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IN THE OFFICE<br />
17<br />
with Sharon McConway - Kuoni<br />
Fresh demand for wheels and waterways<br />
Sharon McConway, a Personal<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> Expert at Kuoni, describes<br />
why she prefers demanding<br />
customers and how her specialist<br />
knowledge is beating the internet.<br />
"A big part of my job is handcrafting tailormade<br />
trips by providing a personalised<br />
service from start to finish. Having specialist<br />
knowledge is vital today and is something<br />
that the internet cannot compete with.<br />
"I see a huge increase in specialist travel,<br />
particularly relating to families weddings,<br />
wellness, LGBT, special mobility and dietary<br />
needs. No matter how educated a customer<br />
is in their decision making, they'll always<br />
need advice with these requirements.<br />
What's trending<br />
"People are more demanding when it<br />
comes to holidays, they want an educational<br />
experience or more activities and are being<br />
influenced by social media and<br />
celebrities.<br />
"In terms of trends,<br />
Japan is very much in<br />
Having specialist<br />
knowledge is vital<br />
with demanding<br />
customers<br />
demand and I expect<br />
this will continue<br />
in 2020 with the<br />
Olympics. I'm seeing a<br />
confidence build back<br />
for Egypt and Turkey.<br />
Latin America will also<br />
see huge growth and I am<br />
very excited about our new Columbia small<br />
escorted group tour. For relaxing, Ajman<br />
offers the best beaches in the UAE and is a<br />
great year-round mid-haul destination.<br />
"More clients are asking about motorhome<br />
rentals, river cruises, rail journeys and even<br />
cycling tours – everyone wants to be on the<br />
move! Ocean cruising is also evolving, with<br />
options to suit every ones' taste.<br />
"Growing up in Ireland I<br />
have always been inspired by<br />
North America, particularly<br />
its music heritage, literature<br />
and culture. I have the<br />
music cities of Portland,<br />
Austin, New Orleans,<br />
Memphis and Nashville all on<br />
my radar and I hope to see more<br />
exploration of the US and Canada<br />
beyond the popular destinations.<br />
"I encourage all my clients to be as<br />
demanding as they like. This is their trip<br />
and it should be exactly as they want it. It’s<br />
important to discuss their requirements,<br />
which can be unrealistic, and a face-to-face<br />
consultation is best. I get enormous support<br />
from the suppliers I work with and I know my<br />
team will do what they can to help too.<br />
What's trending<br />
"Over the years I've had some weird and<br />
wonderful requests but I can’t say anything<br />
has phased me. One of my favourites was a<br />
gentleman who wanted to do a world trip to<br />
study wild fungi, visiting remote locations in<br />
Tasmania, Argentina, Canada and Greenland.<br />
I learnt a lot of new airport codes that day!<br />
"I put my heart and soul into my job and it<br />
is critical to me that my clients don’t just have<br />
a lovely holiday but have made memories to<br />
last a life time. That's what makes working in<br />
travel so worthwhile."<br />
kuoni.co.uk<br />
0208 585 4020<br />
holidays@travelpack.com<br />
fr£5189pp fr£3999pp fr£4999pp<br />
12nts, Grand Rail Circle 9nts, Journey through the Clouds at Leisure 7nts, Coastal Passage Getaway Circle
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