Amy Blacklidge

In my current role as a Country Specialist for Canadian leisure travel, I apply my broad experience in global travel. Focusing exclusively on Canada has allowed me to refine my expertise and offer clients an unparalleled understanding of this unique destination.

Skills gained:

• Designing unique itineraries and tailoring trips to meet specific client needs.
• Planning and fulfilling special requests to ensure unforgettable moments e.g. photographers for engagements or surprise hotel upgrades.
• Liaised with local operators to promptly resolve travel requests, restrictions and delays.
• Created and communicated clear, detailed itineraries ahead of travel.
• Secured repeat business with exceptional customer service skills.
• Stayed up to date and informed with any changes or new product contracts.
• Attended FAM trips to experience and keep myself familiarised with Canada's 'core product'.
• Handled unforeseen problems such as cancellations or changes in plans e.g. Canada's wild fires; minimised disruption for clients.

Although my focus is currently on Canadian leisure travel, my extensive global travel background has played a key role in shaping my in-depth knowledge of the country and my expertise is rooted in a broad foundation of worldwide travel experience.

My time at Kuoni started as leisure travel was starting to pick up after the Covid-19 pandemic, and I returned after taking extended maternity leave.

Kuoni is renowned for its tailor-made, luxury holidays with the top selling destinations being The Maldives, Thailand & Sri Lanka- this was my first role selling 'luxury only' holidays and from that moment on I never looked back- this opened up a whole new world for me, my passion truly lies within the luxury travel space.

• Strived to reach set sales and revenue targets.
• Determined exact client requirements and recommended destinations to suit.
• Identified add-on sales opportunities by analysing client needs, budgets and preferences.
• Utilised business travel expertise to design cost-effective corporate trips.
• Advised customers on visas and travel safety.
• Processed reservations using Galileo GDS and other booking systems.

I left Kuoni after a year to move onto a country specialist role with flexible working from home options which allowed me to work around my young family.

In 2017 I joined the worlds largest travel retailer working in the retail division as an International Travel Consultant. Over 4 years I steadily grew my business portfolio with an excellent repeat leisure and corporate client base. Working on a base salary plus commission ensures that I pay great attention to detail and focus on excellent customer service to gain repeat business.

• Tailor-making complex flight, tour, and hotel itineraries for round the world travel for individuals and corporate companies.
• Building relationships with customers, suppliers and colleagues.
• Communicating with external suppliers e.g- to arrange special requests.
• Invoiced customers and chased up unpaid bookings to avoid payment delays and balancing issues.
• Advised customers on specific visa and passport requirements.
• Communicating with clients, airlines and suppliers and running my own diary.