Women in Travel: Eliza Woodward, SmartFlyer

We chat with Eliza Woodward, Director, SmartFlyer Australia about working with the opposite sex, making travel cool and why it’s a great industry for women, in conjunction with the inaugural Women in Travel Awards in November.

I have four male business partners and they call me the hard arse. I’ve definitely got the biggest balls.

I got my start at Flight Centre in Sydney’s Wynyard Station. The queue would be five deep at lunch. It was a baptism of fire. I was managing my own shop in nine months and had a team of 105 people. But I had a sea change and launched a surf travel company that I later sold. I love the dazzle of creating something new and exciting.

SmartFlyer is making travel cool and sexy. We’ve been approached by so many people – three
this week. Social media is a huge part of the brand. We cottoned on to that early. We are trying to create amazing careers for people where they don’t need to be locked up in retail stores.

Working from home fits perfectly with having children too.

One of our most successful agents has three children.

She logs in from 7pm to 11pm and works from her home office and has a great business and it doesn’t affect what she does during the day.

Today I’m pleased to say that 90% of the SmartFlyer team are women. Travel is the perfect industry for women. I think it’s the nurturing aspect, it’s caring about people, it’s being diligent, putting that plan in place and making sure it executes without any hitches. Men are scared to come into the industry and think it’s too girly for them.

There’s also a misconception that travel is a ‘love’ job that’s not financially rewarding. I meet a lot of women who are told that by people. From my experience and levels of performance, the amount of money you can earn is extraordinary.

Travel Weekly is proud to present the inaugural Women in Travel Awards in Sydney on 17 November, and are calling on women from any level across the industry to enter.

You don’t have to be nominated to enter, it’s open to all women at any level, and entries are FREE.

Or, if you know or work with any exceptional Women in Travel, be proactive and acknowledge excellence in their field by nominating them to enter.

Click here to Nominate Now

The 18 categories are NOW OPEN and individuals can enter in more than one category.

Winners will be announced at a gala awards ceremony on 17 November in Sydney. Earlybird tickets are on sale.

Read other Women in Travel interviews in this series:

Sarina Bratton, Ponant

Sarah Anderson, GTI Tourism

Penny Lion, Tourism Australia

Kim Mason, TravelManagers

Simla Sooboodoo, Hands On Journeys

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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