An emergency department nurse from Orange, NSW, is swapping scrubs and shift work for swimwear and Sri Lankan adventures after beating more than 30,000 applicants to become Luxury Escapes’ first-ever Travel Tester.
Emily Sutherland, an avid traveller who has visited more than 20 countries, will spend the next 12 months road-testing a selection of the brand’s most popular holiday experiences as its undercover mystery traveller. Between hospital shifts, she will travel as a genuine customer – documenting the highs, the low points and everything in between – before sharing honest feedback with the Luxury Escapes team to help refine the experience for its members.
“I’ve been an emergency department nurse for seven years and I absolutely love it,” Sutherland said. “Travel has always been a wonderful release during my time off – it’s a different kind of busy and I love experiencing the many ways other people live.
“My ideal holiday combines the comfort and luxury of a beautiful resort with authentic local experiences like temple visits and trying local cuisines, so I’m excited to see how Luxury Escapes holidays can bring all of those elements together. I’ve never been to Sri Lanka, Bali or the Maldives, so I’m incredibly excited to explore those destinations and share my reviews with the team. It really is a dream job – I threw my hat in the ring for fun and never expected to win, so I’m pretty stoked.”
Watch Emily Sutherland as she discover she is the winner
Tens of thousands applied
Luxury Escapes co-founder and chief executive Adam Schwab said Sutherland stood out from more than 30,000 Australians who applied for the role.
“We knew Australians loved travel, but receiving 30,000 applications to test holidays for us was an extraordinary response,” Schwab said. “Emily stood out as a genuinely passionate and experienced traveller, but she also brings a perspective that is very different from the travel industry. After seven years spent caring for people in an emergency department, we’re delighted that she now has more opportunity to pursue her passion for travel.
“There is a serious side to the role, too. We want Emily to experience Luxury Escapes exactly as a customer would and tell us what she loves, what she doesn’t and where we can do better. That honest, unfiltered perspective is incredibly valuable to us.”
Over the next 12 months, Sutherland will act as secret shopper across a series of Luxury Escapes packages valued at approximately AU$50,000, with all-inclusive travel for two – meaning her biggest challenge may be deciding who joins her.
The itinerary
- The Maldives: A direct flight from Melbourne, followed by five nights at a top-rated five-star resort with snorkelling and all-inclusive fine dining.
- Sri Lanka: A fully guided tour taking in ancient temples, tea plantations and coastline, with five-star accommodation throughout.
- Bali: A week at an all-inclusive villa in Nusa Dua, with indulgent dining and sunset cocktails.
- Australia: A series of weekend escapes spanning wine-country retreats, coastal hideaways and city-luxe stays in popular domestic destinations.
