Pearl and I are soul sisters. As eager anthropology undergrads, we lived and breathed different cultures, travel, tourism, and learned what questions and observations we should make when in new places. Pearl has worked at a tour operator, Extraordinary Journeys, for the last 3 years, which specializes in African safari. Here's her take on her experience working in travel, conservation, and what makes Africa such a mystifying destination.
What do you do?
I work for a safari outfitter. We sell custom safaris to Africa and now a few select destinations beyond Africa that offer a similar wilderness experiences.
What’s the usual response when people hear that?
People usually get really excited because most are somewhat intrigued by travel and mystified by Africa in particular. The immediate follow up question is if I get to go on safari myself.
And do you?
I do! We all get to go on an annual inspection trip, so that's definitely a perk of my job.
What do you do on a day to day basis?
My job in particular is to work directly with clients who want to go on safari. They come to us with a trip inquiry and then they get assigned to to a sales person. I get to know my clients; figure out the experience they want to have; and then design a custom itinerary based on their interests, needs, travel dates, and budget. This includes everything from flights to accommodations, guides, ground transfers, park fees/conservation fees, and day tours. I string it all together and book it for them! There’s a lot that happens after they pay their deposit and commit to their trip, but the bulk of my job is in the initial planning process.
Why do you think Africa is so mystified?
It's a continent that people are exposed to mostly from a Planet Earth/Nat Geo perspective. A few natural landmarks and the wildlife in particular are so iconic, yet most people could identify only a few countries on a map. People know so little about Africa, how to get there, what to do, and how to do it. They see it as exotic, wild, and off the grid.
What brought you to be interested in travel in the first place?
I studied Anthropology in college with a focus on tourism and its effect on local culture. And on a personal level, I’ve always loved travel so there was an obvious appeal there.
After I graduated college, I lived in Tasmania, Australia for a year and came back in love with that destination and wanted to work in travel to send people to Australia. When I was looking for jobs, I struggled to find an outfitter that sold Australia, but I found a boutique company that focused on Africa. I didn't know anything about Africa at the time, but I’ve learned and experienced a lot and have become passionate about conservation and the wilderness, which is a huge part of tourism in Africa.