Back in August, Tourism Management graduate Stacey Smith was nominated by Travel Trade Gazette as one of Tomorrow’s Travel Leaders 30 Under 30.

Although Stacey was only named in 30 Under 30 in a few months ago, she says it has already helped her network with key figures and other aspiring travel leaders. “Getting your name out there internally and externally is important.”

Stacey Smith’s rise from Bournemouth University Tourism Management undergraduate to top Complete Cruise Solution sales manager has been meteoric since joining as a reservations consultant in 2005. In that time she’s won accolades including TTG trade marketing campaign of the year (2008) and CCS manager of the year (2011), and developed a reputation as one of cruise selling’s sharpest young minds – all by the age of 29.

“My role is to look at strategies to grow the cruise business with our travel agents on both a national and regional level. I drum down how we target people across the country in different ways,” she explains.

Though she took the educational route to enter the tourism industry, she says talent develops in many ways. “University was the right choice for me, but I don’t necessarily think it helped me get my foot in the door in cruise,” she adds.

Instead, Stacey suggests the only way to establish yourself is to “put in as much as you want to take out,” advice she learned from former manager Paul Ludlow, now the UK director of Princess Cruises. “He really taught me that no one is going to build your future for you, and you have to do that yourself,” she says.

Stacey’s quotes are taken from her interview with TTG on the current climate of the cruise industry and can be found here