As the 2026 Baxter Student Ambassadors and tourism students from across the country gear up to join the travel industry, Travel Courier caught up with travel pros to hear their words of wisdom for new grads and insights on what they wish they knew when they first graduated.
Edmond Eldebs, senior vice president, chief commercial officer, Porter Airlines
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first graduated?
Patience and depth beat speed. I started as a customer service rep on day one of Porter operations, and at the time I was eager to move up fast. Looking back, the real value of those early years was absorbing how every part of an airline actually works, from the front line to operations to commercial. The strategic instinct I rely on now was built in roles that did not feel strategic at the time.
What’s your top wisdom and advice for the next generation of the travel industry?
First, this industry is smaller than it looks. Your reputation will follow you everywhere, so be the person others want to work with, and for. Second, stay close to the customer. Loyalty programs, premium experiences, technology, none of it matters if you lose touch with what travellers actually feel and want. Third, build resilience early. Travel is cyclical and the next disruption is always coming. The leaders who thrive are the ones who steady a team through uncertainty and still find the opportunity on the other side.
Christian Wolters, President at Intrepid Travel Canada
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first graduated?
This applies to school as well. Get to know your boss, teacher, or supervisor as well as you can. It’s easy for strong performers to be overlooked if they quietly work in the background. When I taught at George Brown College, I typically only got to know 3–5 students really well because they made the effort to engage. That often led to regular two-way discussions about how they could improve their marks, participation, and class work, and I’m confident it made at least a 10% difference in their final grades. The workplace is no different.
What’s your top wisdom and advice for the next generation of the travel industry?
Be flexible. A lot is going to change in all industries (not just travel) in the months, and years ahead with the disruption of AI. Learn to love learning, become adaptable and flexible. You may set on one path but if you are unable to pivot it may leave you exposed!
Sandra Moffatt, director – Canada, Tourism Ireland
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first graduated?
You don’t have to feel ‘ready’ to take on opportunities, and growth usually feels uncomfortable long before it feels like success. I’ve learned it’s much easier to lean into that discomfort when there’s a sense of purpose behind it. Where you care, you commit. Saying yes to challenges that genuinely matter to you is where confidence really comes from, and I still lean on my mantra of ‘progress, not perfection’.
What’s your top wisdom and advice for the next generation of the travel industry?
The most valuable skills are the ones that stay with you wherever your career takes you. Attitude, curiosity, communication, and, especially, relationship‑building are essential, even more so in the age of AI. Become a person that people want to work with! Relationships matter just as much as results, and your reputation compounds over time. Get actively involved in the industry: attend networking events, learn about the roles you aspire to, and seek out mentors who can offer perspective, guidance, and honest advice as you develop your own path in the industry.
John Lovell, board member and senior advisor, Virgin Voyages
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first graduated?
That relationships are the entire job. I spent a lot of my early career focused on products, numbers and getting things right, which matters, but the travel industry runs on trust between people. The advisors who build the deepest client loyalty, the executives who move organizations forward, the partnerships that actually hold up when things get complicated, they all come back to the same thing. You can learn destinations and systems, but you cannot shortcut the work of genuinely getting to know people and showing up for them over time. I wish I had understood sooner that every conversation is an investment, not a transaction.
What’s your top wisdom and advice for the next generation of the travel industry?
Stay curious and resist the urge to specialize too fast. The people I’ve seen build the most interesting careers in this industry are the ones who said yes to things that weren’t in their lane, who got comfortable being the least experienced person in the room and learned from it. Travel is one of those rare industries where your personal passion and your professional expertise genuinely reinforce each other. Use that. Travel as much as you possibly can, especially early. The firsthand knowledge you build is something no training program can replicate, and it will set you apart for the rest of your career.
