WORDS BY ADAM HUNT
PHIL HOFFMANN TRAVEL BAROSSA VALLEY
Back on the April 1, 1994, a little travel agency in Nuriootpa officially opened its doors and soon after, I landed a position as a Junior Travel Consultant.
I was green and so was my terribly oversized sports coat.
My boss and eventual business partner let me share his computer when needed, and the fax machine fascinated me. Who would have thought that I’d still be here 25 years, and many bad hair styles, later!
Like anyone who has been in the same job for a length of time, there comes the inevitable question from friends – how can you work in the same place for so long?
For me it has been easy, and time certainly flies when you’re having fun.
It’s like I blinked and ‘Hello 2019’! Our industry is one of constant change, which keeps me motivated and enthused.
The job and my role have changed so much over the years that it has never felt the same.
Back in the late 90’s we were the pride of South Australia for winning the number one award for sales to Tasmania.
Now we win awards for sales to Europe and beyond.
Call me old fashioned, but I still have a soft spot for the traditional airline tickets.
Electronic tickets are great, but there was something special about being able to hand over that paper ticket to my clients that gave them access to travel to somewhere in the world.
The arrival of the internet was a big moment for our industry. How did we ever live without it?
Our productivity soared and the business grew fourfold.
Over the years, firstly under the Harvey World Travel banner and now as Phil Hoffmann Travel, I’ve been lucky to work with fantastic team members.
We’ve won many amazing team awards and had a great time doing it.
I get so much joy out of seeing them grow with their clients and win individual awards for themselves.
Above all, the journey has been filled with many lovely customers and our dealings have morphed into friendships that have lasted for years.
As we celebrate, my team and I thank you all for the incredible support and memories.
We look forward to many more years of good times and obligatory bad hairdos!
