7 tips to finding a travel advisor that is a perfect fit for you

Whenever I introduce myself as a travel advisor, it’s only a matter of seconds before I get the crinkled, scrunched up face that represents an emotional question mark. 

If I had to guess what’s going on in their mind, it’s them, looking at me, a mid-30’s, young and hip-seeming human, and out of their mouth comes a slight chuckle, followed by….What, travel agents still exist? Why would anyone need a travel agent? 

Before I started Undiscovered Sunsets, I had traveled the world, but I had never worked with a travel advisor before, so I understand the uncertainty and the confusion. 

How do you find a travel advisor that is the perfect fit for you and your travel style? And when you find one, what questions should you should ask and what things should you consider before hiring them to design your trip?

1. How to find a travel advisor that’s a good match for you

So, you’re curious, interested to learn more, maybe even hire a travel advisor for your next trip. Where do you begin? Where are they all hanging out and how do you find them? 

If you don’t already know a travel advisor….wait, if you’re reading this, you know at least one of us! :)

Ok, in all seriousness, if you’re interested to work with a travel advisor - whether on a single trip or on a long term basis - and you don’t already have a personal connection, the best starting point is to ask your friends and family. Reach out to those who have recently traveled to the destinations you’d like to visit. How did they do it? Did they DIY the entire trip or did they work with a travel advisor? 

Disclaimer: be smart about who you ask. 

Do you have friends and family who offer recommendations about restaurants and movies that you would never, ever listen to because you know their style is not at all your own? 

It’s the same for travel! Ask friends and family who travel in a similar way as you do for recommendations on a travel advisor. 

If this is a dead end, or if you’d like to consider additional options, head to virtuoso.com or ASTA.org. On both of these websites, you can search a specific person, a destination (to where you’d like to travel), or a type of travel such as “Adventure”. This will bring up a list of profiles where you can see advisors’ areas of expertise, read reviews from past clients, etc. 

Their profile should lead you to their websites and social media profiles and now you’re looking for someone who has the right vibe.

2. Look for a travel advisor with a similar travel vibe

True story: I once received a new client inquiry and on the phone, they were super excited, but wanted to do their due diligence and had already scheduled a couple additional phone calls with other travel advisors. 

So, as they didn’t have prior experience working with a travel advisor and were unsure what to ask and how to decide, I coached them. I shared with them some questions I felt were important to ask, things they should consider and look for, and wished them the best of luck. 

When they emailed the next day, ready to begin planning their next adventure, I was of course super excited, and now they’re some of my favorite humans. 

Selecting a travel advisor to work with is not dissimilar from hiring a photographer, an interior designer, a financial advisor, or a real estate agent. First and foremost, many of these relationships have the potential to be long lasting rather than a one time transaction. Before reaching out to set up a call, I highly recommend having a look at their website and their social media to ensure the type of travel they’re planning is the type of travel you’re looking for. 

If you love to jet off to the Caribbean and explore luxurious hotels and beautiful beaches each year, a travel advisor who has a website and social media profile covered in high end cycling and hiking vacations is likely not going to be a good fit. 

Alternatively, if you’re someone who loves hotels and is always on the look out for an authentic, boutique vibe, an advisor who highlights the destinations, the activities, the cooking classes, and the experiences when they’re traveling, but never mentions the hotels they’re visiting might also not be a good fit. 

This may seem obvious, but the first step in finding a travel advisor who will be a good fit is to look for someone with a similar travel vibe, someone who is traveling and prioritizing the same types of destinations, hotels, and experiences that you are looking for when you travel. 

3. Reach out to connect….and pay close attention

Once you’ve narrowed the selection based on each advisor’s overall vibe and style of travel, head to their website or their social media profile to see how they prefer you reach out. Some will share their email addresses, some will provide a direct link to set up a call, maybe they’ll have a form for you to fill out so they can learn more about you before connecting over the phone. 

Reach out and see what happens. 

Do they respond within 1-2 days? Are they interested and/or willing to jump on the phone with you? Do they have specific days and hours on which they are available for calls? What vibe do you get from their response? 

Pay close attention to their communication style and their overall responsiveness. 

Everyone has a different style of communication and the way someone responds to your new inquiry from the beginning is a good sign as to how it will look working with them. Designing a new trip will include regular communication for at least 2 weeks and sometimes up to 4-6 weeks for longer, more complex trips. You’re also likely planning your trip months in advance, so this is a long term relationship.

Mentally note how you feel about their communication from the beginning - are you impressed with their timeliness and responsiveness? Or are there some red flags? 

4. Ask about their personal travel experience to the destination you’d like to visit  

You’re ready to dive into a conversation with the top contenders. Calls are scheduled and the phone is ringing. What questions should you ask? How do you differentiate one travel advisor from the next?  

More than likely, when you begin your search for a travel advisor, you have a specific trip that you’re interested to begin planning. If this is indeed the case, I would start by asking what each travel advisor’s experience is with that destination. 

