In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, women leaders from USTOA operator members shared their stories about how they got their start in travel.

The Travel Corporation

Madhvi Buch, senior vice president

When I first entered the industry, it was quite exciting to help the first-time traveler of Contiki, which caters to 18 to 35-year-olds. Being surrounded by people who are passionate about creating and delivering exceptional travel experiences... was possibly the best reason to pursue a long-term career in the travel industry.

EF Education First

Dana Santucci, vice president, development

My family hosted exchange students from around the world and I had been an exchange student myself a few times in Denmark and Zimbabwe. I was drawn to EF for its mission of opening the world through education and travel. I have had many different roles at EF and have had the opportunity to travel the world.

CIE Tours

Elizabeth Crabill, CEO

My first travel job was at a start-up. A good friend known for planning amazing five-star adventure trips for all her friends decided to leave her career in banking to start a company planning tours full time. We worked guerrilla-style to prospect and sign up clients, manually created every piece of documentation, carried luggage and basically rolled up our sleeves to handle every single detail on and off tour.

Authentic Vacations

Allegra Lynch, president

I was 16 doing fieldwork with four others for UC Berkeley in the interior of Costa Rica. We woke each morning before dawn, raced into the jungle with notebooks, following howler monkeys. Staying in a rancher’s barn, we heard a shot one afternoon. That night we had tropical rattlesnake for dinner. We hiked out of the jungle, found a river and got on a paddleboat. A weathered cab took us to a swanky resort. They pitied us and let us stay while we made arrangements to get home.

Perillo's Learning Journeys

Carol Dimopoulos, president

My father served as a bell captain at the former Barbizon Plaza in New York City. I loved visiting him at work, seeing the flight crews arrive from foreign lands in well-tailored suits, speaking in beautiful, fluid languages. [When] I met the age requirements... I landed a job as a flight attendant with New York Air. A few months into my tenure, the airline was purchased by Continental. During my six-year tenure, I immensely enjoyed meeting new people, places and cultures.