PHOTO: © TAHITI TOURISME NORTH AMERICA
THE BASICS
Name: Kristin Carlson
Title: Managing Director
Company, city: Tahiti Tourisme North America; Los Angeles, California
First job: Account Coordinator, The Fontayne Group
Where to next: The Islands of Tahiti
A LITTLE BIT MORE
What actor or actress would play you in a movie of your life?
People have compared me to Christina Applegate (early years), Kristin Chenoweth, Pink (though I can’t sing) and Kelly Ripa. Kelly Ripa is probably the closest fit.
What would you be doing professionally if you weren’t in your current industry?
Either a private investigator or a sports reporter — I can’t decide between the two.
What is your favorite book, movie or television show?
I’m fond of the film Witness (1985) and Far from Heaven (2002).
What historical figure, dead or alive, would you love to have dinner with?
I grew up traveling extensively — by 18 I had visited 60 countries thanks to my father’s career in aviation. Combined with a lifelong fascination with mystery, Amelia Earhart would be the ideal dinner companion.
THE BUSINESS
What is your most recent project, and what was the inspiration behind it?
In January our U.S. office transitioned from Tahiti Tourisme United States to Tahiti Tourisme North America. We now oversee arrivals to The Islands of Tahiti from the United States, Canada and Mexico. This change required deeper engagement with the Canadian and Mexican markets and a renewed focus on trade partnerships. The move builds on our success in the U.S., the destination’s largest market, and lets us leverage our experience and scale across the region.
What is your favorite aspect of the job?
The Tahiti travel community is unique: passionate, collaborative and committed to the destination. Unlike other sectors where people treat work as “just a job,” everyone here — even competitors — comes together for the greater good of the islands. That camaraderie, especially during the challenges of COVID-19, keeps me motivated and grateful every day.
What’s the biggest business risk you’ve ever taken?
I left a role I’d held for more than a decade for a higher title and salary at another company. When that division eventually folded and I was laid off, it led me to Tahiti Tourisme — the opportunity of a lifetime. It’s a reminder that risk can open unexpected and rewarding doors.
Who is someone you admire professionally in the travel industry?
Diane Moore has been a professional influence for more than 20 years, from our time at Crystal Cruises to when I joined Tahiti Tourisme in 2011. Her intelligence, warmth and leadership have been a consistent example and a personal role model.
AS A TRAVELER
Tell us about a travel nightmare:
In 1986 I was returning from Greece and Yugoslavia when every Pan Am flight from Athens to JFK was full. We ended up on Saudia with a long layover in Jeddah. The local staff, surprised to see two blonde American teens, escorted us to a private room and found the next outbound flight. In retrospect it was more an unexpected adventure than a nightmare.
Share a comical travel experience:
At age six my mother and I took a weekend trip to London. While she queued for food at Heathrow, I kept switching seats at the communal tables, moving whenever another diner joined me. It took her a while to realize I didn’t understand the shared-table custom. We still laugh about it.
What is your preferred method of travel — planes, trains, automobiles, cruise ships — and why?
I love flying — my father worked with Pan American Airways, and early travel exposed me to the joys of the sky and, yes, caviar. I also developed a passion for cruising; interline discounts in the 1970s and ’80s allowed my family to take remarkable voyages that inspired my 13-year career at Crystal Cruises.
What has been the best example of customer service you’ve experienced during your travels?
For my 50th birthday I traveled to Tahiti with family and friends. We booked a private day of snorkeling with rays and sharks and a gourmet lunch on a motu. Alongside local beer and Champagne, Moana Adventure Tours presented a frosted chocolate cake. Keeping a chocolate cake intact on a white-sand beach in tropical heat — now that’s exceptional customer service.