Gail Lea joined Barcelo Hotel Group as Business Development Manager for Canada on 15FEB.
Lea succeeds Judy Makara, who served in this role for 13 years before transitioning to the position of BDM for Quebec and Atlantic Canada at Sandos Hotels & Resorts.
Open Jaw sat down with Lea to discuss her anticipation of the new opportunity with Barcelo. She expressed her enthusiasm, describing MaKara as a "rock star," and her first goal is to "rise to the occasion."
"Everybody loves Judy. So you know, my first thing is to really stay on top of things the way Judy did," she said.
Lea represents 37 Barcelo properties located in the Caribbean, Mexico, Costa Rica and Guatemala.
From her home office in Montreal, she shared her personal journey in discovering and pursuing her passion for the travel industry with Open Jaw. At 14, her family relocated from Canada to Saudi Arabia, where she fostered a love for travel in observing and learning from different cultures. Lea's genuine warmth permeates as she recalls her life experience and how she became devoted to helping others find themselves through travel.
"I started to realize everybody shares the same desires. It's that need for connection with your community - to feel a part of something." Reflecting on the challenges that marginalized communities face, she said these types of connections thrive when travellers venture beyond their comfort zones and connect with locals in meaningful ways.
Lea shared that this experience "planted a seed." Although she worked in various industries, she hadn't found her true passion until she circled back to travel.
Lea's contract with Tahiti Tourisme as Trade & Marketing Associate for Canada ended on 31DEC 2023. Prior to Tahiti, she served 16 years as an advisor. In 2017, she created a group called "FAM de Femmes," designed to "nurture, inspire and empower female travel entrepreneurs," offering training and support to members.
Two weeks into her new role with Barcelo, Lea shared that the responsibilities of the BDM.
"I'm very pro travel agent, having been in that position before. I really want to connect with the agents. I want to be present for them, assist them the best I can, and follow through as well as Judy did and not miss a beat."
When asked what Lea is most looking forward to, she says without hesitation that it's the opportunity to attend events with advisors.
Lea will attend Transat's upcoming Rookie Camp, which runs from 04APR to 11APR. The camp is designed for advisors with less than three years of industry experience who wish to perfect their learning with Transat.
"[Transat is] offering [advisors] the chance to [go to] Riviera Maya," said Lea. "There will be 102 agents and then all of the brands."
"We'll do presentations, and then we're going to do an Amazing Race. This energizes me because that's exactly what the agents need."
Lea can be reached directly at g.lea@barcelo.com or 514-971-6708.
