Claire Baxter: Turtles, Gorillas in Her Inbox and a Career Across Tourism and Travel Tech
Episode Summary
In this episode of Tourism Matters, join Carmen Bold as she chats with Claire Baxter about building a career across archaeology, tourism, government and travel technology.
Claire’s career journey has taken her through some fascinating spaces – from working in tourism product development with Intrepid Travel, to tourism policy roles in government, and now into travel technology as Senior Data Operations Manager at Rome2Rio. In this conversation she reflects on how curiosity, unexpected opportunities and transferable skills can shape a career in the tourism industry.
What you'll take away from this episode
• Why tourism careers rarely follow a straight line
• How transferable skills can open doors across tourism, government and travel tech
• The role curiosity and adaptability play in career development
• How technology and AI are influencing the future of tourism
• Practical advice for applying for roles outside your direct experience
About Claire
Claire Baxter has built a diverse career across tourism, government policy and travel technology. Her experience includes roles with global tourism company Intrepid Travel, tourism policy and strategy work in government, and now working in travel technology as Senior Data Operations Manager for Rome2Rio.
Her career highlights the wide range of opportunities across the tourism and visitor economy and the value of transferable skills across different sectors of the industry.
Connect with Claire
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairelbaxter/
Organisations and industry references mentioned
Rome2Rio: https://www.rome2rio.com
Intrepid Travel: https://www.intrepidtravel.com
Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Claire Baxter and her career journey
01:00 Early interests in travel, history and archaeology
02:30 Discovering tourism while studying and travelling
04:00 Working with Intrepid Travel and global tourism experiences
06:00 Returning to study archaeology and balancing work
08:30 Moving into tourism policy and government roles
10:30 Tourism policy, cultural tourism and community engagement
13:00 Recognising burnout and reassessing career direction
15:00 Transitioning from government into travel technology
18:00 Serendipity in careers and the “turtles” moment
20:30 Lessons from public sector and government environments
23:00 Skills that help candidates stand out in tourism careers
25:30 Curiosity, exploration and developing career pathways
27:30 Navigating bureaucracy and government systems
28:00 Transferable skills from public sector experience