PICTURES: Alex Maguire; Shutterstock/Tonktiti
CHARLOTTE GRAHAM, CRAIG TRAVEL
The Craig Travel apprentice speaks to Ella Sagar about her first solo trip abroad with Cover Stars to the amazing Asimina Suites in Paphos
Q. What made you apply for Cover Stars? A. I had seen previous Cover Stars in Travel Weekly and it looked amazing, but never in a million years did I think I would get through to be one myself. After I got the call to say I’d won a place on the trip I found I was the first apprentice and one of the youngest Cover Stars ever, which is crazy. At the time I was just 18 and had only ever been to Greece, Turkey and Spain with family before, so this trip brought a lot of firsts for me.
Q. Tell me about your Jet2holidays experience. A. It was so surreal. We all got to Manchester airport at 6am and were taken to a separate check-in area and fast-track security, which I didn’t know existed. We boarded the flight where we had a meal, drink and a £10 voucher to spend on duty-free as we were on an Indulgent Escape. The
Jet2.com crew did so much for everyone on the flight, it was brilliant. Jet2holidays is just incredible. They do loads for agents and offer really good value for money for our customers too. The chance to experience their Indulgent Escapes and private transfer first hand was amazing.
Q. What did you think of the Constantinou Bros Asimina Suites Hotel? A. I have never stayed in such an amazing hotel. I still dream about the bed in my enormous suite and the service was exceptional. On the way to the hotel, I won a Jet2holidays quiz to get upgraded to the swim-up suite, which was incredible. The views of the sea were stunning. It was like a film set. By the pool, we had our own cabana, which was so much fun. I have spoken about the hotel non-stop since I came back to work and the shop has worked on selling it as much as we can. Their agent incentives are great and they offer agents free stays.
Q. What was your highlight of the trip? A. One of my highlights was going to the vineyard and squashing grapes by foot. I had never realised how wine was made before then, but it was amazing to have that
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experience, plus Greek entertainment and wine tasting. I learned so much as I had never really tried fine wines before. The other highlight for me was the people we went with. Everyone was so lovely, and we all still keep in touch. It really helped me settle into the travel industry if I’m being completely honest. At first, I was really unsettled going on my own at such a young age and meeting so many new people, but once I got there I genuinely had the best time.
Q. How was the Travel Weekly Globe Travel Awards? A. I had never been to a concert before, never mind going all the way to the Grosvenor House hotel on Park Lane, London, for a fancy awards do. I was immediately starstruck. We had a table at the front right by the stage and I was so close to Sam Ryder, Claudia Winkleman and Rudimental, which was insane. It was nice to celebrate with everyone from the trip, especially with the Jet2holidays and Constantinou Bros teams. Both of them won awards too, which was brilliant.
Q. How was your photoshoot? A. I was a bit nervous to start with, but Flora from Travel Weekly and Sophie from Jet2holidays were amazing and made me feel so relaxed. We went down at about 8am to find a location by the Asimina Suites pool before it got busy, and by the end of the shoot, I was loving it. I have never felt confident in myself, so to have that once was wonderful.
Q. What would you say to someone thinking of applying next year? A. 110% do it. Especially if you are as young as I was. It is such a brilliant confidence boost. Everyone is so welcoming in the industry, and I have made friends for life in every single one of the Cover Stars. My confidence has skyrocketed since getting back from the trip and I am going on a fam trip with Destination Canada to Toronto, Ottawa and Niagara Falls this year, which I would never have dreamed of before.
CHARLOTTE’s career
Why did you decide to get into travel? I saw a job opening at Craig Travel for an apprentice funded by Jet2holidays’ Appoint an Apprentice scheme and thought I would love that. Before applying, I had only ever been to three countries. We visited Salou in Spain every year since I was seven, and I’ve also been to Greece and Turkey. I have now finished my year-long apprenticeship and could not recommend it enough. It is an incredible scheme. We should shout about it more because it would give so many people an opportunity they would not normally have had. I
am from a small village and without this apprenticeship, I would never have had these opportunities. This time last year, I would never have thought I would have done any of this. The travel industry is like a big family; that is the best thing about it. Everyone I work with is so kind-hearted they make you want to come to work every day.
Charlotte at the Asimina Suites Hotel private cabanas
6 NOVEMBER 2025
25
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