Guyanese award-winning matriarch of insurance, travel and tourism Gem Eytle is the epitome of grace, elegance and charm, yet a businesswoman of steel. She is not fazed at how the internet has subsumed travel and tourism because there is continuous need by some for people to take care of their travel needs.
“As much as there will be people booking their own flights and planning their own itineraries, there will always be a place for travel agencies. There will always be people who need support in planning their travel and many who do not want to research flights and travel destinations. They will need someone to troubleshoot for them,” Eytle told Stabroek Weekend in a recent interview from her Georgetown office, which she still runs at 93 years old.
Noting the human resources challenges travel agencies face, she said recently she had delegated a subordinate to follow up on a request by a potential client from England who wanted Frandec to arrange travel to the country’s interior. When she asked for a follow up, there was none. A response was sent out after she enquired. She told staffers they were letting the trail get cold. On the day of this interview, the potential client had not responded.
