When preparing for the summer holidays, one can’t help but feel lost when faced with the myriad exotic travel destinations that are out there, ready to be explored. You can consult your friends, only to realize that any given trip would be an exact replica of their experiences, and not your own. Faced with this dilemma ourselves, we headed instead for a friendly meeting with Lulu Al Issa, travel guru extraordinaire and Business Development Manager at Horizon Travel and Tourism.
We consider Lulu more of an inspiring one-woman show, involved in various facets of the company’s wide operations. From training the staff in hospitality, coming up with amazing new travel options and competitive offers, to marketing and social media, we basically think she has one of the coolest jobs ever! With a Bachelors degree in business administration and a concentration in Hospitality and Tourism from George Washington University, one can say that joining her family’s business is an answer to her calling.
Horizon Travel and Tourism is a regional travel management company suited to meet the needs for corporate and leisure travel. As part of Horizon Aviation Group that is fully invested in aviation, tourism and travel via the ownership of an umbrella of travel services and Airline GSA’s, they deliver unparalleled quality to customers with various needs. These include Jet Airways, nasair, Express Holidays for Travel and Tourism, and a partnership with Mubasher, a wholesaler for various travel services. That’s the added edge: a network of travel services, competing on price and unrivaled quality.
A specialty of hers is customizing honeymoon packages for newlyweds. “This is the most personal and special trip a couple could ever plan, and our services are exclusively based on what the happy couple wishes to do. We go above and beyond to provide a list of activities available at the destination and even pre-plan the events if necessary.” As opposed to impersonal services offered elsewhere, or going with what a trendy honeymoon destination entails, Lulu offers couples a chance to discover places that are different from the norm.
Instead of fighting the trend of customers going online, Horizon intends to stay tuned to customer’s desires while offering the personal experience of a one-on-one travel consultation with experts who understand the travel preferences of discerning customers in Kuwait and the region. Lulu proudly asserts that service is key, with examples including 24/7 help, where dedicated staff with an emergency mobile and laptop are there to assist during any hassles that may occur during travel time, like delays, cancellations, etc. Not only so, regular and loyal customers can have their travel services arranged via email or telephone, and your travel itinerary can be sent directly to your inbox or home. Lulu smiles, “people may be cost cutting elsewhere but it’s important for us to keep that personal touch that is a dying breed in the hospitality field.”
Even if travel isn’t in your immediate future, you should pass by and meet the wonderful Lulu; she considers meeting new people her favorite part of her job, and says “meeting new people all the time is amazing, and being able to help them makes it all worthwhile.” This travel guru loves learning about new destinations and promotions, hotels, and all the best that’s available in the field of leisure travel. Her favorite travel destinations will leave you reeling with excitement: from Hong Kong to Puerto Rico, you will be booking your flight in no time, as she’s the expert you want to consult. Lulu aims to broaden people’s horizons to visit extra-ordinary places like South America, Africa, and New Zealand. For daily deals, Horizon Travel and Tourism releases Package of the Day deals via their Instagram account and their website, which they also aim to revamp in the near future to include new and advanced search engine options.
As an asset to a pivotal organization in the field of travel and tourism, Lulu is breaking the mold of what a typical managerial role could be like, and this is highly attributed to her passion for hospitality and travel. She encourages Arab women to jump right in, and not be afraid of barriers or perceptions about their roles in her line of business. She concludes, “You never know, you could be born with the talent to do this job.”
Follow Horizon Travel and Tourism on Twitter and Instagram @horizontrvl or visit their website, www.horizontrvl.com.
