Midweek Interview with AAT Kings and Inspiring Journeys’ Matt Cameron-Smith

Midweek Interview with AAT Kings and Inspiring Journeys’ Matt Cameron-Smith

Travel Weekly’s editor recently joined AAT Kings and Inspiring Journeys managing director Matt Cameron-Smith at the beach for a one-on-one and a surfing lesson. He even managed to stand up once!

The challenge for the industry is…

Cutting through the clutter to ensure brand messages resonate. There’s a lot of noise out there.

The things I like about my job are…

Genuinely, the experiences we offer to guests. I love to see eyes wide open as guests get to experience Australia and New Zealand in a truly unique way.

And the frustrations are…

Sameness in travel messaging within the industry. That and some travel brands feeling the need to compare themselves to others to try and get their message out.

If I didn’t work in travel, I would be…

A beach bum.

My favourite airline is…

Any carrier with a good wine list.

My proudest moment was…

Each birth of my three children.

The naughtiest thing I ever did was…

I’m not telling you!

I try to relax by…

Surfing and spending time with family.

The last time I feared for my life was…

White-water rafting. Our raft flipped, and I had an uncomfortably long swim.

If I can, I always try to avoid…

Negativity.

I really wish I had…

Known about carbs much earlier in my life.

The best advice I’ve ever received was…

If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.

I don’t understand why people…

Don’t just get on with it.

My greatest weakness is…

Wine.

And my greatest strength is…

Believing it can be done and pushing until it is.

If I won a $1 million lottery (aside from travelling), I would…

Pay the school fees and buy a house.

If I was prime minister, I would…

Make working in regional tourism a way of extending the working holiday visa. We need skills and labour in regional areas so we can deliver the right experiences for travellers.

If I could be someone else for one day, I would be…

Maybe the prime minister so I could get the above done!

I’ve always wanted to travel to…

Esperance, Western Australia.

My favourite holiday was…

My recent guided trip to Tasmania with my family.

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