Ex-AFTA boss Jayson Westbury resurfaces with new consulting business

Ex-AFTA boss Jayson Westbury resurfaces with new consulting business
By Travel Weekly


While all eyes are on the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) and who will be appointed as its next chief, former boss Jayson Westbury has found himself a new gig.

Westbury, who seemingly dropped of the industry’s radar after resigning as AFTA’s chief executive over comments he made about TV host Tracy Grimshaw during an online seminar, has set up his own consultancy.

Speaking to Travel Weekly, Westbury said Dovic Consulting – ‘Dovic’ being an anagram for ‘COVID’ – was established earlier this month after recognising an opportunity to offer his skills and expertise to those in need.

“It’s not something I necessarily had in mind because I didn’t have in mind to be leaving [AFTA] when I did, but it seems timely to do it as people try to unpack some of the challenges they face,” he said.

“I’m just putting myself out there to see how I can perhaps still help people where they might need help, but just not obviously with an AFTA hat.”

Westbury said he is focused on working with a broad range of clients and not just those from the travel industry.

“I’m doing a fair bit of work in the payments sector. It’s an area where there is lots of new innovation, and lots of frustration,” he said.

“Not just in travel, but in most of the economy, payments are a friction point, and they shouldn’t be.

“There are lots of new and innovative systems that are being invented by people that fall outside of the traditional payment methods, so I’m sort of helping how they might work, where they might fit not just in travel, but in other parts of the retail space.”

Westbury said there were also opportunities presenting themselves around how things could be rethought within the aviation sector about how payments could be settled both with the consumer, but also travel agents.

The new business play by Westbury comes as AFTA continues its search for his replacement, having recently revealed what it is looking for in a new CEO.

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