Connected Travel Academy

08/06/2026

Yes, we’ve been a little quiet on socials lately… but that’s usually because we’re so busy behind the scenes that we forget about socials. 🤣

Right now we’ve got:

✈️ Sabre Training coming up
✈️ A new Connect to Employment intake about to kick off
✈️ One final Connect to Business intake for 2026

Can you believe we’re already halfway through the year?

If you’ve been thinking about starting your travel career, building your skills, or finally taking that next step, this is your reminder.

The year has a habit of disappearing faster than we think.

Let’s get it done before 2026 is over.

15/04/2026

Ready to learn Sabre and start using it properly? ✈️

Our New Hire Sabre Training is designed for those studying travel, new to the industry, or ready to start using Sabre to its full potential.

Over 2 interactive days, you’ll learn how the industry actually works behind the scenes. From GDS basics and Sabre workflows to airfare pricing, NDC and building bookings with confidence.

This is hands-on, practical training ideal for those new to Sabre.

Dates are set:

📅 12–13 May OR
📅 28–29 July

Comment below with your email and we will send through the details 🤍

11/04/2026

Meet Sonja, with knowledge and passion like this you can see why we are so grateful to have her as one of our trainers at the academy! 🫶🏽

02/04/2026

Okay… here is something a little different from us 👀

We’re usually helping you break into the industry, build your travel business and expand on your skills… not sending you off to work at sea 😂

But this one was too good not to share.

For anyone in the industry thinking about a change… or those looking to break in a different way…

Explora Journeys is hiring 🌊✨

If you’ve got a passion for service, love travel, and want to be part of a luxury experience, this could be a very exciting pathway.

Click here to apply:
careers.msccruises.com/explorajourneys

02/04/2026

We’ve never been interested in doing things the easy way, only the right way.

Thank you for publishing Travel Monitor 🙏🏽

Our buy in with is a big step forward for Connected Travel, giving us the support to scale our training led model without compromising on quality.

Thank you to Michelle Emerton and Georgina Randall for the work happening behind the scenes. This sets us up for even more growth and opportunity.

Looking forward to what’s next. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Connected Travel has joined the Australian Travel Agent Cooperative (ATAC) as part of a strategic move to strengthen its training-led business model and acc ...

10/03/2026

We are so fortunate to have Sonja training our consultants in our Connect to Business program.

I guess we can say she has first hand experience in navigating the complexities of algorithms 🤣

Sonja is also an expert at bouncing back and keeping your branding solid.

Our next intake of Connect to Business starts THIS MONDAY - with only ONE place left!

DM or email [email protected]

And follow Sonja's new FB page ❤️

Well… that was a wake up call.

Facebook just shut down my personal brand profile Sonja Leicester - The Travel Trainer.

Yep it's gone...No notice. No warning. Just gone.

300+ travel industry friends… disappeared in a split second.

Lesson learned.

My personal and business pages were not different enough and I was doing far too much 'business chatter' on a personal profile.

If I am honest… I probably should have expected it.

Here is the rule.

Personal profiles are for personal use.
Business conversations belong on a business page.

But here is the interesting part. Business pages are public.

And honestly, I am not trying to speak to the whole internet.

I want to speak to travel professionals, more specifically home-based travel agency owners in Australia and New Zealand. These are my people.

I have always preferred connecting with travel industry friends rather than broadcasting to followers.

So the solution feels clear.

Maybe it is time to create a private community where the real branding and marketing conversations can happen with travel agents who want to be there.... i'm not sure....I need time to think. I am in shock! What a day of learning!!!!

Because platforms change the rules all the time.
And we do not own the community we build on them.

Today was a good reminder of that.
Travel industry community is what actually matters to me.

Which means it might be time to rethink the best social platform and marketing strategy for The Travel Trainer.

Grateful for my email database thats for sure!

So I am curious.

If you are a home based travel agent, where do you actually prefer to connect?

Facebook
LinkedIn
Instagram
YouTube
Or somewhere else?
Via a private group?

I'm tagging in a few friends hoping you could share this post - so I can reconnect (and share the learning) with the travel industry friends I've lost. Biggest of thanks for your help. xx Sonja 🙏 🫶

Tour-Atlas Connected Travel Training Academy Connected Travel - Marissa Travel Agent Achievers Travel Professional Rockstars by Red Grape Social Emma Lovell TravelManagers Australia iflyflat Destination Webinars Kylie Duncan-Tiver Deanne Scanlan The Don't Forget Travel Group Travel Agent Finder Holidays Beckon Council of Australian Tour Operators Offloaded - The Travel Industry Podcast HollyDay Travel

02/03/2026

Watching what’s happening in global aviation right now is a reminder of something important.

⁉️ Middle East Airspace Disruptions ⁉️

Why Proper Training Matters

When large-scale disruptions occur, the difference between selling travel and being a trained travel professional becomes very clear.

This industry is not about affiliate links or posting deals.

It is about duty of care.
It is about understanding fare rules, waivers and reissue conditions.
It is about knowing when to act and when to wait so a client is not financially penalised.
It is about communicating calmly when travellers feel unsettled.

Right now, airlines are issuing waivers in stages. Cancel too early and standard fare conditions may apply. That requires knowledge, restraint and proper training.

At Connected Travel Training Academy, we do not train people to simply sell travel.
We train qualified, compliant, industry-ready professionals who understand responsibility.

Because when things go wrong, that is when your credibility is tested.

There is a significant difference between being an affiliate with a link and being a professional with accountability and the backing of an experienced network.

And our industry deserves the latter.

24/02/2026

There’s been significant industry news this week with the announcement of a national review into travel and tourism training qualifications.

Kathy Purves and Marissa, two of our skilled trainers, have been invited to work collaboratively with Service and Creative Skills Australia (SaCSA) as part of this process.

It is an absolute honour. 🌟

For years, we’ve spoken about the need for updated training that truly reflects how modern travel agents and businesses operators. It needs to be practical, current and ensure after completing a qualification, students are job-ready.

Being part of shaping what travel training looks like across Australia is something we value deeply.

We are proud to represent our students, our advisors and our network in this conversation.

19/02/2026

We are past the introductions stage 😉 but here’s a little reminder…

Our Training Academy and revamped Connect To Business Program have now been running for two full years.

What began as a genuine desire to support new people entering the travel industry has grown into something we are incredibly proud of at Connected Travel.

We have guided so many through proper training, practical systems and real mentorship, helping them build confidence and launch their own supported travel businesses the right way.

Our first 2026 intake starts next month and is already full.

We are only running two intakes this year.

If you or someone you know has been thinking about a career in travel, but has no experience and no idea where to begin, please reach out or tag them below.

We do this properly.
Quality training.
Systems.
Ongoing support.
Mentorship.

Numbers are limited this year, so if you are serious, now is the time.

And to everyone who has backed us over the past two years, thank you.

It truly means more than you know 💚💙

11/11/2025

Woweee...we’ve been quiet on socials, but by no means have we been quiet!

Our 5th intake of the Connect to Business Program kicked off last week, and here’s a little snippet… gosh, I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved through this program and how far it’s come.

And while I’m at it, I (Marissa, since there are a few of us now 😉) am absolutely honoured to be announced as a finalist in the Women in Travel Awards for two categories:

✨ Entrepreneur of the Year
✨ Executive Leader of the Year

I can’t wait to celebrate alongside so many inspiring women on the night. 💙