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Your Stories: Developing from an apprentice to AAAs winner

Dec 14, 202509:00 GMTby Andrew McQuarrie

Tui agent Meg Lewis talks to Andrew McQuarrie about her two years in travel and her delight at triumphing at the 2025 AAAs

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Q. Why did you apply for an apprenticeship at Tui?
My family had only ever been on holiday with Tui and my brother is severely disabled. During our holiday in August 2023, the month I turned 18, I saw first-hand how much difference it makes having the right support for a holiday. That inspired me to want to join the industry, and accessible travel was a big passion of mine. I always thought Tui was a really good company for accessible trips, so when the apprenticeship position came up it was a no-brainer for me to apply.

Q. What was the apprenticeship like?
I loved it. It was brilliant and well structured. I was lucky to have a supportive manager and a coach, who made it a lot easier. The main skills I learnt were making sure everything was done as thoroughly as possible, plus being punctual and good time management. The latter is probably one of my biggest skills and was really elevated by my apprenticeship, which took me about a year to complete. I came out with a distinction and was named Tui’s national apprentice of the year.

Q. How did it feel to be crowned Tui’s national apprentice of the year for the UK and Ireland?
It was amazing. I was nominated for my region and won that, then I won it for my division, so I was invited to the 2024 managers conference on Marella Voyager. There was a big awards ceremony and I found out I’d won the national award. I still look back at the videos and think, ‘Wow, that was really, really cool.’ It was something I’d never experienced before.

Q. Tell us about your change of role this year.
I still work under Tui, but since July 2025 I’ve been working from home in Grimsby for First Choice, Holiday Hypermarket and Holidays for Heroes. Prior to that, from October 2023, I worked in a Tui shop in Lincoln.

Q. How have bookings been this year?
In my retail role, it felt quieter this year bookings-wise. Footfall was down. People were booking at the last minute, and turn-of-year was difficult because the volume wasn’t there, but the targets were. I still managed to make it work and left that role hitting all bar a couple of my targets. The contact centre has definitely been very different. I am sometimes handling 30 to 40 calls a day here, so it’s a lot busier. Overall, it’s definitely getting more last minute and a bit more competitive.

Q. Is accessible travel still a specialism of yours?
Hugely. I would say that out of the sometimes 30 calls I take a day, at least two or three ask for assistance. We service a number of different assistance types, from neurodiversity to reduced mobility. It’s still a huge focus for me and I’m very proud to know as much as I do about accessible holidays.

Q. Do you have a favourite destination or type of holiday to book?
Cruises. I used to find Thailand and those sort of bookings really special, but cruises really took my heart. I think they offer such a unique and inclusive way to see and travel the world. I’ve been on them as well, which is even more special because if I have a customer who hasn’t been on a cruise before, I can tell them, ‘I’ve been to this port, so you should check out this,’ or things like that. I get goosebumps because it’s so exciting to talk to clients about it.

Q. What’s your advice for agents who are just starting out in their careers?
Be customer-driven. You can be aspirational in your job, but if you don’t understand the customers, it’s very easy to go nowhere. I came into the industry with service in mind. I understand the customers and what they want, and because of that I’m very successful in getting clients, booking them and getting repeat customers. So, my advice is to listen to people and make sure you know your stuff. And if you don’t know your stuff, ask for help.

How did it feel to win Young Leisure Agent of the Year at the AAAs?

It was probably the most special moment of my life. I’m motivated by my career and very ambitious. After I won, I was shaking for half an hour. It was incredible to be recognised and an amazing experience. I met so many different suppliers and so many people from across the industry. It was brilliant and to win that award for my own work as well was amazing. When I applied for the role at the contact centre with Tui, I had just found out that I’d been shortlisted for the award.

When I started in the role and was having my first induction session with a couple of managers, I let them know I’d won. I got huge recognition within Tui, with people from all over the company messaging me to say ‘well done’. In 2026, I want to be the best I can be in the contact centre. Looking further ahead, I would love to work my way up in the business, whether that’s management, which has always been a big ambition of mine, or seeing if there’s a role that comes up focused on assistance and social media.