Good questions to ask: Have you personally visited this destination or have you personally taken a similar style of trip? Have you designed this style of trip before for other clients? 

It’s important to know that many travel advisors plan stunning trips to destinations to which they haven’t yet visited. We’re able to do this because we have access to a vast network of destination specialists and supplier partners based around the world. We’re also connected to hundreds of colleagues - most of whom have likely traveled to and who have designed trips to these destinations. 

So, planning a trip with a travel advisor to a place they haven’t visited is still better than planning a trip by yourself to a place you’ve also never visited. But, I do think it’s a good question to ask when you’re considering working with someone for the first time. 

If they have experience with this destination, share with them some ideas you have about your trip. Ask for their thoughts and opinions. Do they bring up ideas and options that you hadn’t previously considered? Do they have concerns about the trip you’re envisioning (perhaps you didn’t realize that the month you’d like to visit is during hurricane season?) Do they agree with your thoughts and ideas and immediately want to dive in and get started? If you share with them that you prefer not to travel a certain way (on a certain airline, in a small group, privately guided, etc), do they shift gears to find the right match for you or do they urge you to travel in a way that might not match your travel style? 

Most importantly, what questions do they ask you? Does it seem that they also want to get to know you or are they just gathering details in order to send you a quote?

After the call, stop and take a beat. How do you feel after speaking with them? 

5. Ask if they have a particular area of expertise

What could arguably be more important than a travel advisor’s knowledge of a specific destination is their overall style and approach to travel. 

If you’re hoping to plan a single trip with a travel advisor, the destination will likely be most important. But, if like most travelers, you’re hoping to find a travel advisor with whom you can build a relationship and turn to for all of your future adventures, their overall approach to travel will be more important than their knowledge and expertise on a single destination today (because if you know many travel advisors, the destinations we don’t yet know are the ones we’re probably headed to in the next 12 months ;) ).

Good question to ask: Do you specialize in a certain type of travel or in a specific region of the world?

It’s very important for you to consider your personal preferences: do I want to work with a different specialist for each trip I take? For example: a safari specialist one year, an adventure specialist the next year to go hiking in the Italian Dolomites, and a cruise specialist the following year to take 4 generations on a trip to celebrate Grandma and Grandpa’s wedding anniversary? 

OR 

Do I want to build a relationship with one travel advisor so that they can get to know me, my family, and my travel preferences so I can return to them again and again, year after year? 

There is not a right or wrong answer here. Considering how often you travel might be a good place to start. If you plan a big trip once every few years, maybe working with specialists is okay. If you travel every year, or multiple times per year, it might be better to establish a relationship with one advisor who really knows you and understands what you’re looking for. 

Which would you prefer? A different specialist for each trip or building a long lasting relationship with one advisor? 

6. Find out more about their process, their fee structure, and what’s included in their service.

Prior to asking these question, first consider what is important to you. If you are working with a professional travel advisor, do you expect them to book flights? Are you hoping for a list of recommended restaurants and for them to confirm restaurant reservations for you? Would you like to have ideas of things to see and do during your free time? 

Good questions to ask: What is your process when designing itineraries? When planning a trip with you, what is included in your service and what can we expect? What is your fee structure? 

You might be surprised to know that all travel advisors run their businesses very, very differently. Some don’t charge fee, but they also don’t book flights nor do they provide concierge services such as confirming restaurant reservations. Others do charge a fee and they will take care of every small detail from start to finish. If you speak with 10 different travel advisors, it’s quite likely that you’ll receive 10 different answers to these questions. 

Asking these questions up front will help to avoid any surprises and will also ensure that you and your new travel advisor are on the same page from the beginning.  

7. Decide who has the X factor

You’ve done your research. You’ve scheduled calls with a handful of advisors. You’ve asked detailed questions and you’ve done your due diligence. 

Reputation, testimonials, professionalism, and responsiveness are all very important. 

What’s more important than all of the above is the X-factor. Who does your gut tell you to work with on your next trip? With which travel advisor do you feel you have the most chemistry? 

Maybe they responded to you in a timely and professional manner and they have a tremendous amount of personal experience in the destination that you’d like to visit, but do they get you? Do they understand exactly what you’re looking for and what your priorities are when you travel? 

You likely asked them quite a few questions. Did they ask you questions? Did they make an attempt to get to know you and your travel preferences? 

Of all the advisors you spoke with, one might charge the highest Research & Design fee and maybe they haven’t personally traveled to the destination you’re ready to visit, but if there was a personal connection with them that wasn’t present during any of the other calls, pay attention to this. If they travel similarly to you, they know and understand how you like to prioritize your time and your investment, they asked great questions and they provided some great ideas that you hadn’t previously considered…these factors might just be more important than the others. 

At the end of the day, experience, responsiveness, and professionalism are all important, but the chemistry between you and your travel advisor is what will lead to a beautiful, long-lasting relationship filled with years and years of adventures.