Backpacking around Europe back in 2015. That was such a fun trip, even though having to make the best out of it with little money - the backpacker struggle is real - was challenging but definitely worth it. That lasted for about 15 days and, in that time span, I've had a chance to discover and explore more than seven different countries!
Staff Spotlight: Eduardo Quintana
Title:
Digital Marketing AdministratorPhotos
What is your favorite travel memory?
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
The ability to meet different people and cultures week in week out has definitely been good to me. Not only you find yourself discovering new and exciting things, but also you get to find out more about a familiar topic but from a completely different standpoint.
On top of that, the culture of the company is really good in the sense that everyone is extremely friendly, so that gave me a new perception of how to host people.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
One student once told us a funny story about how he and his friends - which he met in our orientation session - went out for a hike in the South Island. Up to this point, that was okay - that is what most of us do while going around there -, but he said that his friends convinced him to do the hike really early in the morning for they wanted to see the sunrise. He said it was so bloody cold and he whinged so much. This is what friends are for, I guess ;)
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
I would go with the Ultimate program. The reason being I am a big fan of adventures.
This program not only contains everything you need to come to New Zealand and feel relaxed about getting all the bureaucracy sorted, but it also has got four different adventure experiences that are so fun, such as the Ecozip zipline and Auckland bridge climbing.
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
We offer a tailored set of programmes to suit different needs, which is all about variety. Additionally, we have got a team of experts that have been in the customers' shoes before.
All of us have done a gap year abroad and so we can literally relate to customers and their pain points. The refurbishment of our website and quick turnaround regarding that was a moment that really made me proud of the team.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
Listening to customers. We have all been in the same boat before and so we know how it feels. To be able to get their feedback and proactively work on it is simply essential to the success of any company. This is something we are really proud of doing, and, hopefully, it will continue being a trend in the future.