For this week’s Midweek Interview, TW sits down with Goldman Group Joint Managing Director Anthony Goldman to chat about The Castle, polar bears and Disneyland.
The challenges for the industry are…
People and knowledge. We need to attract and retain the right teams with experience and passion for travel. We are looking outside the box to attract new people into the industry. If they have the passion, poise and interest in the travel business, we can train and motivate them to become great travel advisors.
The things I like about my job…
I love working with people and meeting new and interesting industry personalities. The travel industry is all about human connection so it’s about finding and nurturing those connections for the benefit of our clients.
I also love working with our teams in our businesses. Seeing them design and deliver lifetime travel experiences is the best reward.
And the frustrations are …
There is not enough time in the day or weeks in the year. There are so many opportunities so prioritising is the key.
If I didn’t work in travel I would be…
A paediatric surgeon.
Favourite airline?
I love the flying Kangaroo. Nothing beats boarding Qantas after time away on a business trip.
My proudest moment was…
Standing on stage with my father and brother in recent years receiving our NTIA and Virtuoso awards.
The naughtiest thing I ever did was…
Eat a whole box of cherries when I was four years old. OK, that is not the naughtiest…
I try to relax by…
Watching the football with Zac my 11 year-old son. Even though he screams throughout the match, I find it relaxing and love it.
The last time I feared for my life was…
A bomb scare on a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles. It was fear, but the crew were fantastic and it was a false alarm anyway.
If I can, I always try to avoid…
Taking the rubbish out.
I really wish I had…
Learnt more languages as a kid. The ease of learning as a kid is so much more.
The best advice I’ve ever received was…
Look someone in the eye when shaking their hand (thanks to my grandfather Mark Myers).
I don’t understand why people…
Book their holidays online when it costs no more to book via a travel agent. Why be considered just a boring booking number at a hotel rather than having a travel advisor nurturing that booking for you?
My greatest weakness is…
Tiramisu.
And my greatest strength is…
I’m an ideas man (credit: The Castle).
If I won a $1 million lottery (aside from travelling), I would…
Pay the school fees and donate the left-overs to a charity to improve the lives of others.
If I was prime minister I would…
Eliminate local governments.
If I could be someone else for one day I would be…
Tom Jones in the 1960s.
I’ve always wanted to travel to…
Antarctica. On an expedition cruise, up close with nature and watching polar bears do their thing.
My favourite holiday was…
I was 9 years old. First time to Disneyland. We departed on my birthday so I had two birthdays that year!
