Interview of Camille REIGNIER, Operations Manager

Camille is something of a Success Story! After a successful internship with Receptour in 2022, she joined the team on a permanent basis. As Operations Coordinator, her commitment and professionalism hit the mark. Today, she works alongside Manon as head of operations. To celebrate, our brand new manager agreed to be interviewed!

 

Congratulations on your promotion, Camille. Can you tell us a little about what went on behind the scenes?

Thank you very much! It’s a mixture of continuity and opportunity, I’d say. After two summer seasons and one winter season, I had the opportunity to prove myself and show my involvement in the success of the trips. At the same time, a reorganization of the operations department meant that the opportunity presented itself and I seized it. I’m taking on the job gradually, because Vanessa, the previous manager, is always on hand to guide me, so I’m gradually finding my feet.

 

What does your job involve these days and what’s your typical day like?

What really changes is that I’m less involved in the logistics of each trip and each group. I work on a larger scale, for example, setting and monitoring deadlines to prepare each season in the best possible way. I also take care of training and follow-up with each Operations Department coordinator. I also assist the team in decision-making and emergency management. More generally, I ensure that the department runs smoothly to optimize the success and quality of our trips.

What do you think best defines the values of the Receptour team?

Accessibility and proximity. In the sense that management, especially Linda, listens to everyone so that everyone has their say. You quickly feel included and considered as part of the team, which makes for a very pleasant atmosphere on a daily basis.

In the same vein, I’d say we’re all very supportive of each other. In an emergency, we help each other find a solution as soon as possible. Then we toast together to take the pressure off! (she laughs).

Last but not least, we all have a passion for travel, and as soon as we can, we set off to discover new corners of Canada, which also enables us to better advise our customers and visualize the places concerned.

 

Can you tell me about your background?

I started my studies by completing 2 years in a business school in my home town of Lyon. There, my main objective was to learn the business basics (marketing, sales and negotiations).

At that time, I already had in mind to study tourism. As a consequence, as from my 3rd year, I started to learn about the travel industry and its (many) specificities. I also had the opportunity to travel! I went to Athens, Greece for a year as an exchange student. For my master’s degree I went to Chambery for a while. A few months later, I moved to Finland to be part of an exchange program.

After my last year of master in Chambery, I came to Canada for my end-of-study internship!

 

Have you always been attracted to tourism? Is it a passion?

I had the chance to travel a lot as a child with my parents, so I developed a passion for travel early on. I started organizing my own trips with my friends and going on road trips for instance. I always loved the saying “Make a living out of your passion” so around 16, I thought “I love to travel so I’m going to make it my job!”

I figured out how to study tourism and here I am. I have known from the beginning that I really wanted to work in travel design but I will follow the opportunities that come my way and see where it takes me!

 

Interview de Camille

 

Why did you choose to work in Canada?

As I was saying, I had the chance to travel a lot and to live in 3 different countries in Europe. For my last internship I wanted to take on a new challenge and go further away! I had always been attracted by Canada, the nature, the wildlife, the landscapes. Also, it was a great destination for a job because Quebec is french-speaking, so why not try it?

I have been with Receptour for almost 6 months and I am delighted to get the opportunity to stay longer! We do not know what the future is made of, but right now, I want to keep enjoying this beautiful experience !

 

So we get that Canada was an obvious choice. What about Receptour?

Fate came in that decision! The day I decided to look for an internship in Canada was also the day Receptour published its internship offers on the Toundrigo website. I applied and I got a quick answer! Within 10 days, I knew I was leaving!

Originally, I saw myself doing more custom work for individuals, but at the same time I did not know anything about operations and the goal of an internship is to learn! It was an opportunity to try something new and to discover!

Finally I got into the game and I really enjoyed it: the season was very intense, with many travels to organize, particularities linked to Covid and the lack of manpower so it was a daily challenge. Then, I was curious about this winter season coming, you know what’s next.

 

You traveled a lot! What was your favorite trip?

Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to travel part of Vancouver Island and spend a few days in Vancouver, and I’ve loved it! The island is so rich and varied in terms of landscapes (mountains, beaches, forests…). Vancouver has an atmosphere that I loved, between the skyscrapers and the coast.

My heart wavers between my trips, as each place appeals to me for different reasons, so it’s hard to choose!

Whale watching in Tadoussac was a must see for me before coming here and I was lucky enough to go and to see many whales. It was magical, a great memory!

I also loved Greece because when you live in a country, the attachment is inevitably different than when you go there as a tourist. As much as there are very famous touristic areas like Santorini or Mykonos, there are other parts of Greece that are less touristic but just as worth it. Spending 1 year in Athens was an unforgettable experience!

 

 

Is whale watching also part of your preferred program at Receptour?

At Receptour, we offer guaranteed departures, individual groupings, like the Ecological Coast to Coast program. This program is really my favorite because it is the trip that I would have liked to do personally as a traveler.

It’s a program that does part of the East and then goes West: I find it the most complete program because it gives an overview of Canada : you discover Quebec, Ontario, you get to go West, so you discover the Rockies and you finish in Vancouver. It is really a complete trip that gives a very good overview of Canada thanks to the variety of landscapes and the different cultures.

 

What is your greatest professional pride?

I have to say that I am really proud to be able to say that at 24 years old, I have graduated from 5 years of study and, in less than 2 years, I am a supervisor, here in Canada ! Until a year ago I had no idea that I was going to move to Canada or that I was going to stay here after my internship so I am very proud of that!

 

What’s your next travel project?

In the summer of 2024, I’m off to conquer the Rockies! After hearing so much about them at work, and in particular from the guides, it’s my turn to discover this territory. We’re going to do this trip in a camper van, for an even more road trip feel and to get away from it all. I can’t wait to explore the lakes and forests, in search of wildlife and the best viewpoints. Personally, it’s definitely going to be one of my best trips ever. But also professionally, as it will be beneficial to really know what customers discover during their trip out West, and to meet several suppliers.

 

Thanks a lot Camille! Do you have any final words for this interview?

You shouldn’t be afraid to make big decisions, especially when you are young and lucky enough not to have too many responsibilities yet. In the end, these are decisions that you won’t regret because you meet new people and you discover new things.

You realize that you can be just as happy elsewhere and that it was worth it to take the risk! It’s important, at our age, to seize these moments and create beautiful experiences and memories for life!

 

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