“I really care about all of my clients” - how Eleanor is creating seamless travel experiences for professional sports teams

At Travel Counsellors for Business, we have specialists in a number of sectors – and one industry where we have knowledgeable business travel experts is in the sports industry. 

We caught up with Travel Counsellor, Eleanor Swan, who’s been working with sports teams for the past ten years. Find out how she goes above and beyond, and hear from one of her clients to discover how Eleanor has transformed their travel experiences. 

Hi Eleanor! Tell us about your background in working with sports clients, and why you’re so passionate about the sector 

I’ve worked with GB Snowsport for over a decade, and now GB Surfing too. I love working with them. The sports industry throws up different challenges compared to regular business travel, so it’s never boring!  

Tell us about some of the challenges that you help your sports clients to navigate 

It’s unpredictable for all sorts of reasons - from injuries to adverse weather and competition qualifications. Therefore, last-minute changes are to be expected. You need to be able to act quickly in order to help clients move quickly –  something I have a lot of experience in. Of course, these changes can happen at any time of the day, so I make sure I’m always available on WhatsApp whenever they need me. 

Baggage is another challenge, and every airline is different. It can make a huge difference to the overall cost of the trip, so knowing the different policies, costs, and pre-booking processes can be a big help.   

Why are you committed to going beyond for your clients? 

I really care about all of my clients and will go out of my way to ensure that their travel is as easy as possible, and something they don’t need to worry about. This means they can focus on the important stuff. 

What makes being a Travel Counsellor to sports clients so rewarding? 

It’s great to follow the athletes’ progress over the years, and it’s fantastic when you can watch one of your clients on TV winning a medal! 

Hear from Eleanor’s client, Ben Kinnear – Coach at GB Snowsport  

“We’ve worked closely with Eleanor for a number of years and I honestly don’t think we could do what we do without her expertise and support throughout the year. We travel worldwide, and planning and booking often complicated itineraries is made very easy and slick.  

"In the sport we are in, there are often changes to plans and schedules that result in very complicated logistics. Thankfully, Eleanor is always on hand and her professional, dedicated approach has solved countless issues I’ve experienced on the road. When we’re travelling from competition to competition in different continents, with tight turnaround times and lots of luggage, it’s a huge weight off the mind to know Eleanor has us covered when we are trying to focus on the job in hand.  
 
"Don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say we couldn’t do it without Eleanor’s support. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve had to ask for help at all hours throughout the year. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Eleanor’s services to anyone, and have done many times to other teams and programmes in our world.” 

Whether you’re a sports team manager, an athlete, or an executive assistant in the sports industry, Travel Counsellors for Business is here to make travel to your next competition as smooth and as seamless as possible. Find out more about our sports expertise, and get in touch to find out how we can help to level up your business travel programme.