“Life and
’
career don’t always go as
Business development manager
Dominic Barrow is national business development manager at Contiki, an operator specialising in adventure holidays for those aged 18-35
“Working in travel was never the aim for me. Growing up, I was sports-mad, so I studied sports business and
management at university, spending a year working in sales and marketing at Sussex
County Cricket Club. But by chance, I
travelled to Indonesia and Thailand on holiday with a tour operator specialising in trips for 18 to 35-year-olds. I was 21 at the time and that’s when travel grabbed me – that trip really blew my mind. “I came back to the UK and started working as a business
development manager for TruTravels, the tour operator I’d travelled with, staying with them for two and a half years. I then worked in business travel for a bit in a similar role and learnt a lot there, especially during Covid – it was an interesting time! “I’ve been at Contiki for about two years and I love it. I think it’s
important to be passionate about what you do. I’m often on the road, whether that’s travelling to Austria to meet one of our partners or going into a university to talk to students about our trips. I also get to experience the trips we sell – a particular highlight was visiting Jordan recently and experiencing Wadi Rum and Petra.”
takeoffintravel.co.uk takeoffintravel.co.uk
planned, so don’t be too set on your initial plan. Say yes to as many opportunities as you can!”
WHAT MY DAY LOOKS LIKE
9AM: I’ll have a call with our global product team, where they’ll provide updates on products such as new trips. We’ll talk about which demographics they’re suited for and then I can relay that information to our partners and travel agents.
10.30AM: I could have a webinar with our travel agent partners, spending an hour giving them an overview of Contiki – what our unique selling points are, top trips and other tips.
12.30PM: I might pop down to one of our tactical marketing promotions that increases brand awareness. For example, we’ve just launched Contiki Run Club, which are trips that combine running with traditional travel experiences, so we might have a stand at a running event in London.
2PM: >L ^VYR H SV[ ^P[O PUÅ\LUJLYZ ZV 0 [`WPJHSS` OH]L H call with them in the afternoon, liaising with them and their managers to make sure they’re ready for their trip with us and to answer any questions they have.
4PM: I oversee a lot of our student promotions so we often have a stand on a university campus for a few hours, which I’ll run. This is particularly common during Freshers’ Week – I’ll chat about what we do and give away travel vouchers.
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PICTURE: Contiki
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