“Our Vision is all about Making Great Vacation Memories”
~ Words by Vickie Sam Paget, Sky Blue Content ~
GSA Travel Magazine talks to Tim Croyle, the new vice president and general manager at WestJet Vacations about his new role and his vision for the future…
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR NEW ROLE?
I’m very excited and very honoured to lead the team. We have a very passionate team here at WestJet Vacations and we have a relentless focus on the guest experience. It’s really about the precious time that they have on vacation. We try to create these fantastic memories that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.
WHAT IS YOUR STRATEGY FOR WESTJET VACATIONS?
When we started WestJet Vacations we had a handful of international destinations like Las Vegas and the Bahamas, and a lot of Canadian destinations. So we’ve grown tremendously. Now the airline growth is starting to slow down a little bit, so our focus now is on really refining everything we’ve put in place – to make it seamless. We’re also working with our partners in the trade, making sure we’re supporting them and really giving them the best tools to be successful in their business.
WHAT SHOULD AGENTS GET BEHIND THE BRAND?
Our agent partners know that we have a strong focus on the guest experience, so when they recommend WestJet they can have peace of mind. We have a team that works here seven days a week, so if there are any issues in destination, the team is here to resolve them. We also have WestJetters who live and work in our key destinations. If you get down there and you don’t like your hotel room, they’re there to resolve it. They’re not there to sell anything; they’re there to make sure that any bumps in the road can be smoothed out. Also, when we set our schedule, we really stand behind the aircraft. If there is a snowstorm or an unseen event, we can pull in the capacity to get clients to their destination or to get them home.
WHY DO YOU THINK THE BRAND IS SO POPULAR?
We’re really straight forward, open and honest. I’ll give you one example: Our approach to taxes and fees is very transparent. We don’t want to hide our commissionable dollars.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR CAREER HISTORY…
I’ve been with WestJet for 10 years. I started in airport operations, which is a great place to learn the business. I was there for four years and then I moved on to corporate development and started the strategic planning of how we were going to develop WestJet Vacations. I’ve been very fortunate; I’ve had a wonderful experience with WestJet.
WHY ARE YOU IN THIS BUSINESS?
We did lots of family vacations when I was a kid. My dad was quite adventurous and we went to Tunisia when I was five, which was quite unheard of back then. We also spent a lot of time in France and Spain, so I got a lot of fantastic memories from our vacations. I’ve got a great passion for travel and I love sharing travel stories with friends and family. I work with a lot of like-minded people, so I love working at WestJet. We all get to bring our ideas forward.
WHAT’S YOUR OVERALL VISION FOR WESTJET?
In a nutshell, our vision is all about making great vacation memories. It doesn’t matter where people are going – on vacation with their families, away for a wedding, or a couple going on a getaway – we focus on making great vacation memories. Whatever destination they’re going to, it’s our responsibility to make sure they have the best vacation and come back with memories to cherish.
Image: WestJet
This interview first appeared in GSA Travel Magazine, a bi-monthly publication for Canadian travel agents.
