One of the best parts of being in the Tourism industry for many years is the people I meet. Our industry has an endless list of talented, hardworking, fun-loving and creative professionals. I decided to interview my friends and give you a peek into their lives and careers. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section, and I will follow-up with the guest interviewed. This week we hear from my friend Julie Kozikowski. I have been meeting with Julie for years at tradeshows and am so impressed with all she accomplishes!
Tell us a bit about how you got started in the tourism industry.
As a child, I had the opportunity to travel to Hawaii and London on a group tour because my Mom was the group leader for a state-wide organization. Then in high school, I traveled to France my Junior year. I organized some free time activities using the metro in Paris during our stay which my teachers tagged along on as well. After the trip to France, I asked my Mom if I earned the money for the trip to Spain my senior year if I could go. She said yes, thinking I’m sure I would never earn the money at $3.37/ hour min. wage. But I did and went on the trip my senior year.
My grandmother encouraged me to do something I loved so I decided to study hospitality in college. I choose UMASS Amherst to study hotel, restaurant and travel administration and was chosen my Junior year to receive a scholarship from the National Tour Foundation. I attended the National Tour Association Convention that year in Kansas City and fell in love with the idea of becoming a tour operator. It wrapped everything together that I had done previously.
Following graduation, I did go to work for a tour company. I continued my studies part-time to receive an MBA with a concentration in travel and tourism from the University of New Haven so that I could teach travel and tourism classes.
What is your current job and what are your primary responsibilities?
I am currently the owner and President of Destinations Unlimited.
What are some of the changes you have seen since you began your career?
Well, when I first started we used a typewriter and would literally cut and paste photos to a typewritten tour description to make a flyer. We had a dot matrix printer for labels which was very high tech. And the hotel I worked at in college had a telex machine to send international messages since there was no email! But besides technology, there have also been changes in group dynamics. I worked with the senior citizen market for many years and it was not unusual for a group to travel with 2 to 3 buses. Now many companies in the senior market need to combine 3 or 4 groups to come up with enough passengers to fill one motor coach.
As I work in the student market now, technology adds a new dimension. Motor coach rides are very quiet with students all “plugged” into their own entertainment devices. And if anything goes amiss or is perceived to go amiss, parents know about it in a split second. Last year, we had a belt on a motor coach break and we moved students to other coaches with the same group for the rest of the ride home. When we arrived, I had a parent that approached me and was all concerned because the bus had caught on fire. The telephone game where information is relayed incorrectly is now instantaneous.
What tourism trends are you seeing that will impact your job and how you work in the next 2 years?
One issue we have been facing in our area is the decreased education money the towns are receiving from the State. In New England schools are funded by town (rather than county for example). If the town receives less money from the state earmarked for education, then local Boards of Education have had to make cuts, sometimes to very necessary items. We have seen field trips affected. Even though the parents and students pay for the cost of a field trip, there are other costs that the town must cover when a field trip operates.
For example, if a child with special needs wants to go on the trip, a para must be provided by the school system which is a budget item. Some schools also require a nurse to go on the trip which is paid for by the town. And some schools have canceled field trips because the town will not allow them to spend money on substitute teachers for the day(s) the teachers are out of their classroom chaperoning.
We are trying to work with the schools by speaking at Board of Ed meetings to explain the importance of learning through travel and costing in additional chaperones to cover nurse and para costs if required.
It’s vacation time – where do you go?
The beach! I love long walks on the sand flats on Cape Cod to relax and re-center myself.
What is your favorite app and tell us a bit about it.
Having just returned from a trip to Europe I would have to say getaguide is my favorite app. I used it every day. It allowed me to make reservations for local tours, adjust reserved numbers, get me directions and showed me maps to find the meeting spots and more. It was easy to use and great service when changes were needed.
What is your favorite tradeshow and why?
NTA introduced me to this industry and directed my career path, so NTA has become like family to me. I always learn new information to help our business but at the same time, it is an opportunity to connect with friends from all over the country.
What advice do you have for someone just getting started in the tourism industry?
Love what you do and work hard at what you do. You will have opportunities that you would not get in any other industry. Although starting pay may be low, every industry has top paying jobs near the top. Work hard, pay attention to details and you will succeed.