When India Barker interviewed for her first travel job from a hostel in Sri Lanka, she had just £70 left to her name. Twelve months later, she had generated £1.5 million in bookings and almost £200,000 in profit for Blue Bay Travel.
Now among TTG's latest 30 Under 30 cohort and leading the agency's sales training programme, Barker credits self-motivation and determination for her rapid rise – as well as a bit of good luck.
Broke backpacker to £1.5m travel agent: The job interview that changed everything for India Barker
Interview
Dea Jusufi
28 July 2026
Five years ago, India Barker was sitting in a hostel in Sri Lanka with no sales experience, "bangles all up my arms", interviewing to become a travel agent. Today, she leads Blue Bay Travel's sales training programme. She tells TTG's Dea Jusufi how she did it.
India Barker
Barker searched for jobs from her hostel and came across a Facebook advert for an agency – just a 10-minute walk away from her family home
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