The new boss of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) has made it her mission to showcase career opportunities in the sector as many agencies lost staff during the pandemic.
Clare Dunne has become the first female chief executive of the association and succeeded Pat Dawson on his retirement.
“I’ve been in the industry since 1979. The opportunity came up and I said, ‘let’s do something different’,” she told Travel Weekly.
“I have been very heavily involved with the association for many years. I am passionate about what the work that they do. “
She said her priority is to attract new staff to agencies, after many lost employees to other sectors during Covid.
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“Now we’re really busy. People want to travel and we need new people, new blood in the industry,” she said.
“There are opportunities for people to build careers – not just in selling holidays or selling flights but in HR and other business areas – with the added excitement of travel.
“We will be running a leadership training course shortly and we are working with some of the colleges to introduce reintroduce travel as a subject.
“Tourism is well catered for in a lot of the colleges but travel as an industry as a career isn’t really mentioned.
“The money is not fantastic but we do make up for that with the fun and the excitement.
“The camaraderie and the sense of community that I noticed during Covid was absolutely amazing. We are very, very supportive industry.”
Dunne also noted more women have taken on senior roles in the sector over recent years.
She co-founded the Association of Women Travel Executives (AWTE) in Ireland in 2017 and served as chair from then until she handed over to a new committee in March.
“A lot of the work we were doing was to foster younger women; mentor them through the industry, so that they would go forward for role to senior roles,” she said.
“If people want to have families, it can be challenging [but] we’re getting there. The balance is redressing a little bit.”
She is also keen to develop relationships with other travel trade associations to see what the ITAA can learn agencies in other countries, as well as building on partnerships developed during the pandemic.
“During Covid…we worked very closely together with our comrades, our colleagues on the on the ITAA and the Department of Transport,” she said.
“I’m a firm believer in sitting down with somebody and having a cup of tea to solve whatever the problem is.”
She said the ITAA can help members with the “huge amount” of legislation and regulations, as well as day-to-day support with business issues such as sustainability.
“We foster a spirit of camaraderie and collegiality to help each other,” she said.
She is planning the ITAA conference in Antalya, Turkey, in October; the AGM in August; and other networking events.
“I am lucky in that I have very good relationships across the industry with a lot of people through all my years in the trade,” she said.
“I want to visit as many members as I can; if I can’t actually physically get to somebody, I will be talking to them on Zoom.”
Dunne said sales are not quite at pre-pandemic levels but they are “getting there” despite the cost-of-living pressures.
“A survey this morning said more and more Irish people are cutting back on takeaway coffees or meals out in order to make sure that they do get their holiday this year. People really missed their holidays during Covid,” she said.
“The cost of living is biting, there’s no doubt, and there are people who cannot afford to go on holidays.
“People are saving if they can…they’re putting other things aside in order to be able to take a holiday.”
She is currently working for the ITAA for three days a week and will become full time in September.
Her own agency, The Travel Broker, which she founded in 1994, will continue.
“It’s definitely going to go on. We’re really busy…I have never been busier,” she said.
“We’re just exploring some opportunities at the moment to move that into a new phase.
“I have a great team and great clients.”
She added: “This is a great industry. You’ll never get rich in it but it is a great industry to be in – the people are lovely and it is fun.
“We’re selling a dream.”