Janis Thompson

Hello, my name is Janis, and I’m a Learning and Development Mentor at Designer Travel.

I live in Newhey, in the North West of England, and my passion for travel began as soon as I left school. I studied Travel and Tourism before starting my career at Lunn Poly in Oldham as a Sales Consultant.

It wasn’t long before I wanted to experience the incredible destinations I was selling, so in 1996, I became an overseas holiday representative. I began working in short-haul destinations but quickly transitioned into long-haul travel. Over the years, I worked and travelled extensively between Ibiza, Gran Canaria, Croatia, and later the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Barbados, and Mexico.

In 2005 my son was born and I soon fell in love with the Mexican way of life, the food and culture. I learnt the language and settled on the Pacific Coast in the beautiful resort town of Puerto Vallarta. After my daughter was born we made Mexico our home for the next 20 years. My passion for travel remained strong, and we continued to explore different parts of Mexico, as well as Costa Rica and Canada.

During this time, I worked for Sunworld Holidays, JMC Holidays, and later First Choice Holidays. I embraced a variety of roles, including Wedding Representative, Resort Administrator, Admin Supervisor, and Health & Safety Coordinator for Pacific Mexico covering Mazatlan, Acapulco and Huatulco.

Three years ago, we returned to the UK, where I worked as an Account Manager for a recruitment company, focusing on the UK hospitality sector. This role gave me three years of new experiences and personal growth, but my heart has always been in travel.

I’m now thrilled to be part of the award-winning team at Designer Travel, mentoring new agents through the Designer Travel Training Academy. It’s incredibly rewarding to support others as they begin their journey in this amazing industry.