Flying High (January 2012)

A Southern Tasmanian travel professional has combined her passion for seeing the world and helping others to become Tasmania's top businesswoman ... (January 2012).

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Volunteer Holiday Trailblazer wins 2011 Telstra Tasmanian Business Woman of the Year (October 2011)

The Travel Studio’s Business Development Manager Genevieve Atkins has swept the 2011 Telstra Tasmanian Business Women’s Awards receiving three awards including 2011 Telstra Tasmanian Business Woman of the Year. Genevieve was also awarded the Nokia Business Innovation Award and the Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award for her tireless work in the travel industry.

Genevieve Atkins joined the travel industry 38 years ago and since then has blazed a trail for women in senior travel management roles including working with TAA/Qantas for 31 years. Genevieve’s current role as Business Development Manager for The Travel Studio and Volunteer Holidays has seen her grow the business exponentially, engaging people across Australia in real travel experiences.

“The Volunteer Holiday vision is to create a completely new and inspiring way to travel, where travellers can experience the real culture of a country and leave their footprint by helping individuals and communities in need.” says Genevieve.

Since the program’s inception in 2009 Volunteer Holidays has donated over $65,000 for charity partners in countries including Vietnam, Vanuatu and Thailand.

“Our Volunteer Holiday program is designed to make volunteering accessible for everyone, from children to retirees everyone can make a valuable contribution. It is incredible to see the changes we make to impoverished communities by the simplest of volunteer activities like installing a water filtration system in a school or donating pigs to farmers in need of a helping hand.” Genevieve says.

Genevieve will proceed to the national finals of the Telstra Business Women’s Awards that will be announced in Melbourne on 18 November 2011.

MEDIA CONTACT: Cath Adams 0412 717785, cath@travelstudio.com.au

Guy Sebastian Rocks Volunteer Tourism Initiative (October 2010)

Tasmanian travel agency, The Travel Studio, is turning heads again with an announcement that Guy Sebastian will be endorsing their successful Volunteer Holidays program.

The Travelscene Corporate Member agency officially launched the program in February this year with the aim of giving people easier access to volunteering holidays around the world.

And, according to The Travel Studio Owner and founder of the initiative, Lee-Anne Levett, Guy Sebastian’s endorsement shows the Volunteer Holidays program is ‘full steam ahead!’

“There is a hugely growing trend in the number of people looking for something more in their travels, and our Volunteer Holidays program allows people who want a personally enriching experience to get out there and make a difference to other peoples’ lives.

“Having such a positive role model as Guy Sebastian on board is a serious boost to the program, and shows we are really getting our voice out there for alternative travel holidays”, Ms Levett said.

Under the Volunteer Holiday scheme, participants travel in organised groups to a town or village in a nominated area, where they can get involved in the day-to-day lives of the community and take part in a range of volunteer activities.

Participants have the choice of staying in accommodation standards of their choice, or experience the more traditional local village/town accommodation.

“A volunteer holiday is a life changing experience and our program is designed to make it as easy as possible for individuals, families and groups enjoy the benefits of a tailored escorted package”, Ms Levett said.

In just one year The Travel Studio has sent 3 volunteer groups to Vietnam and Vanuatu, contributing over $12,000 in financial support through fundraising around these trips. They have also sent another 5 groups to Timor over the year, where volunteers built 12 homes for local residents.

And it doesn’t stop there. In 2011, the Travelscene Corporate Member is coordinating another group travelling to Mount Kilimanjaro in January.

They are also about to embark on a Corporate Team Building Program which will give companies the opportunity to be involved in building projects whilst participating in strategic team building workshops.

Volunteer Holidays - Travelscene's Corporate Travel Innovators Award Finalist

The team at The Travel studio are pleased to announce that the decision to expand on our extensive work with missionaries around the world has resulted in our agency being named as 1 of 3 finalists in the prestigious Travelscene Corporate Travel Innovators Award 2010.

The Travel Studio’s expansion of our volunteer and ecotourism arm to better meet escalating demand from our consumers, and local businesses and schools looking to combine travel with making a difference has entrenched our agency as the leading travel agency in the space.

We have broadened the appeal of volunteering and expanded marketing opportunities considerably by our Volunteer Holiday product offer which appeals to individuals of all ages and families and which opens the world of volunteering to everyone

Our Volunteer Holiday philosophy is simple. Volunteering should be accessible to everyone - from small children to the elderly, who can participate in a holiday which makes a positive difference to our global community.