Entrepreneur Rory King Inspires South West College Students with Insights on Innovation and Enterprise

Students at South West College’ Erne Campus in Enniskillen were recently treated to an inspiring talk from Rory King, founder of Rory’s Travel Club, during a special guest lecture at the College. Rory, a successful young entrepreneur, met with students studying Tourism and Hospitality, Business Studies, IT, and Creative Media to share his journey from education to establishing one of Ireland’s fastest-growing travel membership communities.

During his engaging presentation, Rory reflected on his own time at university and how his studies, travel, and early career experiences shaped his entrepreneurial outlook. He explained how the concept for Rory’s Travel Club was born from a desire to make travel more accessible and affordable, through exclusive deals and partnerships, cutting out high third-party commissions and building a loyal online community of travel enthusiasts.

Rory discussed the challenges of starting a business, the importance of digital marketing, storytelling and the value of customer trust in building a brand. He also shared his ambitions for the future of Rory’s Travel Club, outlining plans to grow the company’s customer base and to continue developing innovative travel experiences for customers.

Students had the opportunity to ask questions about Rory’s business, entrepreneurship, marketing, and the travel industry, gaining valuable insights into the realities of launching and managing a business in a competitive marketplace.

Siobhan Hallawell, Lecturer in Tourism and Hospitality at South West College, said the visit was an invaluable opportunity for students to connect classroom learning with real-world experience:

“Guest speakers like Rory bring a fresh perspective and real-world relevance to our students’ learning. Hearing directly from someone who has turned their passion into a thriving business helps students understand the skills, creativity, and resilience needed to succeed in the tourism and business sectors. We are very grateful to Rory for sharing his story and inspiring our students to think ambitiously about their own futures.”

The event formed part of South West College’s ongoing commitment to connecting students with industry professionals and prompted several enterprising students to explore the possibility of undertaking work experience opportunities with Rory’s Travel Club.