Women in Travel: Sarah Smith

Like so many of us in the industry, Sarah Smith sort of fell into the travel world, after working a variety of jobs after graduating from Graphic Design at George Brown College that ranged from in-store marketing to bartending.

"I'd been job hunting for a full time career for about a year and I saw the posting for this job and thought no way, there's no way a job like that exists," she told TravelPulse Canada. "I remember it said "car allowance" and living in downtown Toronto, I thought wow.. I could have my own car? I could be on the road and wouldn't have to go to an office every day? The posting also mentioned 50% travel to Mexico and the Dominican Republic and I thought this must be a scam," Smith laughs.

Thankfully it wasn't, and she landed an interview with VP Ash Tembe.

"It was a group interview. AIC had already established a team in the States, but wanted to expand into the Canadian market. I didn't end up getting the job then, but six months later, I got a call back asking if I was still interested in the opportunity-and here we are."

Nearly 9 years later, Smith's career with AIC Hotel Group is what she describes as exciting, and one where she constantly is given the opportunity to grow and learn new areas of the industry, It's something she's been very thankful for.

"I've always kept that with me, being very grateful for the opportunity. Not many hiring managers would take a chance on someone who was 24 at the time and didn't have related experience.

I think Ash could see that I was really hungry and eager and I wanted the job and was willing to work hard. In this industry you really have to be a people person. I worked in a lot of different marketing roles and was comfortable talking to people so he felt confident that I could learn the travel side of things.

It's been exciting to see AIC's business expand and grow in the Canadian market, especially segments like South Asian destination weddings which were almost non existent 9 years ago."

Smith's days in the industry have been in stark contrast to the earlier experiences of the women we've profiled in our Women in Travel Series. We asked her if she's been in any similar situations where she felt challenged, uncomfortable or overlooked just because she's a woman.

"I think we're fortunate that the majority of reps on the road today are women and a lot of the executives are women as well. It's nice to see that change and those roles be available for women.

Although I have been in the industry for just under a decade, feeling supported and empowered by AIC has allowed me to grow professionally and get to where I am today-and there have been many women who helped pave the way for my generation."

AIC Hotel Group announced the expansion of their Canadian sales team last week, which means Smith will now focus on National strategy and key accounts and the local BDM team will continue to provide support to agents in their respective territories. She's most excited to start mentoring the team, which will almost bring her full circle to almost 9 years ago when she first started in the industry.

"One of our newest BDM's reminds me of myself, she doesn't have the industry experience but she has the right personality type and is very driven to succeed --- she's doing amazing! I'm excited to help support her along with our entire Canadian BDM team"

We asked Smith what lies ahead for her. She wants to continue growing with AIC. She says she's often asked by friends and family if she'll ever tire of having a demanding travel job and look for a "normal one."

"My career in the travel industry has been such a rewarding journey for me. Forging strong relationships with travel partners and involving myself in different areas like public relations, event planning and marketing has been extremely rewarding. As long as there's an opportunity for learning and growth I'll be happy."