An Award with My Name on It – But It Belongs to Many
Reflecting on a lifetime in an industry I love.
Recognition for doing what I love most – helping people travel well.
Last week, I was honoured to receive the Travel Gossip Outstanding Contribution Award for South West & Wales.
Unlike many awards, this wasn't something I entered myself and I genuinely had no idea I had been nominated.
As the judges began reading the citation on the evening, I listened with interest as they described someone who had started as a travel apprentice, progressed into senior leadership roles, served on industry boards and committees, and spent many years supporting the wider travel industry.
It slowly dawned on me that they were talking about me.
I have to admit, it was a rather surreal moment.
As I listened to the citation, which highlighted my journey from apprentice to senior leadership roles, my involvement with The Advantage Travel Partnership, ABTA South Wales, AWTE and the Cardiff Airport Consultative Committee, I found myself reflecting on what more than 40 years in travel has actually given me.
The answer isn't a job title. It's knowledge.
Not just destination knowledge, although I have spent a lifetime visiting hotels, exploring destinations, attending industry events and building relationships across the globe.
It's understanding how the entire travel industry works.
Over the years I have worked in sales, marketing, operations, finance, management and leadership, progressing from apprentice to senior leadership roles within the travel industry. Alongside my day-to-day career, I have had the privilege of serving on the Board of The Advantage Travel Partnership, supporting ABTA South Wales, acting as Financial Director of AWTE and chairing the Cardiff Airport Consultative Committee.
I have also experienced first-hand the many changes that have shaped modern travel, from airline failures and volcanic ash clouds to global pandemics and the rapid advances in technology that continue to transform the way we travel.
Those experiences have given me something incredibly valuable: perspective.
When a client contacts me, they may simply be looking for a holiday.
What they often don't see is everything happening behind the scenes.
Choosing the right destination isn't just about finding a beautiful hotel.
It's understanding the best time to travel, flight options, transfer logistics, local infrastructure, health considerations, supplier reliability, financial protection and whether a destination genuinely suits that particular client.
Every recommendation I make is backed by years of experience and industry knowledge.
It is knowing which hotel group consistently delivers exceptional service. It is understanding which cruise line is the right fit for a particular traveller. It is recognising when a routing looks good on paper but may not work in reality.
It is knowing who to call when something unexpected happens.
And it is understanding the importance of compliance, financial protection and looking after clients properly.
These are not always the most glamorous aspects of travel, but they are some of the most important.
Living Through Change.
Travel has changed enormously since I started as an apprentice in 1981.Brochures have been replaced by websites. Paper tickets have become digital boarding passes.
Artificial intelligence can now build an itinerary in seconds.
Yet one thing has not changed. People still want expertise.
They still want reassurance. And they still want someone they trust in their corner when planning an important journey.
That is why this award means so much to me.
Not because it celebrates the past, but because it recognises the value of experience, knowledge and commitment in an industry that I still love as much today as I did when I first started.
Of course, no one achieves anything alone.
As I reflected on the award, I found myself thinking about the many people who have been part of my journey. The teams I have worked with, the colleagues who became friends, the suppliers and partners who have shared their knowledge, and the industry organisations that trusted me to represent them.
The award may have my name on it, but it also reflects the support, encouragement and collaboration of countless people throughout my career.
Today, through Wellbeing Travel, I have the privilege of bringing together everything I have learned over the past four decades to help my clients travel with confidence.
Whether I am planning a luxury escape, a complex itinerary, a cruise, a family celebration or a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, I draw on more than 40 years of knowledge, relationships and industry expertise.
That, perhaps, is what this award really recognises.
Not simply a career in travel, but a lifetime spent learning, adapting, contributing and helping others discover the world.
For that, I am incredibly grateful.
Helen Tustin
Founder, Wellbeing Travel
