Monique Van Gelder started her career at Flight Centre in 2003 as a state marketing manager and is now the global head of products for cruises and tours. With that impressive CV, it is fair to say she knows a thing or two about travel both at a national and international level.
Ahead of this year’s Women in Travel awards, Van Gelder speaks to Travel Weekly about her biggest career lessons to date.
The culture at FCTG is like nothing else, you work with friends who you always feel have your back: they want you to see you succeed, and you want to see them succeed. Together you are always working towards the same goals.
Marketing is ever evolving and at the cutting edge in most organisations, adopting technologies, driving data-driven insights and customer-first approach, so the future is super exciting. I do think there is a big opportunity in the personalised experiential style of marketing to assist in destination decision-making – helping the customer feel their holiday experience before they purchase.
The main difference was understanding that most regions have nuisances around compliance or legislation but at the heart of it, the customer generally has the same needs and wants when buying travel. They have been pre-conditioned in the online spaces with global travel sites which makes it easier to standardise the travel experience.
Find a mentor and select roles where you know you will learn from the team and leaders around you. Don’t take the easy road, ensure you dive in at the deep end to get the most out of your own personal and professional growth.
Squat toilets…. In a professional capacity though, I do believe it is about supporting our young superstars coming through to ensure they have a voice. It is encouraging participation because someone once said to me that no one person owns all the good ideas and that is why I firmly believe diversity is key to solving our problems and will lead to our future growth as an industry.
This interview is part of Travel Weekly's Women in Travel series ahead of the 2024 Women in Travel Awards. The awards celebrate women who have achieved astronomic success in their professional arenas, celebrating their invaluable contribution to the industry through leadership, innovation and courage. Read the full Travel Weekly article here.