Meet the facilitator: Ashley Obara

Ashley is one of our WA Course Facilitators and has been in the travel industry for over 7 years. Today we chat with Ashley about her journey in the industry and her tips for students on how to create a successful career in travel too!

How many years have you worked in travel and could you please tell us a little bit about the different roles you have worked in the industry?

I’ve had over 7 years in the travel industry, spanning over 3 Countries (Canada, NZ and Australia) - I’ve been very fortunate! I’ve been with Flight Centre for 5 ½ years, starting off as a novice in store and progressing to a Team Leader position before moving into the Travel Academy as a Facilitator. Before that I also worked in Reservations for Aoraki Mount Cook hotel in NZ at their Queenstown office, and also did Reservations back in Canada for Magellan Vacations who specialise in luxury properties throughout the USA.

What has kept you in this industry for so long?

It definitely comes down to a few things, firstly the opportunities (travel and career progression wise), as well as the variety of the day to day work, and the amazing people and experiences I’ve had.

What led you to become a trainer at Flight Centre Travel Academy?

I loved the training aspect of being a leader and I wanted to focus my career progression around that. I also really enjoyed the fact that the Travel Academy focuses on so many different aspects of the Travel and Tourism industry, it gives students great insight into the different roles and pathways each individual can take.

Is there a particular conference, work trip, global or buzz night that has been a standout?

I was lucky enough to travel to South Africa on an educational with one of our wholesalers for almost 2 weeks, 11 of those days were purely based around Safari’s in different locations and camps. The people as well as the destinations and activities I got to experience on that trip will stay with me for a lifetime!

What do you think is important for our students to know to creating a successful, life-long career in travel?

I think you definitely need to be passionate about it, as it is not always glamorous and there is a lot of hard work that goes into it. Travel is always changing and you need to keep up with the destination information, the new systems and so much more. It is a role which requires continuous growth and learning, however in saying that it is extremely rewarding and can impact your life in many positive ways.