Melissa Tolmie has been selling travel for more than a third of her life – and she’s not yet 30.
The general manager/Chief Operating Officer for fast-growing Alberta-based retailer TravelGurus joined the company in 2013, after founder Hidar Elmais moved operations from the back room of his mother’s hair salon into a standalone location in Edmonton.
In her first year Tolmie sold more than $1 million worth of travel. In her second she was named to her current role as company GM/COO. In 2017, Elmais surprised her with an ownership stake in TravelGurus. This year, Tolmie landed a place on Ensemble’s Beyond trip for top performers – a luxury journey aboard Explora I from Copenhagen to Reykjavik.
Not bad for someone whose prior work experience was behind the counter at a Dairy Queen.
After graduating high school in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, Tolmie followed a couple of friends who had moved to Edmonton in search of more opportunity. She had never been to the city before.
“I had no idea what I was going to do,” said Tolmie in an interview with TravelPulse Canada at the Ensemble Horizons conference in Las Vegas. “I didn’t really like school, so I had brief stints of work in the oilfield, in surveying and as a receptionist. None of them made me want to get out of bed in the morning.”
Melissa Tolmie during a photo shoot at the TravelGurus office in Edmonton. (Photo Credit: TravelGurus.ca)
She saw an ad on Kijiji recruiting travel agents, with no experience required. Despite no-showing for the first interview, Elmais called her back – “I have no idea why,” says Tolmie.
“I was always passionate about travel. And I have a really amazing family that told me if I wanted to succeed, I either needed to go to school or work ten times harder than others. I chose the second path.”
With zero travel experience, Tolmie dove into the deep end, with the assistance of a training program created by Elmais.
“I learned everything on the job, through training and by shadowing Hidar. Some days I worked 8am-8pm, just training all day long. I learned airport codes and participated in dozens of webinars, learning about product. I caught on by taking advantage of every training opportunity I could.”
Tolmie says selling travel can be stressful. “These are people’s most important trips, vacations, family reunions. You worry about recommending the right thing, making it all work. But you learn to manage that stress, and I’ve been really lucky, I haven’t had any super-crazy clients.”
A Contiki fam trip early in her career cemented Tolmie’s belief that she had found the right industry for her talents, wanderlust and competitive nature. “Our client base is a younger demographic, and I feel I’m growing with them. I learn from my clients too.”
The TravelGurus brought a full crew to the Ensemble Horizons conference at Paris Las Vegas. (Photo Credit: TravelGurus.ca)
In her more than 10 years in the business, Tolmie has seen a lot. Favourite destinations to date include Peru and Portugal, and she’s a big fan of Mexico – “You can’t beat the service there,” she says. She’s travelled through much of the Caribbean and Central America, and lists Prague as a favourite city. Future dream destinations include Morocco, Singapore and a safari in Africa.
Tolmie is set to embark on a Virgin Voyages cruise this week. She’s excited both because she’s heard great things about the product and because the cruise line’s Canadian sales manager Sean Russo has been a mentor for her in a previous role with G Adventures. “He’s been a big help in my career.”
Melissa Tolmie and colleague Asmaa Elmais at the Ensemble Horizons conference in Las Vegas. (Photo Credit: Bruce Parkinson)
Tolmie is also very happy with the group of TravelGurus she works with in Edmonton. The company is expanding with a Calgary office opening in the next few days.
“I love our team, it’s small but mighty,” she says. “The philosophy here is that you just need to be passionate about travel and willing to learn. We can teach the skills and ways to be better and more efficient.”
Many young people don’t see selling travel as a potentially lucrative career. Recruitment hasn’t been easy in the past several years. But Tolmie proves that doesn’t have to be the case.
Hidar Elmais and TravelGurus produce the annual YEG Travel Show. (Photo Credit: TravelGurus.ca)
“It’s totally a viable profession. You can make some good money in this job and have a lot of fun. I recommend it to young people. It will excite you. It will test you. You will always be learning. Most young people want to travel, so this industry is a win-win.”
Tolmie says Elmais is a strong leader and mentor. “We work really well together. He believed in me. When I started with him at 18 years old I was introverted and shy. If you told me I’d be doing an interview like this, I’d be terrified. But when you have someone who pushes you to do better, it makes all the difference.”
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