Hi there,
I am a small homebased travel agent who predominantly looks after travel for my family and friends. It might sound weird but that's how I like it.
I have been in the tourism and hospitality industry for over 30 years, working in airlines, hotels and customer service. So why a travel agent ? In 2013 I went through a cancer journey which saw me sitting in countless waiting rooms and meeting so many incredible people. The stories I heard were like no others - people who came to Perth for treatment from miles away, sleeping in their car because they couldn't afford accommodation, some people even choosing not to have treatment because they didn't want to be away from their family for weeks on end. Sanctuary Travel has given me the opportunity of staying within an industry I love and create a charity called Blue Dot Army (the blue dot is a permanent tattoo you need to have when receiving traditional radiation treatment) which is committed to ensuring no-one is alone on their cancer treatment journey. Based on a 'Travel Agent' model, we source products and services within people's budget to ease the stress during their cancer treatment. this includes accommodation, transport to appointments, shopping and any other services to support them in a non-medical way. We also assign a dedicated volunteer to walk the path with people, offering them a one-stop person to reach out to when and if needed. Our focus is on the person, not the disease. Through industry networking, I have created Blue Dot Hotels, which help us offer very affordable rates and extremely flexible conditions. We even have the capability to allow people to have chemotherapy administered in the comfort of their hotel room and avoid waiting rooms with compromised immune systems.
I love being in the travel industry, so this is the way I can stay connected with what I love. Pre-pandemic I would travel annually to India and indulge in a 2 week Ayurvedic retreat, taking small groups which will commence again in 2023. Along with this, I usually pick somewhere that I would like to visit and if others are keen, they come along for the ride!
I am passionate about people which is why I love doing the Charity work but I am also self aware enough to know it's healthy and good for the soul to travel to relax, rejuvenate and reset on occasion.
To travel is to discover the world, learn about new cultures and make new friends.
