Working with your family can have its highs and lows when it comes to all the unique benefits and challenges it involves; especially when it’s a company known as one of the best in the industry. Natasha Peiris, Director at Gabo Travels, faces those challenges head on everyday to ensure a lasting legacy.

The daughter of founder, Mr. Gabo Peiris, Natasha grew up with the impression that she would eventually join the family business. She worked on and off at the company during summertime as a teenager, while schooling at Wycherly College and then stopped till she completed her higher studies at the American National College. “Having grown up surrounded by the travel industry, I never thought of doing anything outside of it. My first career choice was actually to become a flight stewardess but my father didn’t really approve of that so naturally I joined the family business,” recalled Natasha. 

“There is an element of craziness when it comes to working with family; you can never ‘switch off’ from work.  But it’s also part of being in the travel industry. Being woken up in the night because you’re making/ receiving calls from different time zones and you have to take them. It is more flexible working with your own business though. I do enjoy it.” She added. 

Her role at the company is a diverse one; her many duties consist of over looking business development, advertising, and discussing proposals and ventures for new services, to name a few. Citing her main goal as to always offer clients different experiences and make Gabo stand out as a leader in the industry. Natasha is immensely proud of the fact that the company has been rated as one of the top five in the local industry and puts it down to hard working employees and creative ideas to keep clients always happy.

“We offer on the job training, online training and familiarization tours for our trainees. We prefer to take in school leavers, that way the standard is set because it’s their first job. They must be dedicated, with a pleasant personality, since we deal with customers face to face. That’s what we look for when hiring. Education and experience in the trade is what we take into consideration when hiring senior staff.”

 

 

While many of us imagine working in the travel industry to be an easy and glamorous job, she was quick to dismiss that theory, “It can be hard! You need to be the kind of person who can adapt and change constantly in this field. You have to deal with people from different walks of life and accommodate all of their needs. You must think on your feet and face each challenge head on.”

Outside of the office, Natasha’s tries to lead a more laid back lifestyle, preferring to spend her evenings relaxing with friends and family, visiting the beach or indulging in a good book, something she rarely has time for these days. As for her own favourite foreign trips, she says her top destinations three are New York, Italy and London, adding that London is almost a second home for her.

Even though she says, if given the right opportunity to go abroad, she would consider it; for the moment, she is committed to staying at her current position, “I want to make sure Gabo Travels remains in that top five position and continue to build on my father’s dreams for this company.” 

 

 

 

 

 

By Lake Argent

Pics by Waruna Wanniarachchi