In August, former travel agent Kirsty Bachelor joined Titan Travel as its new Head of Trade Sales, moving from Venture Ashore. Travel Gossip caught up with Kirsty to find out a bit more about her, and reveals her love of Joanna Lumley, beef Monster Munch and her rabbit, Coco.
I never travel without… my phone, without a doubt! I always download my favourite programmes before I travel, especially for those longer journeys, and if I’m being honest, there’s usually a healthy dose of reality TV in there too! It’s my guilty pleasure and the perfect way to switch off.
The famous person (dead or alive) I’d most like to sit next to on a plane is… Joanna Lumley, she’s had such a fascinating life and travelled to so many incredible places, so I think she’d be brilliant company. She’s been a Bond girl of course, and I’m a big fan of Absolutely Fabulous, so I’m sure we’d have plenty to talk about and she’d have some amazing stories to tell. She really shows that it’s never too late to start exploring the world.
If I had a tattoo, it would be… well, I already have tattoos, but if I could go back and have a word with my younger self, I might have thought twice before getting them! So I think I’ll leave it there, and not add further to the collection.
The next place I’ll visit is… Parga, it’s one of my favourite places. I love the lazy days, beautiful scenery and fab food and drink, it has such a great mix of being cosmopolitan while still feeling classically Greek and it’s somewhere I’ll never get bored of returning to.
The last place I visited was… Lake Maggiore, I’ve just returned from the Barrhead conference, and it was absolutely beautiful. The scenery was stunning and definitely one of those places that makes you want to come back and explore further.
My most memorable travel experience was… snorkelling in the Maldives, it had always been a dream destination for me, so finally getting there was pretty special in itself, but the highlight was seeing the sea turtles whilst snorkelling. It’s something I will never forget.
The worst thing I ate or drank abroad was… Taramasalata! I know it’s a Greek favourite, but it’s absolutely not for me. I gave it a try, but definitely never again.
My bucket-list destination is… Alaska. It’s been on my bucket list for a while. I’d love to see the scenery and wildlife and just experience somewhere that feels completely different from anywhere I’ve been before. It’s definitely one I’m hoping to tick off the list.
Born in… Coventry, and brought up in Burbage, a village in Leicestershire.
Live in… Sapcote, another village in Leicestershire. Only about five miles from where I grew up, so I haven’t moved very far!
The best piece of advice I’ve been given is…“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” It’s something my best friend shared with me a while back and it’s stuck with me ever since. Basically, when something feels overwhelming, you don’t try to tackle it all at once, you break it down and take it a bit at a time.
If I could eat one thing/meal for the rest of my life it would be… beef Monster Munch! I love them and could happily eat them forever.
The thing I miss most while travelling is… I should probably say my partner, but it’s actually my bunny, Coco! She’s a six-year-old mini lop and I treat her like she’s my actual child.
When I left school, I wanted to be… a travel agent… and that’s what I did! I started as an apprentice in a Holiday Hypermarket in Coventry and I’ve been in the travel industry ever since.
The thing I’m most proud of is… my two nieces, they are three and six, and I absolutely adore them. I’m a very proud auntie and love watching them grow up, they never fail to keep me entertained.
In my new role, I’ll be… leading the Titan Travel trade team and helping to take our trade business to the next level. I’ll be working with the team to champion Titan with our agents and ensure they have everything they need from us to be successful.
What attracted me to the job was… the product without a doubt. Titan has such a great reputation and an incredible history in the travel industry, and when you look at the destinations and experiences on offer, there’s so much to get excited about. I’ve worked in travel for a long time, so joining a company with such a strong heritage and such a fantastic product really appealed to me.
Outside work, you’ll usually find me… spending time with my family and friends. I’m very family-orientated, so weekends normally involve catching up with everyone. And at this time of year you’ll also find me watching Formula One, I’m a big fan.
The first thing I notice about a person when I meet them is… probably their sense of humour, I love meeting people who don’t take themselves too seriously and can have a good bit of banter. I think you can tell quite quickly when you’re going to get on with someone.
If I won the Lottery tomorrow, I would…probably spend the first week in total shock, before working my way through my shoe and handbag wish lists, I’ve already got a few ideas in mind!
