| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 24/07/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 57 |
| Copyright: Other |
meetthe
MD
This week: Graham Clubb, Travel Renaissance
This week: Graham Clubb, Travel Renaissance
Age: 50
I would never knock anyone gaining valuable qualifications at university and in some ways regret that I did not go on to further education.But the university I did attend may have given me an even better start in the travel industry.
I am a graduate of the University of Clarksons, one of the pioneering giants of this business, where the lessons of its early success and its subsequent spectacular collapse have stood me in very good stead.
Like many teenagers, I loved the idea of travelling. So with more of an eye on my personal desires, rather than a structured career path, I joined Clarksons from school in 1967.
Those were the heady days when both Clarksons and Thomson were offering Mediterranean cruises at £79 for an 11-day holiday. Very popular with the consumer but as we were to discover, unprofitable for the operators.
I started in reservations with Clarksons and, over the course of the following seven years, worked my way through the ranks to become manager of the cruising department.
Like hundreds of my colleagues, we were stunned when Clarksons collapsed. Even though we had seen the warning signs, it’s still a shock when the world you know with close colleagues, travel agency contacts and a genuine job satisfaction, comes crashing down.
I was one of the lucky ones, as I was asked by liquidators to stay on and help sort things out.
After that year, I saw an advertisement from KD German Rhine Lines for a sales and marketing consultant for the UK market. My cruising experience helped me get the job and I had to adjust from being part of a huge company to working on my own.
I enjoyed the challenge and I must have done something right as a year later KD suggested I take on their general sales agency for the UK.
That proved to be the start of 25 years running my own business, which has been exciting and scary, satisfying and frustrating, mostly profitable and always great fun!
From these early days of selling just cruises on the Rhine and Moselle, I have seen an amazing growth in river cruising, both in terms of passenger numbers and products and destinations.
It was that growth which encouraged us to become a fully-fledged tour operator 10 years ago and our evolution into our stand-alone branding, Travel Renaissance, reflecting the fact that we now offer a substantial product range.
Starting the business 25 years ago was a great experience. I initially ran it with my then wife, doing anything and everything – from handwriting tickets to standing at Liverpool Street station to see clients on the train to Harwich.
I have certainly never regretted getting into such a specialised niche market.
It’s been tough but the rewards of giving a personal service and seeing a market sector develop outweigh it.
I had my taste of mass market tour operating – standing at Luton Airport to tell a group of angry clients that their aircraft has been delayed by 4hrs. But not to worry, I explained. It doesn’t matter because your cruise ship is not where it should be anyway!
As my own business grew, I needed experienced people to help me run it and I turned again to my Clarksons’ experience. I recruited former colleagues Dave Butcher and Mike Flanagan, now both directors.
With the advance of technology – the revolution of the fax machine – we were able to relocate from London in the 1980s and we are now a 10-strong team in Epsom. As our product range has grown, so marketing has assumed increasing importance.
This is one of the reasons we were pleased to be a founder member of the Truly Independent Professional Travel Organisation which gives us access to valuable travel agency events, including training, and a merchandising programme.
I am also chairman of the river cruise section of the Passenger Shipping Association, again enabling me promote a product which as been such an important element in my professional life.
CURRICULUM VITAE
1967: joined Clarksons as reservations clerk.
MY TOP TIPS
l Whatever you’re selling, know it inside out – do your research.
* Travel is a people business and many people stay in it for a very long time. Ensure that influences how you treat others.
* Lucky breaks come along rarely. When you spot one, grab it with both hands.
* Lead from the front. Colleagues respect a boss who sets an example.
* Learn the art of listening. Other opinions are often worth considering.
* When something irritates you, don’t act hastily. Regain your composure before you respond. Even better, sleep on it.
* Don’t take anything on face value.
* Always have an open mind about the need for change.