TravelMole Time Traveller: Explore’s Carl Burrows

Explore sales director Carl Burrows takes a trip down memory lane in TravelMole's Time Traveller feature, sponsored by Harp Wallen.

What was your first job in travel?

I fell into the travel industry by accident. Originally a trainee electrician, at the age of 16 I decided that I would be more suited to a ‘desk job’ rather than building sites. So when I was offered a position as a telesales representative at Cadogan Travel, I thought this was a perfect opportunity to work in the warmth of an office….I didn’t even think to ask what the company did or what my new role would entail, much to the frustration of my parents when I had to explain what my new job was.

What was the high point of your career?

I would normally say that it was making it on to Travolution’s list of the ‘most influential players in the online travel market’, but this is a bit dull. More on my wavelength, my high point was performing my own version of ‘Men in Black,’ Will Smith-styley, to a room of screaming travel agents! Working for Virgin Holidays at the time, we had a strict two minutes to introduce ourselves at a Going Places conference and thought that this would be a ‘different’ way of doing it. Tony Bennett (MD of Going Places at the time) was doing everything in his power to get us off stage, but the crowd was still screaming and chanting after five minutes. We were awesome – I really think I missed my vocation as a pop star!

What was the low point?

Missing out on two free tickets to New York! Let me set the scene…I was at a Continental Airlines' function in Southampton. Onstage, the host pulled out a business card from a hat for the main prize. However, just before uttering the name on the card, he had a sudden change of heart and asked the audience whether they would prefer to build up to the main prize or go straight in. You guessed it, they all wanted a build up, so he continued “Instead of two free tickets to New York, the booby prize of a pair of ‘Blues Brothers’ glasses goes to…"…there was a pause…"Carl Burrows!” I was distraught and still am. However the glasses did come in handy for my ‘Men in Black’ routine years later.

What's your biggest regret?

I don’t believe in regrets – whatever happens, happens. However, I must admit that I sometimes wonder how life would have turned out if my aspirations of being a Club 18-30 rep had been realised. The lure of all-night drinking and whatever goes was right up my street and encompassed everything that I naively perceived the job to entail. I gave it a go once, after my parents had disowned and abandoned me at the end of a holiday in Torremolinos (I had disgraced them with my infamous resort antics). I only lasted a couple of weeks as a rep, I just couldn’t handle it.

What would you be doing now if you weren't in travel?

Without doubt I would be a Hollywood actor. I think my award-winning acting skills would have propelled me into a life of fast cars, luxury villas and champagne-on-tap by now. Many of my old managers reading this will testify that my theatrical flair has got me out of many a sticky situation in my career.