Midweek Interview with Fulvia Montresor, Senior Director, Hotwire.com
The challenge for the industry is….the industry and consumer expectations are evolving so quickly, accelerated by factors like mobile adoption, social trends, personalisation expectations and destinations changing in popularity. Anyone operating in the travel industry really needs to be on top of, and ahead of, these trends in order to stay competitive.
The things I like about my job are…being a part of offering great travel savings for travellers with a love of the spontaneous and a sense of adventure. And what's not to love about surfing travel websites learning about great deals and being able to say it's legitimately part of my job?
And the frustrations….Hotwire sells a fantastic product, however some find our ‘opaque' model difficult to understand. So I wish I could find a way to speak to all potential customers for 60 seconds to explain it. In short, you save up to 50%, but you don't see the hotel name when you book as hotels with empty rooms which need to sell at a discount want to protect their image. See — less than 60 seconds.
If I didn't work in travel I would be a…. psychologist. I hear it's one of the happiest professions. You get to help folks, have lots of social interaction and understand what makes people tick.
Qantas or Virgin? They are both great airlines. I've never been an airline loyal customer. For any one flight I weigh up the schedule desirability versus price.
My proudest moment was….picking up my toddlers from their day care and having my three year old tell me her one year old sister was crying in the playground so she gave her a hug. I felt like such a great mum raising such caring daughters! In case you are wondering, when I asked if that stopped her crying, the three year old said "nah".
The naughtiest thing I ever did was…I once snuck into a stranger's wedding. This was before the movie the Wedding Crashers made it popular. I was young enough for such a lapse in judgment to be excusable (I hope). They had a very nice wedding as I remember it….
I try to relax by…baking. It's very 1950s of me, I know, but I'm actually not too bad with a beater in hand and copious amounts of sugar. Plus it's a great way to occupy my two toddlers.
The last time I feared for my life….was a very long time ago. But let's just say scuba-diving and I don't mix so well. I really ought to stay on the surface, if I want to preserve any sense of dignity.
If I can, I always try to avoid…the middle seat. Double that if it's the middle seat by the loo.
I really wish I had…paid more attention in my year seven French class.
The best advice I've ever received was…. surround yourself with good people. It's good advice for work, and it's even better advice personally.
I don't understand why… some people don't use all their annual leave. We're all busy, I get that, but we all need a good break now and then. If you need justification, there's studies showing we're much more productive if we can recharge our batteries.
My greatest weakness is…. a good martini. Two at the very most.
And my greatest strength…. persistence.
If I was prime minister I would… be booted out in a hurry. I don't have the stomach for politicking and you'd hear too many unfiltered thoughts.
If I won $1 million on the lottery I would…. enjoy more travel (of course) with my family, host more lovely dinner parties with friends and donate some to an educational cause.
If I could be someone else for one day I would be…a tango dancer. It would be amazing to be so graceful just for a day.
I've always wanted to travel to….Japan. I've been told it's "another world" and just have not managed to get there yet.
My favourite holiday was… It's difficult to choose but a holiday to Santa Margherita Ligure in Italy this year was a perfect combination of beach, great food and culture. I used to think that once I had kids travel would be over. Instead I've found that although it's challenging in different ways, it's also very rewarding as I get to share my love of travel with my kids and see places from a different perspective.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
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