Sarah-Dawn Thiessen
Tell us a little about yourself and how long you’ve been in the industry?
My name is Sarah-dawn Thiessen, I have been in the travel industry since 2018. My husband and our two sons reside on our family grain farm just outside of Strathmore, in southern Alberta. I am an adventurous girl by heart that loves the outdoors, camping, hiking, boating and my all-time favourite activity is wake surfing.
Why and how did you decide to become a travel advisor?
I have always loved to travel. When my kids were younger, I was always busy with volunteering, taking the kids to their activities and helping with the farm. As my kids got older, it allowed me more time to pursue what I wanted, and after watching my aunt who is also a travel advisor travel the world, I decided that I too wanted to travel the world and have a career in travel. By 2018 I had completed the necessary training, and joined Trevello Travel Group, formerly known as Travel Professional International. At Trevello Travel Group I work on a team with my aunt, who is also my mentor.
What’s your favourite part of being a travel agent?
My favourite part of being a travel advisor is when my clients return home, and we have our post trip chat. I love to hear about how amazing their trip was. The best part is when they share photos with me, and you can see in their smiles that everyone has had an amazing trip.
What’s the main thing that’s changed about your clients or the travel industry since the pandemic?
They have a lot more questions going into a trip than before, they are being a lot more careful about the destinations they choose. I have also noticed a big jump in the amount of people that want travel insurance.
Do you believe more people are using travel advisors since the pandemic? Why or why not?
Yes, I believe a lot more people are using a travel advisor since the pandemic. People see the value and now understand how important it is to have an advocate behind them in case something happens. People don’t have time to wait on hold for hours if they need to discuss something with the tour operator, they need a professional behind them.
Can you share a special travel memory and what travel means to you?

I have always dreamed of doing small group hosted trips, it has always been something I wanted to get into. During the pandemic I had to cancel my first group tour to Ireland, and it broke my heart. Then a friend approached to plan a tour to Thailand, initially she was going to go alone or with a friend. I planned for two years and in January 2023 we headed to Thailand for 17 days. In the end I put together a group tour for 12 ladies including myself. We toured all around Thailand, we saw some amazing things and traveling with my clients I got to see the excitement on their faces as we all experienced the trip together. I got to sit with them each night at dinner and we talked about the highs and lows of the day. Travelling with a group of ladies was life changing for me, there were a few tears but above that there was a lot of laughter. We made memories together that we will cherish for the rest of our life.

What’s still on your travel must see list?

Paris has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember, since I was a little girl and saw some TV show with the Eiffel Tower in it. I can’t remember the name of the show, I just remember the Eiffel Tower. Since I have had some training and done plenty of research to plan my clients’ trips to Paris, I have added some other must sees while I’m there, the Louvre, Paris catacombs, Moulin Rouge show, dining at the Eiffel Tower, Champagne tour in Champagne, Palace of Versailles, and of course sipping coffee at cute coffee shop in a cute square in Paris while eating croissants.

In hindsight, what do you know now that you wish you knew when you were first starting out?
Don’t try to be the master of all things travel. Figure out what you want to concentrate on and train in that. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice or help. I have over 1000 home based agents in my company to ask each other questions or advice; we all work independently, but at the same time we work together. I haven’t been everywhere but when we work as a team, we have travelled the world eight times.
Where do you stand on charging fees?
I strongly stand by charging clients a fee for service. A fee filters out the clients that seriously want to travel, and the people that price 100 different things to then book it on the internet. I personally use the money from fees to take courses, for example I have taken marketing courses.
What’s the nicest thing a client has ever done for you?

When the pandemic hit those first couple weeks were not easy, all of us spent 15+ hours each day for over 14 days canceling all our clients. We all spent those long hours on hold, watching a year’s worth of work and income lost in a matter of days. One of my clients dropped off a gift basket with wine, candy, and restaurant gift card, it was something I truly needed right then to know I was appreciated.

Do you have anything to add?
The most valuable training we can have in our job is to travel! To experience what we are selling is priceless.



Previous Post

Judi Oracheski

Next Post

Elaine Pepper