Six months in business travel: Rebecca reflects on joining Munro's Travel

Joining a business with more than 120 years of history, Rebecca Harrison reflects on discovering the world of specialist travel management and the people, expertise and relationships behind Munro’s Travel.

Established in 1903, Munro’s Travel specialises in crew and corporate travel, supporting clients across the energy, offshore and marine sectors.

When Rebecca Harrison joined as Marketing Executive in April, she brought a background in digital marketing but no experience of business travel. Six months on, she reflects on her introduction to the industry and her first achievements at Munro’s.

Discovering the world of crew travel

Having lived in Aberdeen for five years, Rebecca was familiar with the offshore industry, but joining Munro’s gave her a different perspective on its scale and complexity.

"I knew Aberdeen had a significant offshore industry, but I hadn't fully appreciated the scale of travel involved, from people travelling to join vessels and rigs in the North Sea to the global operations of the clients we support."

Munro’s has moved people to 127 countries this year alone. Understanding the coordination involved, particularly in crew travel, has given Rebecca a new appreciation of the expertise required to keep people moving.

Moving from B2C to B2B marketing has also brought a learning curve. Attending industry events, including a Scottish Passenger Agents' Association roadshow, has helped her better understand the sector and the importance of communicating specialist expertise.

Developing Munro's marketing

When Rebecca joined, there was considerable scope to develop Munro’s marketing. As the company's first in-house marketer, she has focused on building consistency across its communications and finding new ways to showcase its services.

Key achievements include launching a new website in May, introducing brand guidelines and developing a more consistent approach to LinkedIn, newsletters and PR.

"One of the interesting things about working at Munro’s is just how much there is to learn from different parts of the business. Marketing isn't just about what we publish. It's about understanding what the teams do, what matters to our clients and how we communicate that effectively."

The people behind the business

Beyond marketing, CSR has become a particularly rewarding part of Rebecca's role. With a personal interest in charitable work, she has helped introduce initiatives that give employees opportunities to support local causes.

These have included mental health awareness campaigns, a food bank collection point and a beach clean attended by 30 members of staff and their families. Further volunteering activities are planned with Munro’s charity partner and local Aberdeen charities.

"It's been really rewarding to see people get involved. The beach clean was a great example of everyone coming together, and it's nice to have opportunities to do something positive outside the usual working day."

Looking ahead

Six months into her role, Rebecca has gained a new understanding of the travel industry and the expertise behind Munro’s services. With new opportunities to develop its marketing and embrace technology, she is looking forward to what comes next.

"It's been so interesting to join a business with such a long history while also seeing how much it's continuing to evolve. It's an exciting time to be part of Munro’s, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the business continues to grow and playing my part in what comes next."