It might be in the genes. Growing up with parents in the travel industry meant that geography was everyone’s favorite subject (and road trip fodder!).  Born in Germany to British parents, Victoria was raised in Germany, the U.S. and Scotland.  It was only natural for her forge a career in the travel industry, beginning in destination marketing and then becoming a tour operator specializing in Africa.  Her parents are both from Scotland and her paternal grandmother lived close to the school. It was here that her interest in Africa was sparked – many of her classmates came from countries like Botswana, Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe, and she found their stories of home quite fascinating. She worked at several travel-related internships with hotels, tour operators, and a destination marketing company promoting Berlin, which led to full time employment including a stint with Visit Britain, the national tourist board.  In recent years her career and passion for Africa fused, first with an Egyptian tour company and subsequently with a tour operator focused on speciality travel to southern Africa, where she really got to know the destinations, down to the individual hotels and properties.  Upon joining African Portfolio in early 2018, she was asked “What do you love about Africa?”, and she replied, “There’s the natural beauty, of course, but for me it’s the people you meet. They have such a love for their country and are so passionate about sharing it with others, and this really shines through. It allows for visitors to have a truly authentic experience. It’s impossible to leave without it changing you in some way, and I have not met one single person who has come back without wanting to go again as there’s always another side to discover.  For me, creating an African itinerary for a client isn’t just a job, it’s a journey, from the first telephone call until the trip is completed. For many clients, a safari is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and it is a delight to help create memories that will last forever.  I think my love for Africa is best summed up with this quote by Ernest Hemingway: “I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up that I was not happy.”