Spencer has also learnt that a lot of hard work is required, to be accepted at this male dominated level of the travel industry. “There is still the old boys’ club that exists,” she says. “I do have boys’ club lunches; I do go out with the boys. And that’s sometimes what you have to do for them to realise you’re dedicated and to be acknowledged as a leader in your industry.”
Travelling with Virgin Galactic
Spencer’s dedication is what led her to take the leap into space. As one of only nine accredited Virgin Galactic space agents in Australia, and having sold Australia’s first fully paid ticket to space, she is pushing both herself and the travel industry to new heights.
So how did Spencer become one of Richard Branson’s handpicked space agents? The long accreditation process began after she spotted a Virgin advertisement, and decided to put forward a submission, which took her more than two months to complete. But it was worth the time and effort, and Spencer’s commitment and initiative separated her from the 250 initial applicants, and placed her on a shortlist of 25 to be interviewed by Virgin representatives from London. Nine travel agencies were finally selected.
Spencer’s first space customer will be a ‘Virgin Founder’, the first 100 people to travel to space with Virgin Galactic. The next 400 to travel to space will be Pioneers, and anyone afterwards will be a Voyager. Originally the first 100 places were for those offered an invitation by Branson himself, but Spencer’s commitment to customer satisfaction changed that. “The woman that we sold the ticket to was over the top about wanting to be in the first 100, so I went to Virgin Galactic and asked if there was any way they could put her in that, and they did,” says Spencer. “She’s very excited about being in the first 100. It’s history, new generation, new frontier.”
This historic space trip will set you back a tidy $260,000, and includes getting to Mojave Dessert in the United States, where the craft will take off, three days of training, and a medical. Virgin Galactic travellers will experience g-force, the same feeling experienced in a fighter jet, and will be weightless for ten minutes, says Spencer. “But the main experience is that they’re going to see the curvature of the earth from space. They’re going to be in space.”
While the experience will be undoubtedly unique, it has been difficult finding a target audience to market the unprecedented product to. “You need people that are actually passionate about wanting the experience. It’s just a matter of throwing it out there.”
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