ATN: What do you love most about your job?
To have the world at my finger tips. It gives me immense pleasure to advise and enlighten my clients about the various exciting destinations available, to suit their holiday requirements and to offer packages that are both challenging and unique.

ATN: What’s the worst thing about being a travel agent?
People expect you to be the smiling, walking, talking Wikipedia. You feel terrible when you fall short of this expectation.

ATN: What’s the biggest booking you’ve ever made?
It was a booking to the Seychelles worth approximately AED 800,000 ($ 217,799.7)

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ATN: Where’s your favourite place to travel to / and why?
New Zealand! It’s so diverse and breathtaking. With blue skies, pure air and crystal clear waters, this is nature at its best. In New Zealand, you have everything from glaciers to geothermal activities, therapeutic spas to fishing and hunting activities and adventure sports. The list goes on.

ATN: What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the travel trade today and how are you looking to overcome these?
It’s the travel agent vs. the internet, as well as the budget cut backs due to the worldwide recession. To overcome these challenges we are working with various online service providers, developing value added and unique packages. We are strengthening ties with our existing clients as well as sourcing out new ones.

ATN: What is your ambition for the future?
I’d love to manage an agency that’s different from the regular agency setup. Something along the lines of Utravel. I love that concept.

ATN: How important is it that travel agents go for training programmes?
It’s very important especially for the front-line staff. They have to be abreast of the latest news and updates related to the travel industry, as well as to have a sound knowledge of the different destinations/packages available.

This in turn would put them in a position to advise and guide their clients accordingly and would also give them an edge over their competitors.

ATN: How do you feel about being nominated ATN’s travel agent of the month?
It took me by surprise. A bolt out of the blue … a pleasant one though!

About Sarita Christopher
Name: Sarita Christopher
Position: Holidays Supervisor
Age: 39
Company: Safar Travel & Tourism
Time in the travel industry: 15 years
Time at the company: Two years
Nominated by: Jacqueline Campbell, The Travel Collection
Jacqueline says: “Sarita is very conscientious in wanting to learn more about luxury accommodation, whether it may be villas, apartments or cruises. Whenever we invite her to meet our partners she is always there for the meeting, and on time. Whatever she advises us she is going to action, is done. It is a pleasure to work with her and we wish her continued success.”

ATN’s ‘Travel Agent of the Month’ is a chance for suppliers or travel agencies to nominate agents who deserve to be recognised for their personal and professional achievements – whether this means going the extra mile in the job, completing a training programme, or achieving a promotion. If you would like to nominate someone as ‘Travel Agent of the Month’ email: monika.grzesik@itp.com