Chris’s Story

I grew up in a loving family with a wonderful mum, dad, and an older brother and sister. As a teenager in Brisbane, I was somewhat like an only child as my brother and sister left home to live in London. They were much older than me, so it was not an option to join at the time.

Once I finished school it was time to choose a career, and I was a little uncertain about what I wanted to do. I decided to take an Administration Officer traineeship at Brisbane City Council. Working at the Council was a good introduction to work-life, however, I soon became bored with shuffling papers. It was then I decided to find something to study. Not being much of a student, I thought TAFE would be a good place to start my search.

I don’t know what drew my attention to the Travel Diploma at TAFE. Maybe it’s because I’ve always thought of myself as someone who cares for others. Someone who just wants to help, and see others enjoy themselves. Although travel was something I had not done much of at the time, I thought it was something that just felt ‘right’. I enrolled within a few days and it was the best thing I ever did.

I was fortunate to be taught by two amazing teachers who have since created their own business, Travel Training Australia. I would highly recommend enrolling if you are interested in a career in travel. One of the teachers was well connected with a franchise owner of Harvey World Travel. I was introduced and had secured an interview in no time. This led to working with this amazing small business for 4 years as an International Travel Consultant. This was a job I loved every minute of.

Hooked on the Travel industry and eager to keep my studies going, I enrolled in University completing a Bachelor of Business – International Tourism and Hotel Management. I worked and studied full-time and completed the degree in 3 years.

Upon completing my degree, I wanted to obtain experience in corporate travel. I was successful in securing a role as a Business Development Manager at Oaks Hotels & Resorts. During those years, I worked in both Brisbane and Melbourne learning the ropes and making great industry connections. This is where I learned about Travel Management Companies (TMC) and found my natural fit. It provided me the perfect environment to guide and support customers, as an Account Manager.

I have been very fortunate to create a career with one of the world’s largest TMC’s. Whilst not every journey is clear at the time, I do believe it has all fallen into place. I love what I do and I get to help people every day.

Bluebird is an extension of our travel pathway. Tanya and I have a broad industry knowledge base and we want to share with those who want to listen. We have learned some things the hard way in our careers. We have also learned things through our own travels. This combined we impart our knowledge in an unbiased way.