Leading With Experience And A Lifelong Passion For Travel With Stacey Brownsey, Manager of Helloworld Travel Mackay & Mt Pleasant

Stacey Brownsey, Manager of Helloworld Travel Mackay & Mt Pleasant. Photo supplied

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For Stacey Brownsey, travel has never been just a career; it has always been part of who she is.

Now Manager of Helloworld Travel, Stacey has spent almost 25 years helping Mackay travellers explore the world, after first entering the industry through a trainee position advertised in the Daily Mercury in 2001.

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Her passion for travel began long before that.

“I’ve loved travel from a very early age,” she said.

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“I started travelling internationally through sport when I was 15, and I also grew up listening to stories from my mum about living and working in Canada in the 1960s. Travel has always been a big part of my life; it’s something that really feels like it’s in my blood.”

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Over the years, Stacey has helped clients plan everything from family holidays and tailor-made European itineraries to cruises and once-in-a-lifetime adventures.

She said some of the most memorable moments in her career came during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, when travel professionals worked around the clock to support stranded travellers as borders rapidly closed across the world.

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“There were nights where I’d wake up in the middle of the night taking calls from clients overseas while airline availability was disappearing before our eyes,” she said.

“Despite the pressure, we were able to help get our clients home safely. That level of care and commitment goes beyond what people expect, but it’s also what I love most about this industry — being able to genuinely help people when they need it most.”

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Stacey believes the business’s strong local foundation has played a major role in its success across the Mackay region.

“Being locally owned and operated has always been something really special about our business,” she said.

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“Over the years we’ve continued to evolve through innovation, training and industry changes, and I think the resilience of our team has been one of our greatest strengths.”

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She said travellers were increasingly seeking more meaningful and personalised experiences, with nature-based travel and smaller group journeys continuing to grow in popularity.

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“We’re seeing more people wanting unique, off-the-beaten-track destinations and experiences connected to wildlife and nature,” she said.

“Cruising has also become incredibly diverse now — whether people want a small, intimate ship or a large ocean liner, there’s really something for every style of traveller.”

Having travelled extensively herself, Stacey names Finland as one of her favourite destinations, while trekking to see gorillas in Rwanda remains high on her bucket list.

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Her areas of specialty include family travel to Japan, tailor-made European holidays, and customised Canada and USA itineraries.

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And after decades in the industry, her favourite travel tip remains wonderfully simple:

“Always travel with ear plugs,”  

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