Advantage chief surprised on stage to celebrate 30 years at helm of consortium

Industry colleagues have congratulated Julia Lo Bue-Said on her 30 years at Advantage Travel Partnership in a surprise tribute at this year’s conference.

 

Lo Bue-Said was caught off guard by fellow members of her leadership team and industry figures on the second day of the consortium’s conference in Malta, while her husband and one of her sons also flew in to surprise her on stage.

 

Chief operating officer Paul Nunn, who said the team had gone to great lengths to keep the tributes a secret from Lo Bue-Said, told her: “Your drive is really inspiring and your passion has been here the whole time [since you started at Advantage]. Congratulations.”

 

As well as praise from non-executive directors James Beagrie, of Meon Travel, and Suzanne Horner, of Gray Dawes Travel, she received video tributes from industry colleagues, travel journalist Simon Calder and her own family.

 

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Giles Hawke, vice-president international, Celebrity Cruises, said in a video tribute: “What a great achievement. I remember meeting  you at my first conference in Tunisia and how you inspired me and filled me with awe.”

 

Jo Kolatsis, director, Themis Advisory, said: “I cannot believe it’s been 30 years; keep on fighting the good fight for us all.”

 

Beagrie credited Lo Bue-Said with growing the consortium from a “near start up” to its current £17 billion turnover, and said “reinventing” herself had come “naturally”.

 

Horner praised Lo Bue-Said’s work with government to raise awareness of the outbound travel sector since the pandemic.

 

She added: “Julia has almost 50 meetings a year with government and that we have to applaud.”

 

Lo Bue-Said’s parents and sons appeared on video to say how proud they were of her for her achievements in the last 30 years, with one of her sons saying: “Well done mum; we are even luckier to be in your family.”

 

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Advantage chairman Steve Esom described Lo Bue-Said as a “great leader and great ambassador for the industry”.

 

A tearful Lo Bue-Said told delegates she was speechless after being surprised with the tributes.

 

“This business means so much to me. It’s been nearly half my life. My family has felt the brunt of it; it’s not easy and I am indebted to them,” she said, adding: “I don’t do this job alone, I have such a dedicated team.”