Monday Minute: Transat Travel's Christine Roaquin

The Monday Minute is a weekly feature in PAX that highlights the movers, shakers, leaders and rule breakers in Canada's travel advisor community. Wanna be profiled? Wanna nominate someone? Email newsroom@paxglobalmedia.com!

Name: Christine Roaquin

Business: Transat Travel

Where do you live? Edmonton, AB

How long have you been a travel advisor? 38 years

What is your specialty? FIT, cruises, luxury

What is your current state of mind? 

Excited about making bookings again and clients traveling on these bookings and not cancelling.

What inspired you to become a travel advisor? 

Always had a sense of adventure – which travel seems to support! Plus, I like working with people and getting that next sale!

What’s the first trip you ever took? 

CP Holidays trip to Reno, NV. I was only 20 years old so I couldn’t drink or gamble. Was out of my comfort zone on that first trip.

What travel trends are you seeing these days? 

I seem to be planning everything. Usually you have trends – winter means sunspots or summer means Europe [for example]. But it seems I am looking into all kinds of holidays, following no pattern. The pent-up demand for travel has folks wanting to explore the world.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way you do business? 

Coping with the volume requires us to now book appointments.

Of all the bookings you’ve made, which itinerary are you most proud of? 

I booked with Goway – three back-to-back coach tours in Australia and New Zealand combined with some FIT land plus a Silversea cruise in between. The clients will be travelling for two months, flying business class. Nice booking!

What’s the most memorable trip you ever took?

A recent trip to Cambodia with Trafalgar in 2019 before the “vid” gripped the world. What the country went thru under the Khmer rule was unbelievable. Toul Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields will change you. Then you have the amazing temples in Siem Reap. Every day was a “wow” moment.

Where do you see your career one year from now? 

Would love to slip back into the predictable routine of being an agent. Maybe a little less busy so I can get caught up! But not too quiet!

What’s one thing you would change about the travel industry? 

Many clients use an agent because the complexity of apps, registering online and e-visas are too much for some to cope with. But agents need to be able to still help their clients figure this all out. The industry needs to keep this in mind and make concessions, otherwise you are having some clients just calling it quits and staying home.

What’s your secret to being successful in this business? 

Try to stay in touch with clients as much as you can and get back to folks as quickly as possible. Manage expectations and you should have a client for life.

What is your motto? 

It is better to see something once then read about it a hundred times. Not my quote but love it and live it!

What’s your number one piece of advice to other travel advisors? 

We have value and we are worth every penny we charge in service fees. Know your value.

Where are you travelling next? 

My daughter landed a job working at Vimy Ridge Memorial in France this winter. I’m going to visit her in the spring in Arras, France, then pop over to Morocco for a G Adventure tour and then spend a few days in Portugal on the way home. Can’t wait. It’s my first G Adventure and I’m excited to re-connect with my daughter!

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