Meet the future faces of the travel trade

At more than 23 per cent of the population, Canada’s millennials have a reputation for being big dreamers and quick learners who are hungry to succeed.

Nobody understands this better Young Travel Professionals (YTP), an organization established to encourage career development for young and emerging generations working in the travel industry.

Last night, YTP’s Toronto chapter banded together with Humber College’s Tourism Management program and Contiki Holidays Canada to host a networking event for post-graduate students.

More than 30 students came out to the event, which featured a speed-networking style setup that allowed them to be face-to-face with 15 YTP-TO members, all of whom represented different areas of the industry, from bloggers and media representatives to professionals in marketing, communications and business.

Contiki, an adventure tour operator which caters specifically to young travellers aged 18-35 - and works regularly to promote the importance of peer-to-peer influence - sponsored the event, with company president Brad Ford taking a few moments to impart some advice on how to get started – and succeed – in the industry.

“You are absolutely responsible for your destiny, whether you like it or not,” he told the room. “You decide what to achieve, and how. So be in the moment, be self-aware, and most importantly, ask for mentorship. A really good mentor can make a big difference.”

Ford also stressed the importance of travel to the students, explaining that exploring different parts of the world “makes a huge difference in your confidence. So make that investment for yourself.”

Michael McCreesh, one of the founding members of YTP-TO, explained that the purpose of the evening was to strengthen the gap between those who have a few years’ experience navigating the industry and those people who are only just getting started.

“Really what we want to do is provide a bit of insight in terms of how someone can navigate their career in travel,” McCreesh told PAX, “and make them more comfortable with networking and to understand what it takes to get a career in travel.”

McCreesh said that YTP’s mission is to not only encourage the growth of younger generations in travel, but also to ensure that presence endures.

“Everyone knows that five years ago, a lot of reports were coming out that travel was an aging industry,” he said. “[In its inception], YTP realized that there were a lot of young people in the industry, but they were hidden away in their offices. YTP wants to identify that there are career paths in travel, that they’re valuable careers that can provide a lifelong living. The more we promote that vision, the more people will join the travel industry - and stay in it.”

Some companies, such as Contiki, have already got on board with this line of thinking and employ whole teams of young professionals in their offices, but the areas of the trade that are due an injection of young blood will find encouraging potential in the enthusiasm and single-minded ambition of the youth who are about to take their first step into the industry.

Here are a few future travel pros from Humber’s Tourism Management program, and their plans for where they’d like to be in 10 years:

PHOTO: Brad Ford, president, Contiki; Adam Hodge, marketing manager, Goway Travel; Kevin Smith, program coordinator, tourism management, Humber College; Michael McCreesh, strategic tourism marketing and project manager, Transportation Options; Zach Vanasse, account manager, marketing and tourism development, Bannikin Travel and Tourism & Melissa Medeiros, account manager, media & marketing, Bannikin Travel and Tourism