Intrepid Travel Destination Manager Australia & Oceania, Yolli Rado, possibly has one of the best jobs in the world.
Travel Monitor was lucky enough to be in Papua New Guinea recently with Yolli and see first hand her passion for her job, love and respect for the company she works for and dedication to making the world a better place through travel.
Here is what else we found out about Yolli.
What does your job involve?
I look after product in Australia, New Zealand, PNG, The Solomon Islands and Fiji for Intrepid Travel. Sometimes that means I’m creating or managing tours, helping our sales teams to learn about my region or managing supplier relationships. It’s very diverse.
What do you enjoy most about your profession?
That’s a hard question because there’s so much that I love. I’m one of those annoying people who really enjoys my job. I love working for a company that’s aiming to be good for the world. I’m passionate about the environment, Reconciliation in Australia and how we can use travel as a force for good. Working for Intrepid means I get to do tangible things that contribute to these areas and continuously learn more. We’ve just completed our first Reconciliation Action Plan and have started work on the second. We became a certified BCORP in 2018 and as part of our commitment to becoming climate positive we’ve invested in a marine permaculture project to restore kelp forests. And of course, I also love the travel!
What are the biggest challenges for you in your profession?
I love what I do, so I’m often working on flights and checking emails when I probably shouldn’t be. Travel’s become such a huge part of my life that even when I’m on an actual holiday I find it hard to disconnect from the job or to properly switch off.
What do you think are the biggest challenges the industry faces?
Climate change and overtourism. Flying is one of the biggest carbon contributors and we need to fly to travel, so finding ways to reduce our footprint is going to be crucial. Likewise, too many visitors to a place can have such a detrimental impact on local communities or can force fragile environments to deteriorate. We need to find sustainable solutions to both these issues.
What do you think will be the biggest game changer in the travel industry in the next 12 months’?
Sustainability and our environmental impacts. People are becoming more aware of climate change and things like single use plastics. The travel industry has a huge opportunity to lead this space and I think we’ll need to up our game in order to stay in it.
What destination/travel trend do you think is the next big thing?
Anywhere a little bit more off the beaten track. Travellers are becoming more adventurous and want those bragworthy ‘grammable moments, especially if their friends haven’t been there. Places like Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia are becoming more popular particularly now that visas are getting a little easier and Papua New Guinea is an undiscovered and underrated gem that everyone should go see.
What are your thoughts on responsible travel and how do you try implement this in your workplace?
Responsible travel is essential to ensure we can continue to travel for years to come, it’s also one of the best ways to change the way people see the world. Responsible travel is entrenched at Intrepid. We became carbon neutral in 2010, In 2014 we were the first tour company to ban elephant rides, we’ve also banned orphanage visits and we’re constantly reviewing our trips to see how we’re doing, and what we can improve on.
Who inspires you most and why?
It changes a lot! But it’s generally always strong women who are achieving amazing things. At the moment: Hayley, my oldest friend who lives in Ghana. She’s working for PEG Africa helping to get solar power out to remote West African communities and she’s taught me to always come from a place of love. She’s much better at it than I am, and I feel like I’m always learning when I’m with her. Jenny – my current manager. She is so driven to achieve her own goals, and supportive of me too. She’s the one behind our amazing Women’s Expeditions and I’ve learnt a lot from her in a short period of time. Bianca Beers, Porcelain Alice and Ginger Taylor – They’re all kick-ass, crazy talented Millennial women who’ve worked their butts off to build their brands and businesses from the ground up.
What is your must pack travel item(s)?
A good set of headphones for long flights or travel days, I’ve got to have tunes to groove along to. A power board, my friend taught me this trick a few years ago, and now I never travel without one. It basically means you only need one electrical adapter, and can always charge multiple devices at once, even if there’s only one outlet in your room.
Who would you invite on your next holiday if you could choose anyone and where would you go?
Taika Waititi because I’ve got a high-school level celebrity crush (obsession) and I’d take him to East New Britain in Papua New Guinea because it’s the most magical place full of beautiful jungles and tropical island paradise. We’d laugh as we fell off our stand-up paddle boards together with volcanoes casually sitting in the background and we’d have intellectual conversations over cold beers as the sun sets. It’s the dream really. I’d also have to bring my best friend, she lives far away from me and loves Taika as much as I do.
Contact Email: Yolanta.rado@intrepidtravel.com
