August's agent of the month

Name: Ahmed Al Rais
Position: Business Development Manager Company: Al Rais traVEL
Age: 26
Time in the travel industry: Four years
Time at the company: FOUR years

What’s the biggest booking you have ever made?
IT was for a member of the Royal family and it was over AED 1,000,000 (US$ 27,224). I workED hard for the package, even on Fridays and up until midnighT. The most important thing is that they were very satisfied. In future they will make all their bookings through Al Rais.

What is your ambition for the future?
To have more clients and to make them satisfied.

Where’s your favourite place to travel to / and why?
Europe, especially Austria, Germany and Switzerland. I love the weather, I like nature, mountains and countryside.

What are the biggest challenges facing the travel trade today?
Clients have started booking their hotels and flights through the internet so we had to create our own online system and negotiate with hotels and airlines to give us special rates.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to be a travel agent?
Nowadays if anyone wants to become a travel agent he should start strongly with good connections with people and have self-confidence.

What do you love most about your job?
Every day I learn something new. I love exploring new countries and seeing the clients smile.

When have you ever gone ‘above and beyond’ for a client?
One of my important clients was on vacation with his family when his factory in the UAE burnt down. He had to return immediately to Dubai. I received his call in the middle of the night, and had to make urgent changes in order to get him and his family back home immediately.

How do you feel about being nominated ATN’s travel agent of the month?
I am happy and thank everyone for having confidence in me.