Travel agents treat business partnership manager to special dinner

Two TravelManagers agents have shown their support and appreciation for their business partnership manager (BPM) by treating her to a special night out.

When TravelManagers’ Adela Backhouse and Emma Ross first came up with the concept of Belle Adventures two years ago, one of the first people they turned to for advice was their BPM, Karen Dowling.

And as their concept for a travel business specialising in creating tailored holidays exclusively for groups of women has evolved, the pair have welcomed the ongoing support that Dowling has provided.

“Karen’s passion has helped a lot in keeping us motivated and focused on our goals,” Ross said.

“She has given us so much feedback and advice over the last two years, both individually and together. Initially, she helped us to develop our concept and bring Belle Adventures to life, and she’s always available when we need her or if we just need to throw some ideas around.”

Ross and Backhouse, who are TravelManagers’ representatives for Bulimba and Coorparoo in Queensland respectively, said that although COVID-19 has caused them to rethink the way Belle Adventures operates, their trusty local state-based BPM has once again been on hand to help them navigate the murky waters.

“We’ve always been prepared to evolve as our clients evolve, and we realised early on that we would need to refocus our attention on the domestic travel market due to our audience and the stage of life they are at,” Backhouse said.

“Karen has been right there beside us, coaching us and prompting us to explore new ideas and to adapt to a new world.”

To express their gratitude for her support and to acknowledge their achievements so far, the pair recently invited Dowling to join them for a celebratory dinner.

“The support we have continually received from Karen and the rest of the national partnership office team has been amazing,” Ross said.

“COVID has been tough on everyone, and we really wanted to show our appreciation for Karen’s support, not just this year but from the outset of Belle Adventures.”

Dowling has worked for TravelManagers in her role as BPM for Queensland since March 2010, arriving with a wealth of prior experience thanks to her previous seventeen years in the travel industry.

“It is always interesting to hear about new business ideas from PTMs and help them bring them to fruition,” she said.

“It’s so rewarding to watch them grow and to share in their success stories. Every day is different in the day of a BPM, which is what makes my role so interesting and rewarding.”

Dowling said although she has been involved with the development of numerous niche businesses during her time as a PTM, Belle Adventures was her first instance of two PTMs joining forces to create one successful business.

“I thought Belle Adventures was a great concept for a niche business, and they are two great PTMs who work hard on their business and juggle their families successfully too,” she said.

“They both have different strengths that complement each other, and a great network to support the growth of their business concept.

“I have learned that great friendship can grow from a great business idea. Emma and Adela met through TravelManagers and formed a business connection when they realised their different talents could mesh to create a niche product.

“Since then, they have become great friends and spent some lovely times away, growing strong relationships with special clients.”

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Adela Backhouse bpm Emma Ross Karen Dowling travel agents travelmanagers