system. We went to Crete and Madeira. I’d share our holidays, experiences and all the rules. I became expert and people valued booking with me. It built loyalty – and clients now understand the benefits of a package. Not Just Travel had daily Facebook Live updates and lots of ways to keep us motivated.
Lisa McCallum The Not Just Travel agent from
Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, tells Samantha Mayling about work, holidays and her neurodiverse sons
Q. How did you get into travel? At 16, I got a trainee credit control job. I hated it, but if you earn money you can have holidays. At 25, I was repping with First Choice in Menorca and Fuerteventura, then back in England I worked at Ralph Lauren. I was a full-time mum for five years, before my husband took a year out in 2017 and suggested I research jobs selling holidays. I found Not Just Travel and within three weeks I’d parted with 15 grand, formed a limited company and went for training. My previous experience helped because it’s about relationships. Eight years on, I’m very happy – I do something I love and feed my holiday addiction.
Q. How was your training? It was five days in Bournemouth – intense but really good. I was partnered with a nice couple in Inverness who were on the end of the phone if I didn’t know how to load a booking. Not Just Travel head office offers support too. You always have people to ask for advice. Six months after my initial training was the Millionaires Retreat, for even more intense training. Nine months in,
30 6 MARCH 2025
Q. Where do you find clients? It’s largely local. My repeat booking rate is about 80%. Before clients travel, especially for complex holidays, we sit down and chat through it. When they come back, we meet for coffee and they show me their photos. I do a lot of storytelling with clients’ photographs. Recently, clients finished their safari in South Africa so I asked to use their photos. Another went to Lapland – her photos were phenomenal, with the northern lights. I’m part of Businesswomen UnLtd – business owners supporting each other. Lots of them book with me.
Q. What do you sell? Initially, people knew me as a parent through school, so I sold family package holidays and the odd tailor-made. Now, almost everything is tailor-made. Families are becoming more adventurous. Mauritius is very family-friendly. And those with older children want adventure, so I’m doing Thailand – a mix of city and beach – Bali twin-centres and a multi-centre by train in Canada. [With the cost-of-living rise], I suggest maybe 10 or seven nights instead of two weeks, or changing the board or destinations. But other clients are ticking off wish lists.
Q. Do you travel much yourself? We have lots of holidays. It was my eighth [NJT] birthday in November and we’ve had 31 overseas holidays since I started. We went to Budva and Kotor in Montenegro in April. The day we came back, I booked a family there before even unpacking. I’ve had four people do exactly that holiday. People value what you say about a place.
Q. How would you describe your customer service? I received the silver award in the Best Customer Service category at the 2024 Best Business Women Awards. The entry process was full-on, gathering evidence, like an appraisal. I don’t mind working late or at weekends. Every Christmas, I write a card to everybody who’s booked a holiday that year and put a little gift in with my details on, such as ice scrapers, sunglasses cleaning cloths and trolley tokens.
HOW DO YOU USE
SOCIAL MEDIA TO TALK ABOUT YOUR FAMILY AND BUSINESS?
Facebook is my main one. I also post on Instagram and LinkedIn. Largely, I don’t put offers; it’s more about being authentic. I talked about losing my baby, Melody, 15 years ago – 21
weeks into my pregnancy. It was to raise awareness and break the stigma around baby loss. I believe travel saved my life – within four months we went to Tenerife, Kerala, Marrakech and Las Vegas. A lot of people use travel as therapy. I got a
tattoo to mark the date. It will be a conversation; it’s not secret. It’s the same with my boys, 13 and 10, who are both autistic. For a long time, I didn’t talk about that in public. I learnt
ways to make travelling possible after a couple of horrendous holidays. We then went to see
my dad in Ireland, trying a short flight with special assistance. I have got so much information that I can help people. I work with many customers who have special needs and disabilities. I talk about it and what’s
available – fast-track security, special assistance, priority boarding and accessible accommodation. People really find that helpful or inspiring.
h
‘A lot of people use travel as
therapy,’ says Lisa
travelweekly.co.uk
PICTURE: Joanna Cross
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