In this personal piece for Travel Weekly, CATO’s Brett Jardine looks at his three decades of contribution to the travel industry in some of its most challenging times.
I’ve been fortunate to spend more than three decades in the travel industry, working across Australia, New Zealand and the UK since 1990, including a decade leading CLIA Australasia during a period of significant growth for the cruise sector.
When the opportunity to join CATO came up, I was initially hesitant to step back into an association role. Dennis Bunnik had other ideas, and I agreed to come on board for what I thought would be two years to help take the organisation into its next phase.
Ten days before that milestone, COVID hit.
Like everyone in the sector, we were suddenly dealing with unprecedented challenges, and I felt a strong responsibility to stay and support our members through what became the most difficult period the industry has faced. While it was an incredibly tough time, it was also when CATO really came into its own.
One of the outcomes I’m most proud of is that not one Australian-owned CATO member became insolvent during COVID. That reflects the resilience of the sector, but also the importance of strong advocacy and close engagement with government, including the support delivered through the Reviving International Tourism Grant program.
As the industry rebuilt, the work didn’t get easier. Tour operators were effectively starting again, managing long revenue cycles and rebuilding international supply chains. Supporting members through that phase was just as important.
Along the way, there have been some great milestones, including the growth of the CATO Christmas Lunch into a major industry event and the development of the CATO Touring Academy, which now has more than 3,000 frontline agents engaged and over 2,000 Touring Certified.
But what has meant the most to me has been the direct connection with members. Many are SME operators and being able to support them through both challenging and successful times has been incredibly rewarding.
I’m not retiring, just taking a break, and I look forward to staying connected with the industry in the future.
CATO’s Brett Jardine steps down after eight years as health battle continues
