I have been in the travel industry since 2017. In 2020, yes, during the pandemic, I decided to expand as an agency instead of being a solo travel advisor. I now have a team of 12 agents that work under my brand. In addition to assisting my own clients, I also train, teach, mentor and assist each of my team members (who are part time). I live in Ontario, a single mom of two teenage sons. You can see my bio on my website here.
I originally wanted to become a travel agent because of my love of Walt Disney World, which I still have. I was helping my friends and family plan and organize their trips anyway. My passion for travel has grown over the years, taking me to places I never thought I would go — like the Arctic Circle and Greenland. I truly have turned my hobby into my career. While the days and hours are long, I absolutely love what I do and I couldn’t imagine working in any other industry in the world.
Seeing clients’ travel photos. Knowing they are loving every minute of their adventure, and it’s happening because of my recommendation or suggestion. I love hearing from them when they return and their excitement from what they experienced.
Dealing with supplier terms and conditions that are restrictive. Tracking down unpaid commission. Not receiving commission for files that were paid in full but cancelled.
This is a never-ending learning industry. You have to continuously stay educated, take training programs and keep up to date with the changes of suppliers and destinations. Find a good mentor to work with. My second piece of advice — not every client is your client. It is okay to decline working with someone who requests your services.
I have never taken to the term revenge travel. I believe, post pandemic, a lot of people definitely had pent up demand. Many once-a-year travellers took two trips within 12 months. I don’t believe it’s about “revenge” but about people realizing that life is short, and that anything can change at any time. That it’s important to seize the moment they take the trips they’ve been dreaming of while they can. And yes, I believe this is still the case. The demand for travel is still very high. And clients are continuing to book trips further out. While there are still last minute bookings, there is definitely an increase in clients booking in advance.
There are people who truly see and want the value of a travel agent. They understand that travel agents are there to provide first hand advice and experience. That travel agents are able to support them and assist them, and they don’t have to do things or figure out things on their own. Travel advisors truly build relationships with clients that are appreciated. We understand their preferences and can make recommendations for future travel plans. We have their back should an issue arise and they need support. Repeat clients genuinely understand our value, and are most appreciative for what we do.
My clients range from 40-60s. Although I do have clients that are both younger and older than this average demographic. No surprises on my end. It’s really a wonderful age because of the variety of trips. From families travelling, generational travel, empty nesters, it is quite the variety. As this mixed demographic has children that get older, those children who are now young adults continue to work with me as they are comfortable knowing I’ve assisted with their families trips. The boomer generation also gets referred to me as many agents they used to work with have since retired and they need a new agent. It’s nice working with whole families, each generation, as it changes over the years.
I am fortunate to have many travel memories with my children and my parents. In particular, as mentioned above, it all started with a mouse. My sons grew up with yearly trips to Walt Disney World. Being able to watch them grow and share the memories and nostalgia over the years is more than I ever anticipated. But there is something different about traveling with clients/groups. You work on their trips for months or years, you feel the excitement grow as they anticipate their trip, and then actually being there with them in the moment. Recently, I took a group on an ocean cruise to the Southern Caribbean. I had several first time cruising couples with me, while I am an avid cruiser. It was wonderful to be able to share the moments and overall experience with them. To see their joy, their new found love of cruise ships, to build friendships, and to become part of their travel memories. It’s a very unique experience.
$45,000 for a family of six. Mediterranean cruise with pre and post stays, including a variety of excursions.
This is a very personal decision. Generally speaking, I do not charge fees for the majority of the work I do. I actually have a write up on my website that explains when and how much I charge for fees. Custom trips, I definitely charge fees. I also charge modification and change fees.
