Brown fell in love with the travel industry when she was a teenager after her mum attended a careers event and saw a travel and tourism course that she thought would suit her. 

The Cannock-based agent then completed a work experience stint at the Tui Stafford retail store as part of her college course. 

“[I] absolutely fell in love with the job so I ended up leaving college to take on a job at the store and never looked back,” Brown said. 

When asked what advice she had for anyone considering becoming a travel agent, Brown said: “There is always something going on in the world so there is never a dull moment – be prepared to be challenged and rewarded. 

“You get to travel the world to many different places that you may never [have had the chance to] experience, so soak it up and enjoy the ride.” 

Brown noted how she had visited many places she would “never have dreamed of going to if it wasn’t for Tui”. 

“I just love interacting with customers and chatting about holidays,” added Brown. “It is good to have a wealth of knowledge now and share and pass it on to the new generation of travel agents.” 

Brown said the biggest change over her 30-year travel career had been switching from writing down “every detail of a customer’s holiday” to using “amazing” digital systems to keep track of holidays. 

“Technology has been the biggest game changer,” she added. 

Ollie Bowden, regional sales manager for the West Midlands, said: “I know lots has changed since Marie first joined the Stafford store, however what hasn’t changed is her hard work, dedication, and passion for delivering exceptional customer service. 

“We feel very lucky to have Marie in the West Midlands region, and we’d like to thank Marie for 30 wonderful years of service.”