Wendy Wu Tours has welcomed a new General Manager of its Australian division, and what a time to start a new job – at the end of the year.

So everyone, say hello to Steve Richards!

Ok, that’s just a photo, so saying hello to it is a bit weird.

But that doesn’t mean you cant get to know him!

Never ones to let the opportunity of a good grilling go, Travel Weekly sat down with Steve to find out what makes him tick, what makes him tock, and all of his 2018 predictions.

Travel Weekly: When did you start in travel?

Steve Richards: I started in the sector in 2002 working for Contiki Holidays in London.

I started at The Travel Corporation as Client Services Manager, and quickly moved into a Sales Executive position. When I came to Sydney in 2004, I stayed with TravelCorp, and became NSW Sales Manager for Creative Holidays.

TW: What drew you to a career in travel?

SR: I always has a deep passion for travelling – isn’t it why so many expats do the London move as young adults! I also wanted to be around like-minded people, those that wanted to go further and explore, so a career in travel was the natural direction.

I often reflect on how fortunate we in the travel industry are that so many of us are able to combine what we love to do in our personal time with our careers – what a gift!

TW: What was the biggest moment for travel in 2017?

SR: 2017 was a huge year for travel, and in fact from the guys at Wendy Wu Tours it was the China-Australia Year of Tourism.

From my perspective, there were 2 equally biggest “moments” for travel in 2017 – the first was the acceleration of acquisitions by Flight Centre, and the second was the strengthening and rebranding of Helloworld under new leadership and direction.

Two giant industry players going from strength to strength; I love that spirit of entrepreneurship that drives our industry.

TW: How is travel changing in Australia and globally?

SR: Change is the only constant. In the last few years we’ve seen new destinations open up, increased airlift to a huge variety of locations, and trends to solo travel, “foodie” travel and the drive to seek further off-the-beaten-track.

A greater focus is being placed on ‘sustainable tourism’, and rightly so. We must protect the cultures, destinations and sights that we sell. Without them we have no business.

TW: Was there anything that took you by surprise?

SR: The formal partnerships by traditional travel suppliers and major online disrupters – such as Qantas with Uber and AirBnB, as well as Travellers Choice with Trip-A-Deal – were examples of the way the industry needs to continue to adapt.

It was a good surprise to see the industry embracing innovation, something we’ve collectively had a history of resistance to.

TW: Was there anything you wished had happened in the industry but still hasn’t?

SR: I think that the next step has got to be affordable and accessible space travel – it’s the next frontier, and is already in the works, but I would have expected to see it live already!

TW: What/where will be big for 2018?

SR: 2018 will be a big year for Australian travellers.

In terms of the “what”, Aussie travellers are becoming more confident, and with that, wanting to go further off-the-beaten-track, with more flexibility built into their itineraries.

They want authentic, local experiences, and to interact with the cultures, and sensory experiences of the destinations that they visit.

So this means, instead of drinking tea in a café, they want to pick the tea, and drink it with the locals, for example. This also means a rise in the number of travellers wanting Tailor-Made Tours, as they can build in that personal experience that they seek.

At the same time, Aussie travellers are becoming more and more pressed for time, and to this end, they are seeking more relaxed-pace experiences, such a tours that include an element of river cruising, or even Private Tours with their families.

These travellers want everything seamless, so that they can pack and go!

In terms of the “where”, we still see Japan trending strongly, and India has emerged as this quarters surprise entrant for strong interest.

Those more unique destinations are seeing huge demand, places like Mongolia, Bhutan, Tibet and Nepal. Central Asia particularly is driving strong interest, as we’ve gone into Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

New means of travel and accommodation are also very strong, such as the Trans-Mongolian Railway or sleeping in Yurts.

TW: What excites you for 2018?

SR: What doesn’t? It’s a great time to be in the industry, as exciting developments are on the horizon. I’m really excited to watch the digital world continue to transform and challenge the industry, transformation is a must in 2018, we all need to embrace it, there are huge gains to be made across all sectors.

On a personal level, I’m also really excited with the challenge that this new role brings, and looking forward to experience first-hand some of the incredible destinations that Wendy Wu Tours travels to.

TW: What’s big for Wendy Wu in 2018?

SR: In response to customer feedback, Wendy Wu Tours will look to expand their product portfolio globally in 2018. For over 23 years travellers have loved our successful all-inclusive model in Asia so we’re confident they will turn to us to explore South America and beyond.

Japan has also seen huge growth for us in 2017, and we anticipate this to continue in 2018, as the up-coming Rugby World Cup and Tokyo Olympics brings it front-of-mind for Australian travellers.

Overall, we have also seen a huge increase in interest in our Immerse Yourself range of tours, as travellers are seeking to move into the experiential traveller space, and explore deeper into our destinations.

Already we’ve seen a huge amount of interest in our new tours of Central Asia, Western Tibet, Nepal, and Borneo. On top of this, we’ve also released a number of new tours that cater for specific traveller needs, such as differing durations, inclusions, flexible touring and river cruising.

A great example of this is the Inspiring India tour that was launched only in September this year, it’s a 14 day trip designed to take in all of the major sights – sitting between our traditional 7 and 21 days trips; already it’s one of our top sellers.