‘Travel needs more BAME leaders’ Lee Hayhurst


The travel industry has been urged to do more to promote the sector as a career choice to people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds following anti-racism protests across the world. In the wake of the killing of


George Floyd in Minneapolis two weeks ago, for which a white police officer has been charged with murder, agents highlighted the lack of BAME role models in travel. Hays Travel branch manager


Steven Wynter, who set up specialist carnival holidays operator Wyntersun Holidays in 2011, said: “I’ve always been very conscious people like me are disproportionately underrepresented in the travel


industry. I’ve felt quite alone in that sense. I’ve been fortunate to experience some amazing things in travel, so why can’t other people from my background?” Wynter described travel as


“friendly and welcoming”, but said the sector was perceived as predominantly for white people, partly due to a lack of role models. “I speak to travel CEOs with the


same vision to create something that benefits their community, creates jobs and tackles inequality,” he added. “Travel is full of people with an


inclusive outlook. This is an industry BAME people should feel comfortable joining, but there’s no vehicle for that.” Laverne Walker, director at Brixton-


based agency Sackville Travel, said Caribbean tourist boards had become


Van Sprang’s new venture offers courses to upskill


Ben Ireland


A former Advantage Travel Partnership national account manager has launched a training business for the industry and is encouraging agencies to upskill staff who are on furlough. Director Michelle van Sprang has


set up Train2Travel. Courses range from apprenticeships for new starters to degree-level qualifications that help agents learn management skills. Its courses are 95% funded by the government, and in some areas


6 11 JUNE 2020


are fully funded, meaning travel companies pay up to 5% of costs, equivalent to between £100 and £350, depending on the course. Train2Travel has designed its


own bespoke travel consultant course specifically to train students for agency roles. It is one of seven courses, which take 12-18 months and can be completed online. Students complete modules in


their own time via a system called Bud. Courses are certified by City & Guilds, inspected by Ofsted, and equivalent to a year’s college course.


Paula O’Leary has been


recruited from training provider TrainingStation as tutor and Van Sprang hopes she will lead a team of tutors from a training centre as the business grows and lockdown eases. The Train2Travel website is due


to go live in the coming weeks. Van Sprang, who started her


career as an apprentice with Thomas Cook and worked for Gold Medal and The Holiday Team before joining Advantage, where she helped new agencies set up, said: “The number of people asking me about


more representative in recent years. But she said: “I’d love to see more people from the black community in our sector. It’s something this


Steven Wynter


industry could be pushing more.” Walker said she has felt at times


that she has not been held in the same esteem as fellow white directors. “People want someone they can


look up to,” she said. “I’ve employed a number of black


women and they appreciate having a black woman as an employer.” Haslemere Travel owner and Aito


Agents chair Gemma Antrobus, whose husband of 20 years is black, said they had experienced prejudice and racism. She said: “In travel we understand


different cultures, but I still think black people are underrepresented at a senior level. It’s not about putting someone in a position of seniority just because of the colour of their skin, but I’d be surprised if there weren’t candidates of equal calibre.”


Michelle van Sprang


apprenticeships kept growing, and I remembered how optimistic I was when I first started. There are other training providers around but none are specific to travel like we are.” Van Sprang said now was a perfect


time to upskill staff on furlough, pointing out there are no restrictions to training while on the scheme. She added: “I think the biggest


question in job interviews this year and next will be, ‘what did you do while on furlough?’ To show you took a self-improvement course will look really good.”


travelweekly.co.uk


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