If you speak to Emily Holmes for any length of time, one thing becomes clear. It takes a lot to stop her from travelling in the direction she wants to go.

Holmes, who was diagnosed with autism in January 2024, ending a four-year wait to get a diagnosis, was once told she could not work in a call centre because she didn’t have the personal skills to handle phone enquiries. 
 
Holmes obviously doesn’t name the manager who made this judgment but it is plain from her CV that they were wrong.
 
She joined AAT Kings – part of The Travel Corporation (TTC) – in 2017 as a reservation sales agent working in a call centre before going on to take calls about sister TTC brands – Trafalgar and Insight Vacations – for several years. She became the business’s youngest reservations manager aged 22, doubling conversion rates in her first year of management.
 
Unsurprisingly, when asked what advice she would give anyone wanting to work in travel, she says: “Don’t take no for an answer. I’m autistic. I was told that I was not personal enough and I would not be able to go on the phone. Do not let people dim your shine.”
 
After the pandemic TTC’s call centre moved to South Africa. Uniworld Boutique River Cruises’ UK and Europe managing director Chris Townson was worried Holmes would leave the business as a result. 
 
“Chris did not want to lose me so he offered me a job in sales and marketing at Uniworld,” says Holmes, who later calls Townson “one of the most innovative managers” she’s ever worked for. 

Holmes joined Uniworld – another TTC brand – in August 2022 as a sales and marketing executive but until recently held the role of sales and events executive.
 
One of the key responsibilities within Holmes’ job remit was organising conferences on Uniworld’s river ships.
 
“There’s no better feeling when you see it all come together – and it’s flawless,” Holmes explains. “We recently hosted 70 agents on a Golden Eagle Train at the Clia RiverView Conference.”
 
She has helped put together conference programmes for the likes of Travel Counsellors, Kuoni, Midcounties and The Advantage Travel Partnership. Uniworld typically runs conferences in March and November before and after the European river cruise season. 
 
Holmes says she has helped “overhaul” the way Uniworld reports back about events it’s held onboard.
 
“Previously, we had no way of telling how well the event had gone,” she explained.
 
Holmes, like many who have never cruised before, had several misconceptions about river cruise before joining Uniworld.
 
“When Chris first wanted me to move across, I was about 23 and river cruise was very different to how I expected,” she recalls. “I thought passengers do not to speak to each other but when I got onboard the other passengers were so lovely.”
 
Townson is keen to bust myths around cruising by having a strong conference programme on board. 

Holmes has always said to Townson the only reason she would ever leave Uniworld would be to go travelling.
 
She has now done just that and is currently travelling in Australia. She hopes to return to the ultra-luxury line in just under a year’s time. 
 
“When I come back, conferences will be an even bigger part of the business,” says Holmes. “Chris wants to get more people on our ships. It’s a great way for the trade to learn about our ships.”

Once back at work, Holmes would return to her role as regional co-chair on the company’s diversity and inclusion committee.
 
This is another way Holmes has demonstrated her resilience and strength. “I campaign for things that people are not comfortable asking for,” she says, adding: “I really enjoy of going back and forth and finding a way to make it work.
 
“One of the biggest things was when I was working in the call centre it was a really loud environment. I managed to create a designated quiet room where any staff could take calls without noise.”
 
Holmes clearly cares about creating a working environment that she – and her colleagues – can thrive in.