Tell us a little about yourself and how long you’ve been in the industry?
Twenty-six years ago, I took the leap at Compu College School of Business in downtown Victoria, B.C. and obtained my Travel & Tourism diploma (ironically this location is now the passport office). I was hired a few hours after I finished my last class and haven’t looked back since.
What do you specialize in and why?
I specialize in family group travel, whether that be a cruise or land-based vacation. While I love safaris and river cruises, the family group market constantly knocks at my door, so I answer.
I recently read a study that women above the age of 50 will drive $746 billion in travel spending by 2035 – coming in right after millennials. Does that align with your clientele?
I am definitely starting to see this trend. In 2024, we took a group of 18 ladies to Morocco on a custom curated itinerary – most were over the age of 45, many married or had a partner who didn’t want to travel to this destination. We have another ladies group to Ireland this fall and are all over the age of 45.
Are you noticing any interesting trends from the bookings you have? Are your clients still travelling to the U.S. with the ongoing tariffs?
I have personally had one cancellation for an Alaska cruise but then five new bookings on the same day for Alaska sailings, otherwise most of my clients are pivoting their travel plans and putting things on hold for the US until everything is friendly again. Those that have booked to the US – Alaska cruises, New Orleans, Disney – are all still travelling.
What’s your biggest piece of advice for travel advisors right now?
My biggest piece of advice for travel advisors right now would be to keep your chin up and carry on doing what works for you. You are not in competition with anyone else but yourself. When you have a bad day, just pull up your pants, tighten your belt and straighten your crown. You are all amazing!
Tell us a little bit about a booking that stands out – whether it’s the most expensive, the longest, the most adventurous, etc.
The most expensive trip I had booked was for a family of five around the world in business class. We pieced together every element of it (with our fabulous agent at Goway). This was a trip for the books. We are talking gorilla treks in Uganda, safari, but sadly Covid hit, and they weren’t able to go. However, we did end up booking a pretty epic Europe trip for them instead.
What are your thoughts on FAM trips? Are they valuable? Why? Do they help you sell more? How can they be improved?
I have a love/hate with FAM trips until I figured out how I liked to experience a destination/resort. I have experienced the 30 hotels in a week – I remember very little other than they all looked similar.
I have learned that personally I like to go to a destination with one hotel chain or resort. It allows me to get a good feel for the vibe the resort is offering, try out more than the buffet restaurants, experience the shows and more. Freddie Marsh of Playa Resorts took me to the beautiful Hyatt Ziva in Puerto Vallarta in 2017 and that has changed my views on FAMS. My sales increased immediately (as in I did two bookings on the way home from my FAM) and most recently experienced another Playa Resorts Fam in October to Cancun/Riviera Maya and again a huge jump in sales – I believe in a six-week window I had 127 room nights booked for the Playa properties (no groups, all individual). My next FAM is to La Romana and Punta Cana again with Playa Resorts in May.
The other FAM that was incredibly beneficial was a Goway FAM to New Zealand in 2023. Goway did an amazing job with the itinerary and hand selected the agents to go. I learned so much and now actively sell a destination and promote it versus waiting for a client to ask me about it.
What’s the biggest challenge you are facing in the travel industry right now? What do you think can be done to help it?
Personally, my biggest challenge is time management and technology. There are so many different programs out there to help assist us, it’s finding the one that works for my business model the best. My fingers are crossed that my host agency is working on something big and will take that off of my challenges list.
Do you have anything to add?
Travel is an industry full of amazing people. The relationships formed with other colleagues, whether they be suppliers, agents, BDMs, etc. are all to be cherished. Enjoy every minute of it!
Nominator:
“It is always a pleasure to partner with Amanda. As a dedicated travel agent, she truly embodies Playa Resorts’ philosophy of, ‘Service from the Heart.’ Her passion for her work is evident in the strong relationships she builds with industry colleagues. Beyond her exceptional service, Amanda’s professionalism and sense of humour make her a valued collaborator in the industry.”
