About Emma Waugh
I have been in the travel industry for 31 + years and visited over 50 countries from backpacking to luxury experiences. I achieved national recognition and received multiple awards for my individualized customer travel experiences created for my clients during my 16 years with Flight Centre and am continuing that success as part of the Travel Managers Group. Your travel plans are important to me. With my knowledge and experience, I am committed to providing you with a professional, personalized service. I like to build great relationships with my clients and believe that getting to know you and what you like for your travels is extremely important. I look forward to hearing from you and helping you with all of your travel plans.
Favourite destination & why:
Africa – a continent of discovery, experiences, scenery, wildlife and culture. It is hard to choose a favourite – every destination is an experience and a chance to explore, enjoy and discover.
Do you have a specialty?
European touring and self-guided holidays, River and Ocean Cruising.
Availability:
7 days a week.
Blog
To celebrate International Women’s Day we spoke to Emma to learn a bit more about her and her journey and career
Introducing Emma Waugh, 52 and young at heart and 32 years in the travel industry!
Showcasing Emma’s career and how her love for travel grew:
I started my travel career working for Air UK at Stansted Airport as Assistant to Airport Manager and have had varied roles since then, I travelled and worked in Ski Resorts in the USA and in NZ for a few seasons, hotel reservations in Australia and then after moving to NZ in 2002, after travelling around for 4 years, I joined retail travel with Flight Centre in 2003.
After 16 years in a store I chose to go brokering in September 2019 to focus on my clients and work life balance. Becoming an independent Travel Advisor and moving to Travel Managers has been amazing and gives me the autonomy to deliver the best travel products to my clients. My expertise is across a range of travel styles from family packages, cruising, guided holidays to adventure travel - with 20 years of retail experience I have a lot of knowledge and expertise in all areas of travel!
A bit about Emma:
I have a love of travel - obviously! Visited over 50 countries and travelled in all sorts of ways - plane, trains, boats, buses, from back packing to luxury experience! Outside of travel I love art and photography and like to enjoy the best of Taupo - the best swimming pool in the world, hopping on my eBike and make the most of the cycle trails and have just got a very mischievous and cute puppy who is being trained to enjoy the outdoors.
Advice she stands by: Live each day the best you can as you only have one life so make it count and don't have regrets. Don't look back and wish you had done something, go and do it and believe in yourself. My Dad's words of wisdom have stuck with me for 25 years - love and miss you Dad!
Emma’s professional achievements and highlights:
The people I have met from clients to colleagues and many of whom are now very good friends. The places I have been fortunate to experience.
Every welcome home call to a client that tells me about the trip they have just had and how much they enjoyed it and how much they appreciate the itinerary I created for them.
I achieved most improved travel agent in NZ in my second year in store selling travel, qualified for 13 Global Award events as the one of the top travel consultants in NZ and I led my team to become one of the top stores in the country. The biggest achievement that has meant the most to me was going independent and running my own travel business.
Some advice Emma would give to her younger self or to a young woman: Never think you can't do something or achieve something - you are strong, you are capable and you can do it. One step at a time and enjoy the journey.
Her best travel memory:
Oh - so many! One of the bucket list ticks was seeing the Northern Lights way up north of Whitehorse in the Yukon. Outside in the middle of nowhere, knee deep in snow and negative 20 and watching the sky come alive - truly breathtaking!
