Everyone travels. Or at least, everyone wants to travel. To see the world is the ultimate dream of many. In any case, this is why the role of a luxury travel advisor is important. It's easy to get carried away and just go for the most convenient or the most affordable, but if you can afford it, why not travel luxuriously? Stay in the most upscale accommodations, eat the finest restaurants, relax in five-star establishments, and more! These are what a luxury travel advisor will guide you with. And here's how you can become one.
Travel!
First things first, you ought to travel yourself. How can your future clients trust you to give them advice on certain places where you haven't been to yourself? In order to take the reins of other people's travels, you have to go out there yourself! See what's fun
to do in Cannes for a day. Or find the
most underrated spots in Rome that your clients will probably love. Or even the best places to see in London
for every Beatles fan! You'll sound a lot more credible if you've been to these places yourself!
Do It Slowly
As the saying goes, '
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.' Don't think that the moment you decide to become a luxury travel advisor that business will boom right then and there. Even if you're savvy with all sorts of skills, it's better to ease into the profession than to try to do everything at once. Most especially if your previous line of work is far from what a luxury travel advisor does. When you start, why not begin with your friends and family first? At least these are people who you know will trust you no matter what. And once you succeed with them, you can branch out to widen your clientele.
Focus on Luxury
The keyword here is 'luxury.' Remember that you're aiming to be a luxury travel advisor, not just some random travel agent who's glued to his/her seat in some agency somewhere. What makes a luxury travel advisor such a coveted profession is the 'luxury' part, so always focus on that! When you have clients who plan to go to Paris, for instance, direct them to the upscale places of the
Champs Elysées or
Le Marais district. If a couple going on a honeymoon asks for accommodation suggestions, show them
those with luxurious bedrooms. Remember, always aim for luxury!
Master Social Media
When you already have a foundation laid out, one of the first things you ought to work on is to master social media. You don't have to go full-on
travel Instagrammer or YouTube vlogger if you don't want to. Just polish your pages with excellent curation and consistency. This is essential for luxury travel advisors for a myriad of reasons. Firstly, reaching out to potential clients through platforms like
Facebook,
Instagram, and the like is easy peasy, especially if you're not connected with an established agency (yet). And when potential clients do get wind of you, they'll likely check your own social media pages to see where you've been too or how you've established your brand through curated images and posts. Images matter in this line of work!
Broaden Your Network
This ties up to previous points mentioned on this list. By starting slowly and mastering social media, you're not just establishing your brand as a luxury travel advisor, you're also setting forth an easy medium to broaden your network. As mentioned, by starting slowly with friends and family, their word-of-mouth to their own acquaintances can help you expand your business to get more clients. When you master social media, it's easier for you to reach out to potential clients online and vice versa. Either way, a stronger and wider network is essential to succeeding as a luxury travel advisor.
Partner with An Established Agency
Although this is optional, doing so may help you a lot. As per what
Lila Fox from Virtuoso explained, becoming a luxury travel advisor is a full-time job, one that can exhaust you if you don't have the right foundation. And as enticing as going solo or setting up your own business, if you're just beginning, it's better to start with an established agency first. It's here where professionals in the game can show you the ropes, connect you with clients that you can take when you go freelance or set up your own agency in the future. and more.
Keep Updated
You owe it to your clients to keep updated with what's happening in many of your destinations. Many will expect that from you. How do you think they'll react if you give them information that's dated? You need to know the current state of each place you recommend to your clients beforehand. If they're going to Germany, what are the
Covid-19 travel restrictions there now? If they're going to Mexico, will their trip fall on a
public holiday? if they're going to Greece, do the ancient ruins still look like the images online? These are the types of info your clients will need from you!
Establish Your Clientele
Finally, whether you're just beginning or you're a seasoned professional already, always keep your clients. As they say in the business, 'keep a book' of all your clients, whether they've come to you recently or just that one time. Tying back to some points on this list, you never know how their business can affect you. Some can help you broaden your network, connecting you with more clients to keep your business going. Although a few might just go to you that one time, it can be that your help made their trips so memorable, they'll likely come back to you in the future!
Becoming a luxury travel advisor may seem like a far-fetched fantasy, but it's entirely impossible. As long as you follow these tips on how to become one, you might just start a whole new career that might bring you a lot of success. You'll never know until you try!
