Jacqui grew up in the tourism industry, the Walshe family now has three generations in travel and tourism, as do so many tourism businesses. The first generation was probably attracted by the glamour and the excitement of discovery, first class cabins and the opening up of new destinations. As second generation, Jacqui has had to deal with the series of highs and lows, global shocks and challenges which regularly beset the industry. While Covid-19 represents the penultimate challenge for the global industry in modern times, she feels confident that the Walshe Group, along with many other well managed airline and tourism businesses, has emerged strongly. Tourism will recover but with a more sustainable, balanced contribution to community, culture and personal fulfillment. People still need and want to keep moving and connecting across the globe.
Travel and tourism has gone through the hardest of times in our lifetime, and our trade distribution partners and airline and destination clients have all battled for their corporate survival. Having successfully navigated and emerged strongly from the pandemic, Jacqui remains committed to the challenge. She has always enjoyed being involved in industry affairs, to keep educating herself and maintaining an entrepreneurial mindset. Recent times have been an opportunity to really test those skills, to overcome adversity, but to also use the reset as a means of reviewing what the companies and consumers of aviation and travel need to succeed in the years ahead.
Jacqui holds a Bachelors degree in Business, an MBA and is a qualified Company Director GAICD. In 2017 she became Chairman of The Walshe Group and its parent company Southern Travel Holdings. Following six years as Deputy Chairman of Australian Tourism Export Council, Jacqui was appointed to the Tourism Restart Taskforce set up by the Australian tourism sector in 2020 during the period of international border closures and was the tourism representative on the Ministerial Advisory Council to the Australian Federal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment 2020-2022.
Jacqui was appointed a Tourism New Zealand board director in August 2022.