Tara Jenneker is one of the members of the Marketing Team at Encounters Travel. She is the Social Media Manager for the company.
Tara's main job is to monitor and manage the social media accounts and pages for Encounters Travel and any associated brands. Her duties consist of monitoring the accounts; creating and posting new content; scheduling posts; responding to comments and reviews on social media accounts; identifying trends and themes on social media; and sharing relevant content such as images and articles related to travel. She also works closely with the Sales Team, who help her to respond to customer enquiries and/or complaints that come through on social media.
In addition, Tara produces content for the Encounters Travel website, which includes weekly blog articles.
Tara was Born and raised in Port Elizabeth, a coastal city in South Africa's Eastern Cape province. Port Elizabeth- or PE, as it is known locally- is one of South Africa's biggest cities. But it still retains more of a sleepy, small-town atmosphere when compared to the bustling, fast-paced, more chaotic metropolises of Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Tara moved to Cape Town in ___ after getting married. Moving from smaller city to a bigger one was quite an adjustment, she says. "Life in Cape Town is a lot faster- you have to plan the whole day. In PE, you can just decide what you want to do on the day." While she misses home, she does enjoy the diversity and the variety of activities on offer in Cape Town.
Tara has a 2-year-old daughter. Like the rest of the Encounters team, she works remotely (from home). This is a big advantage for her, as she gets to spend time with her daughter and also do the work that she's passionate about. "I love working with social media," she says. "I get to do both! Plus I get to do it in pyjamas!"
Although working remotely helps immensely, she says that she had to establish a routine, as well as find a balance between working and raising her daughter. "It's easier now that she's older, and can entertain herself."
Tara describes herself as a "very introverted" person, "but I'm an extrovert when I need to be." She also characterises herself as a "homebody". "I like being at home, I like family time."
Tara's hobbies include spending time at the beach, as well as skateboarding. Reading is another of her favourite pastimes.
Tara completed her tertiary studies at Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, where she obtained a BTech degree in Public Relations. She began her working career at the university itself, where she completed an internship. She then continued her career in PR for the next few years. She did PR work for several small businesses in Port Elizabeth, which included covering cycling events, retail events, and other sporting events. Social media management was her main role at these companies.
She joined Encounters Travel in November 2018, after moving to Cape Town and having her first child.
While Tara hasn't yet had the opportunity to travel much internationally, she has explored South Africa extensively. She has done the world-famous Garden Route, which is renowned for its pristine coastlines, stunning landscapes, and wealth of biodiversity. She's been to the coastal city of Durban, a very popular tourist destination for both local and international visitors. She has also visited Addo Elephant National Park, a malaria-free nature reserve in the Eastern Cape that is home to more than 500 magnificent African elephants.
Tara's top two bucket list destinations are Morocco and Turkey. She says that she has seen many beautiful images of both places, and that the culture and traditions of both places are very intriguing and appealing to her.
This 13-day tour explores cosmopolitan Istanbul and the ancient sites of Troy, Pergamum and Ephesus, features a 3-night cruise in the Gulf of Fethiye on board a traditional Turkish gulet and explores the fantastic scenery of Cappadocia.
Type
Days
Price
Shoestring
13
From
£1597
£1699
CAMPING OR ACCOMMODATED. This two week adventure takes you through the magnificent Lakes and Wildlife parks of Kenya, across Uganda and the Equator, and up into the jungle trekking to see chimpanzees & visit the mountain gorillas
Type
Days
Price
Overland
15
From
£2609
£2899
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