In this episode of Tourism Matters, I’m joined by Hannah Pearson, founder of Pear Anderson and co-host of the Southeast Asia Travel Show.

Hannah’s career has taken her from studying languages at Oxford to teaching in France and China, corporate London, Kuala Lumpur, travel startups, market representation and founding Pear Anderson, a tourism sales, marketing and market intelligence business focused on Southeast Asia.

We talk about winding tourism careers, unexpected opportunities, building a business in travel, and how Hannah’s weekly Southeast Asia travel report became a trusted industry resource during COVID.

We also discuss workforce challenges, including the disconnect between education and industry, the need for better training, and why passion matters but cannot replace fair pay, support and development.

What you will takeaway...

•  Tourism careers rarely follow a straight line 
•  Sales in tourism is really about relationships and market fit 
•  Consistency can build serious credibility over time 
•  Education, industry and young professionals are often disconnected 
•  Passion matters, but it cannot be used as an excuse for burnout 

About Hannah Pearson

Hannah Pearson is the founder of Pear Anderson, a tourism sales, marketing and market intelligence company focused on Southeast Asia.

Originally from the UK, Hannah studied French and Classics at Oxford before working across China, Malaysia, outbound travel, B2B sales, travel tech, market representation and tourism research.

She is also co-host of the Southeast Asia Travel Show.

Organisations Referenced

• Pear Anderson – https://www.pearanderson.com
•  Report: The Evolving Tourism Workforce: Human Capital Development in APAC – https://www.pata.org/research-q1v63g6n2dw/p/human-capital-development-in-apac
•  Southeast Asia Travel Show – https://www.theseasiatravelshow.com/
•  PATA – https://www.pata.org
•  VisitBritain – https://www.visitbritain.org
•  GoQuo – https://www.goquo.com
•  University of Oxford – https://www.ox.ac.uk

Episode Chapters

 00:00 – Introduction to Hannah Pearson
 02:57 – Hannah’s early life, travel and love of languages
 05:48 – Studying at Oxford and spending a year in France
 08:42 – Teaching in China and travelling home via the Trans-Siberian Railway
 11:24 – Returning to the UK and starting corporate life
 14:14 – Moving to Malaysia and entering the travel industry
 16:58 – Building an outbound travel team in Kuala Lumpur
 19:51 – Sales, representation and building networks across Southeast Asia
 22:33 – Cultural awareness and market differences in Southeast Asian travel
 24:01 – Navigating language, culture and practical challenges on the road
 26:15 – Moving into the travel startup world
 28:01 – Learning travel tech, dynamic packaging and airline partnerships
 29:17 – The reality of entrepreneurship in tourism
 31:19 – Launching Pear Anderson and choosing independence
 34:00 – How COVID reshaped the business
 36:31 – Creating a weekly Southeast Asia travel intelligence resource
 38:04 – Growing Pear Anderson and building industry influence
 40:31 – Workforce challenges, education and industry disconnects
 46:21 – Passion, wages and retaining people in tourism
 50:24 – Hannah’s final reflections