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.
"If you'd told me five years ago, when I was sat in that hostel in Sri Lanka with no car, no job and no sales experience, that I'd be where I am now, I wouldn't have believed you," she tells TTG. "The stars aligned for me."
Her travel career, Barker explains, began from a moment of serendipity. After studying travel and tourism at college, she booked a one-way ticket and set off on a solo backpacking trip across south-east Asia. Her journey took her through destinations including Thailand, Bali, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, where she volunteered teaching English in schools and working with ethical animal sanctuaries.
When plans to continue to Australia fell through, Barker began searching for jobs from her hostel and stumbled across a Facebook advert from Blue Bay Travel – just a 10-minute walk from her family home in Stoke-on-Trent.
"They were looking for someone passionate about travel, and thankfully sales experience wasn't necessary," Barker explains. "And all of their specialisms were places I had visited while backpacking! I knew then it was meant to be."
Her Zoom interview, taken from her hostel in Sri Lanka, was unconventional – but she clearly made an impression.
"I had bangles all up my arms, surfer hair and I was so tanned," she laughs. "I landed back in the UK that Friday, started work the following Monday and haven't looked back since."
Within six months Barker (left) had ranked number one in the business for monthly sales performance
Barker quickly became one of the agency's top performers. Within six months she had ranked number one in the business for monthly sales performance, outperforming agents with decades of selling under their belts.
"Everybody else had so much experience, but I really wanted it," she explains. "I wanted to book people's holidays, smash all my targets and learn everything I possibly could."
Her results earned her a promotion within 11 months before she became a Sales Team Leader at the age of 24. She believes her story proves that circumstance – including sales experience – isn't the deciding factor in a person's success.
"As long as you've got determination and a willingness to learn, you will achieve what you set out to do," she says. "If there was destination training, I was there. If there was a supplier event, I was there. I threw myself into every possible opportunity."
That outlook now shapes the way she trains Blue Bay Travel's newest recruits. One of the biggest changes Barker introduced was replacing classroom-style destination training with sessions led by agents who had actually visited the destinations themselves.
Barker, who is one of TTG's 30 Under 30 cohort for 2026, wants to show young people 'what success in this industry can look like'
"When you've been somewhere, you can bring it to life," she says. "You can share your own experiences, selling tips and real conversations you've had with customers. I think that's why I got the job in the first place – because I was so enthusiastic about my travels."
Barker is also completing a Level 5 Management qualification alongside external leadership coaching as she prepares for more senior leadership roles.
'Be brave and always say yes'
Her leadership credentials have been tested this year owing to the disruption across the Middle East, which has massively impacted Blue Bay Travel as a long-haul specialist.
The agency was forced to cancel hundreds of bookings as flights through major Gulf hubs were disrupted, prompting Barker and the sales team to pivot quickly towards the Caribbean.
"We had to think on our feet," she says. "We reached out to hotel partners, secured availability and made sure the sales team could confidently sell those alternatives. Within six months, Mexico and the Dominican Republic became our top-selling destinations."
In future, Barker hopes to broaden her commercial experience by working more closely with Blue Bay Travel's senior leadership team, but says her biggest motivation is helping develop the next generation of travel professionals.
"I really want to shape new leaders," she says. "I want to show young people what success in this industry can look like, and teach them to be brave and always say yes. It'll take you places."
- Click here to learn more about TTG's 30 Under 30 programme and take a closer look at this year's cohort.