FRONTLINE
Q. How did you grow your business? Initially, I knew people from my corporate life who needed help with their travel, plus I found networking events and groups very helpful. Then it was mostly referrals. It’s not about who you know, but who they know and who those people know. I have had people come to me where the chain went back about 11 times to the original person I worked with.
Q. What trends are you seeing in travel? About 90% of my bookings are leisure and I really enjoy the creativity of that, but I do a bit of business travel as well. This January has been my best since I started at Travel Counsellors – around 40% higher than my previous best January. I have seen more of a jump in long-haul and I’ve seen clients more willing to pay extra for luxury. A lot of them want business-class flights now, for example. Prices have gone up since Covid, and business travel hasn’t bounced back to the same degree as leisure. People have realised that virtual meetings are quite useful, but on the flip side, people have realised that having holiday experiences is even more important.
JOHN RYRIE
The Travel Counsellors agent speaks toElla Sagar about swapping the corporate world for selling travel
Q. What did you do before travel? I had a corporate career for about 25 years, working for multinationals in HR. I lived in the US, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK, but it was a stressful existence. I was on a plane three to four times a week. Everyone thinks that lifestyle must be wonderful, but it’s not. Because I travelled all the time, I visited lots of places around the world, and that ended up giving me my interest in travel.
Q. How did you get started in travel? By 2011, I’d had enough of the corporate situation where my life wasn’t my own, so I took two years off and lived in Germany. Then I came back to the UK and needed to do something. My friends recommended a career in travel, so I started with Travel Counsellors in 2013, and wish I had done it sooner. They were the only company that would consider taking on mature people from outside of the industry at the time. They gave me a very good grounding and were incredibly supportive throughout.
travelweekly.co.uk
Q. How did you get into cruise? I took my first-ever cruise 12 years ago with Travel Counsellors colleagues on Azamara Journey. I thought I would hate cruises, but I’m now such an advocate. I love opening my curtains to a new destination every day, and I particularly like transatlantic cruises and sea days, which for me are the ultimate relaxation. I’m now one of 20 Travel Counsellors Cruise Ambassadors globally, which means that if any travel counsellor has a question about a cruise enquiry or booking, they can ask one of us and we can help them.
Q. What are the most memorable destinations you have visited? I went on a fam trip with Travel Counsellors to Kerala in India, which I loved. I’d always wanted to go and it was incredible. Vietnam and Cambodia are two of my favourite destinations – I have been to each about three or four times – and I’ve become a real specialist in Asia and specifically Indochina. I would love to go to South America as that’s the last big area I haven’t visited yet.
Q. What has been your most complicated booking? One booking that really stands out as the most complicated was two groups doing a five-week trip around Australia over Christmas and New Year. They wanted to see The Ashes and fly all over the country, from Perth to Brisbane to Uluru to Melbourne. It was planes, trains and automobiles, with helicopters and boats thrown in as well. I loved the level of complexity and giving the customer a sense of peace that I would be there to help. It was about £50k in the end and involved me getting up at 2am for three nights straight, to secure the best price for Sydney-to-London flights in January as soon as they went on sale.
HOW IMPORTANT IS MENTORSHIP TO YOU?
Travel Counsellors has a mentorship programme where
every new starter is paired with a more experienced person for their first six months. I have mentored about 15 people
over the years, some of whom are still my friends today, and I have three mentees currently. It’s great because I build new relationships and help people
with things like cruising that they may have never experienced before. The main thing for me is seeing them succeed, from starting with no customers or in-depth knowledge. It’s about giving back and supporting people because people supported me when I was growing and learning. My advice to people starting in
travel would be to really listen to what is going on around you and not to be discouraged if
you get a ‘no’. It might be a no for now, but not in the future, so it’s always good to give them your details and be open for a chat about ideas. It’s also important to remember we are in the relationship business. In travel, we are selling a
product that people are excited about, and if we can build relationships with our clients, then the rest will follow in time.
John has become a
cruise advocate 13 MARCH 2025 25
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