2026 in association with
LIBBY RODDE, HAYS TRAVEL
The Otley-based personal travel consultant tells Ella Sagar how her Cover Stars trip to Madeira has inspired her to sell more-adventurous travel
Q.What made you apply for Cover Stars? A. Being a finalist for Young Leisure Agent of the Year at the Travel Weekly Agent Achievement Awards spurred me to apply. It was such an honour to be shortlisted and I thought it would be great to enter the Cover Stars trip to round off an amazing year. I feel I have gained a lot of knowledge in the past five years I’ve been in travel. Plus, Jet2holidays is one of my top suppliers and I’d never been to Madeira, so it was the perfect opportunity.
Q.What were your favourite experiences on the trip? A. The Jeep safari tour and sunset boat ride were the biggest highlights for me. I’d never done anything like the safari, which took us all over the island. That was my number-one activity. My typical holiday is a beach holiday, so it was much more adventurous than I’m used to and got me interested in trying to sell more holidays with this kind of activity in future. The boat ride was magical too, because you could see the whole island lit up.
Q.What was your Jet2holidays VIP experience like? A. The whole team was fantastic and the organisation was seamless. We did not have to
worry about a thing. We got to try the lounge at the airport, which was a great start to the trip.
Q. How was your hotel? A. I was impressed from the moment I stepped into the Savoy Palace. The staff were so friendly and the atmosphere was incredible. When I walked into my room, there were beautiful views of the palm-lined pool, the sea and marina. The hotel also had some special touches like a popcorn cart by reception in the evening, which a few of us couldn’t resist. We were taken to the rooftop bar on our first evening, which turned out to be a hidden gem with an infinity pool and views across Madeira’s red rooftops and white buildings. The hotel also has an award-winning spa that’s built like a cave. It’s one of the biggest spas in Portugal. The Himalayan salt room was amazing.
Q.What did you make of your first trip to Madeira? A. Madeira absolutely surpassed my expectations. The scenery is beautiful and I can see why it is referred to as the ‘Hawaii of Europe’. The food and wine are delicious and going to the local market was another great activity – we couldn’t stop trying the food! However, I was surprised by how changeable the weather was.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO TRAVEL?
My inspiration to get into the travel industry came from my mum working for Hays Travel. As soon as I left school at 16 in June 2021, I joined the Hays Travel Academy Programme. When I completed that, I became a personal travel consultant. I mainly specialise in family package holidays, because families make up most of my customer base. After visiting Madeira, I’ve been inspired to promote destinations that encourage people to think more adventurously about European travel. I’ve started
doing this with the new Eurocamp range now available with Jet2holidays, for example in Lake Garda, which has always been one of my bestselling destinations for families. While families remain a key part of my business, these adventurous holidays aren’t just aimed at them; there is a strong market for people my age, which I’ve seen on Instagram and TikTok. Many people want to explore somewhere more unique and off the beaten track, which I have more confidence helping with now.
Q. How was your photoshoot experience? A. It was amazing, even though I was nervous because I had never done anything like that before. My mum said I would be good at it because I like taking photos on holiday. Everyone was great at helping me pose. We did one photoshoot in the spa in the morning and another with some flamingos later on. It was very appropriate for my pink dress!
Q. How were the Travel Weekly Globe Awards in January? A. The Globes were out of this world – everything from the venue to the surprise celebrity appearances were incredible. It was lovely to catch up with suppliers and travel friends during peaks, and to see so many well-deserving companies recognised. One of my favourite moments of the night was when Tinie Tempah performed – pure nostalgia!
Q.What would you say to anyone thinking of applying this year? A. I cannot encourage people enough to apply for Cover Stars. There is nothing to fear and everything to gain. Even if you’re nervous of having your photo taken, everyone is so lovely about making you feel at ease.
Libby with Kate in Fanal Forest
travelweekly.co.uk
26 MARCH 2026
25
PICTURES: Thomas Reader; Shutterstock/
Balate.Dorin
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