Australian from Perth by birth. The books say it’s the most isolated city in the world, but I was thrilled by it. Is that isolation an invitation to travel and discover the world?
I hadn’t travelled much, so yes, I did want to see a bit of the world. Perth is a great city with lovely weather, so I didn’t feel a rush to go somewhere else, but South America was something I’d always wanted to do.
Brad and I started in Argentina, with some late-season skiing in Bariloche. Then we went to Bolivia and drove a jeep down the Camino de la Muerte from La Paz, and went fishing in the valley. We travelled by bus from La Paz to Cusco, on the bumpiest road ever—12 hours over mud corrugations, sitting on the back wooden bench seat, in a bus with locals, pigs, and chickens. Machu Picchu was fabulous, and we enjoyed the jungle trip too.
From Perth to Latin America, a journey that never ends for you. You land in the UK to finish your training and have your first jobs, among them at a cinema.
I worked in a cinema in Perth during uni and did the same for two years in London. I did a brief, unappreciated stint at PGL Summer Camps in Perpignan.
The UK has changed a lot over the years. The rest of the world is also becoming more hostile to the mobility of people.
I am an immigrant to the UK. Immigration is a good thing. But there’s hardly a country in the world now that doesn’t have immigration as an issue in a political sense. Immigration is the basis and flavour of modern society in places like the USA, Australia, and Canada, but currently it is seen as problematic. A lot of the current vibe seems to stem from accommodation shortages and high costs, which are blamed on immigration; or in some places, like Spain, on tourism.
International students are sometimes blamed for rental property shortages, but the overall issue here is more to do with Airbnb. Landlords are now buying flats and renting them short-term, rather than to long-term locals.
Gang-facilitated, or non-regular, immigration is often called just “immigration” in the press, and perhaps this creates some negativity that carries over to regular migration. Refugees are people who do need a safe haven, but more citizens in different countries are questioning how genuine the claims are and the costs associated with them. There was an opinion survey from Sky News I saw today, and I couldn’t believe the stats.
There has been a spillover into international education too, with international students finding visas less plentiful and more costly, as some countries close the door a little.
But birth rates are dropping, and immigration is a way to solve this issue. And what better immigrant is there than someone who has studied at a local school or university, absorbed the language and culture, and decides to stay?
How did you come to work for a magazine in our sector?
I started out at Language Travel Gazette in 1992 with Melanie Butler. She continued on with EL Gazette. Stephen Roberts joined me in 1993 and Nicola Lutz in 1995, so we have all been together for 94 combined years. If you add up the years for our current ST staff, it’s over 300 years altogether.
And in 1998 the Alphe fairs begin. What inspired you to organize them?
In 1996, just after ICEF Berlin started, I asked Karl Badde, Markus’s father, if the editor of our study travel agent magazine could go to report on his agent workshop. He said no, because he thought our editor would sell to the schools. Editors don’t like selling, of course, but I thought, if we can’t go to an agent workshop, then we should start our own.
How was FELCA founded? What should its goals be in 2026?
Around the same time, I was visited in my office by James Swift, who used to work for LAL and was also a member of FVSV Germany. He talked of the need for a forum for agency associations. I agreed and spoke to Yamada-san at ARELS Brighton, and things moved on from there. The first FELCA meeting was at the first Alphe UK in 1998. There have been 28 AGMs since then and dozens of regional meetings. The current president is Paolo Barilari, who is doing a great job.
StudyTravel is the leading editorial reference in the sector and Alphe is expanding. What are the areas of growth for your group?
Agents still love the printed magazine, so rather than just going online, we have been working hard on a new design and layout to make it even better. We know that agents and educators need reliable industry statistics, and we consider our role to be providing those stats.
ST Alphés are doing very well, yes. Next year there will be two Alphe Mexicos, as it has proven so popular, which is great for the agents in AMTE. We’ll also add an Alphe Colombia.
We are the number one provider of Secondary Focus conferences for agents and high schools and will host six of these in 2026. Meeting Manager is being adopted by more conferences, and ST Network is also growing online.
The best thing about any StudyTravel service is our team.
You still believe that agencies are part of educational programs, not just a sales point.
Absolutely. Study Travel Agencies survived the internet, whereas normal travel agencies didn’t. There’s a reason for this. Students want to travel for their studies, and they want face-to-face teaching. They also want to get face-to-face advice on the schools they might be able to book, from someone who speaks their own language; who has been to that school; who has a 24-hour helpline; who can help with all travel arrangements and visas; and who is in their own legal system.
Study Travel Agencies would not still exist if they weren’t providing a great service and producing satisfied clients. Word-of-mouth recommendations still rank highly as to why a student uses an agency. As long as there are schools overseas and students who want to travel, there will be study travel agencies.
Study travel agencies mean people, and people are important. The internet or AI cannot do what a people-first study travel agency can do, for the same price too, and so they remain a valuable part of international education.
What is ASEPROCE’s image in the educational world?
One of the most professional associations in our industry, ASEPROCE has a highly organized team, a dedicated Board with decades of experience, and many areas of support for the members, including a specialist lawyer. Their setup is what many new associations aspire to emulate. And they are an ST Superstar.
You’ve travelled around the world —Australia is your home, Latin America your passion— what places or adventures do you still have left to experience?
My mum always said her favourite trip was to Tahiti, so I’d like to go there. And also it would be good to do a safari in Africa. I have an urge to do a driving tour of restaurants and golf courses in northern Spain as well, fitting in some French restaurants on the way.
