Alberta is excited about innovation and the promise it holds for the future of the travel industry in Ghana. “Travel has become a lot more diverse, a lot easier and a lot more stress-free since I first started in 2003 thanks to the introduction of new technologies,” she says.
“I remember when I started at Euro Tour, we had to queue at the airline’s offices if we wanted to re-issue a ticket or make a date change. We often had to wait for hours only to find out when it was finally our turn that we didn’t bring the right amount of money for the transaction,” she recalls.
Today, Euro Tour issues electronic tickets for all airlines directly from the agency’s office. “We are also able to issue tickets for other airlines not based in Ghana through our sister company in Italy,” says Alberta.
Besides Amadeus solutions, Internet is the most important technological innovation that has impacted on Euro Tour in the past few years. “If you have Internet, you have access to all the information you want. Moreover, it allows us to collaborate with people globally. We couldn’t live without Internet anymore.”
What Alberta loves most about being a travel agent? “Meeting new people with different backgrounds all the time,” she says, adding that she also loves discovering new travel destinations. “Every day, I discover new destinations.”
Although Alberta loves Singapore for its different food and welcoming people, her five-year old son – whom she takes travelling with her very often – is crazy about the US. “We travel together all the time. He loves the US, as this is the place where he saw snow for the very first time,” she says.
But the travel opportunities are not the only part of being a travel agent that Alberta loves. She enjoys being able to assist her clients in times of need and ‘save the day’ for them. Alberta explains that when the Ebola epidemic spread in West Africa, she was able to make a real difference in her clients’ lives by helping them leave the affected areas.
“Euro Tour counts amongst its clients many Embassies and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), as well as corporate bodies and multinational organisations. They all needed our help to make sure their travellers were safe,” she says.
Alberta’s advice for other travel consultants? “Be transparent. Have integrity. Be frank in everything you do. And, remember that the sky is the limit.”
For the future, Euro Tour is looking at growing its domestic and regional tours, as well as to elaborate on the online platform, which has been in high demand with travellers. Also for Ghana the future is bright, according to Alberta. She says: “We have a booming economy with a large foreign investment, so the future is bright in Ghana.”
