Employee profiles

Happiness. That one word sums up Sébastien Le Caro’s personal and professional objectives. “I want to be happy, spend time with my family and friends and enjoy my work.” And it seems he is able to live by this philosophy at Vacances Transat (France), which also allows him to indulge in his passion for travel.

After doing his military service in Djibouti – his first opportunity to travel – followed by an eight-month training course in tourism offered by the Association pour la Formation Professionnelle des Adultes (association for adult education) and two years working with groups in a travel agency, he joined Vacances Transat (France), where he discovered another facet of the industry.

“The volume is much higher and inventory management is a vital criterion in the sales process. What’s more, competition among the tour operators is fierce. The groups that I serve via the French travel agencies are primarily made up of business committees seeking to offer their employees travel benefits…so they’re always looking for the lowest price.”

He is very proud of the fact that he manages to achieve his objectives, in spite of the competition. In 2009, fully 2,800 tourists purchased his products and this figure rose to approximately 4,000 in 2010. The key to his success: having good service providers and gaining the trust of his customers. His recent trips to Canada, Cuba and Kenya have enabled him to offer trips that meet the real needs of his customers. For example, he made a change to the plans of one group that improved their safari experience in Kenya. “It’s fantastic to be able to use my experience to benefit others.”

Sébastien seems really happy. “I like change, so I would never have thought I’d stay in one company for more than two years. But here I am, almost seven years later, still working for Vacances Transat! And I can see other opportunities to grow in this business. I’m even thinking of going to work abroad.”