This week Carmen is joined by Emma Rhoades, Tourism Industry Workforce Advisor at the Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC).

Emma is open and honest about her career journey — navigating motherhood, overwhelming networking events, and revealing she has NEVER landed a job through SEEK. Wild.

We both climb up on the soapbox to vent about the traditional recruitment process and why it’s broken for both recruiters and job seekers.

We also unpack Emma’s role with QTIC and how she works directly with tourism operators to tackle workforce challenges — from recruitment and retention to succession planning and capability development.

It’s practical and filled with actionable advice for anyone working in, or recruiting into, the visitor economy.

Connect with Emma on LinkedIn

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The Industry Workforce Advisor Program is supported and funded by the Queensland Government.

This week Carmen is joined by Sarah-Jane Tilbury, General Manager Wellness at Belgravia Leisure.

From growing up in the UK to running an aquarium in Australia and now General Manager of Wellness at Belgravia Leisure, SJ’s path is anything but linear.

We talk about leadership, empowering strong teams, cultivating commercial smarts (yes, actually understanding the numbers), and how life experience often matters more than formal education.

We also delve into team dynamics, navigating COVID, innovative tourism projects, and why tourism has a habit of pulling you back in.

It’s funny. It’s honest. And underneath the laughter is a really sharp conversation about what modern tourism leadership actually looks like.

Connect with Sarah-Jane on LinkedIn

Connect with Carmen on LinkedIn

In the first Tourism Matters episode for 2026, Carmen is joined by Kate Gibson, founder of The Hike Collective, a Perth-based, award-winning experience business designing nature-led experiences that help people think better, connect better and feel more human.

From horse business management and international dressage, to hotel events in Germany, personal training and eventually tourism, Kate's path highlights how diverse experiences can shape meaningful work.

In this episode, Kate shares:
 • How The Hike Collective grew from a mental health initiative into a national tourism business
 • Why connection to self, others and place is at the heart of great experiences
 • What makes an exceptional tour guide (and what doesn’t)
 • How tourism, wellbeing and human performance intersect
 • Lessons for anyone building a purpose-led business or navigating a career pivot

This conversation is especially relevant for tour guides, experience designers, tourism operators, and anyone curious about how nature-based experiences can create lasting impact.

Connect with Kate on LinkedIn

Connect with Carmen on LinkedIn

Join Carmen as she chats with Penny Brand, Director of Tourism Development at Gate 7.

Penny has seen some things! Bribing her way across borders as a tour guide in Europe, strapping ice packs to her chest as a mascot at Sea World, getting her solo skydiving ticket and opening a 280 room hostel.

Penny is a delight and an open book, breaking down what destination marketing actually is, her role as Director of Tourism Development, rounded out with a sprinkling of career advice.

Connect with Penny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/penny-brand-44349231/

Connect with Carmen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-bold/

Join Carmen as she chats with Nic Cooper - Founder of Wild Adventures Melbourne and 7 Generations Tourism — a passionate operator, guide, and advocate who’s on a genuine mission to change tourism for good.

Nic’s tourism career started in a completely unexpected way: when he was 11 years old, living in a family home that suddenly became a guesthouse. From tour guiding across Europe, to business development roles, destination marketing, and finally launching both an eco-adventure company and a purpose-led consultancy — Nic’s journey is one of curiosity, conviction and long-term vision.

Connect with Nic on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niccooper/

Connect with Carmen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-bold/

Visit 7 Generations Tourism: https://www.7gt.com.au/

Visit Wild Adventures Melbourne: https://wildadventuresmelbourne.com/

Join Carmen as she chats with Ged Brown, founder and CEO of the Low Season Traveller.

Hear about Ged’s career of more than 20 years across almost every corner of the industry: retail travel, tour operations, aviation, events, data, and destination development.

We discuss unexpected turns, instincts, mistakes, redundancies, opportunities and insights that ultimately led him to identify a untapped niche in global tourism: low-season travel.

Connect with Ged on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gedbrown/
Connect with Carmen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-bold/

Since recording this episode, Ged has launched The Travel and Tourism Seasonality Blueprint containing everything he has learned since founding the low season travel movement, you can access it here:  https://seasonalitysummit.com/the-tourism-seasonality-blueprint/

Join Carmen as she chats with Giselle Whiteaker.

Giselle has built a career that’s anything but ordinary - spanning six countries and roles in events, marketing, journalism, and travel writing. In this episode, we talk about curiosity, courage, and the power of saying yes, even when you don’t know what’s next. 

Giselle shares stories of adventure, career twists, and lessons in letting go of “the plan” to follow what feels right.

Connect with Giselle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisellewhiteaker/

Connect with Carmen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-bold/

Join Carmen as she speaks to Zac Watson, General Manager, Maverick Tourism in Auckland, New Zealand.

Zac Watson’s career in tourism is the definition of momentum. From Merlin Entertainments to the Haka Tourism Group and now as General Manager of Maverick Tourism, he’s built a reputation for action, connection, and people-first leadership. We talk about career progression, mentoring, and how sport has shaped his approach to leading teams in tourism.

Connect with Zac on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zdwatson/

Connect with Carmen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-bold/

Join Carmen as she speaks to Claire Baxter, Senior Data Operations Manager for Rome2Rio in Melbourne Australia.

This episode covers Claire's career and life journey, from studying archaeology to working in sports, government and for some the tourism industry heavyweights.

Claire offers advice, shares stories and thoughts on the future, it's a good time.

Connect with Claire on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairelbaxter/

Connect with Carmen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-bold/

Join Carmen as she speaks to Edward Kwek, Senior Business Events Manager for South/South East Asia at Tourism Australia in Singapore. 

In this episode they will cover Edwards career journey across Australia and Asia, valuable career advice and a deep dive into the Business Events Industry. 

Connect with Edward on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-kwek-4b6b2a51/

Connect with Carmen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-bold/