Who’s Claire? What’s a Travel Advisor? And Other Important Questions
Meet Claire, the founder of Duende Travels
It’s time to finally introduce myself! I’m Claire Riley, and this year I founded Duende Travels as an independent affiliate of Cadence Travel. While I’m affiliated with an American agency and my clients are mostly from the US as well, I’ve been based in Madrid, Spain since 2013, when I moved here as an English teacher and worked remotely for a travel advisor back home. Three schools, thousands of students, and plenty of travel destinations later, I finally made the decision this spring to transition from teacher and assistant to travel advisor.
Throughout these years in Madrid, teaching and working as an assistant to a travel advisor, I learned a ton-- through the good and the bad. A chance encounter in a Prague hostel led to a friendship now going on 6 years, and shared visits from California to San Sebastián. A robbery in my apartment my first year followed the next year by a week-long hospital stay and ankle operation taught me how to toughen up and get things done even when life gets crazy (as well as some advanced Spanish criminal law and medical vocabulary). Teaching teenagers has given me patience and understanding when confusions arise. Working with dozens of friends on ideas for their own trips made me realize how much joy I get from being part of someone discovering a new place. In short, every moment I’ve spent in this dynamic capital city has prepared me for the job before me now-- helping others to find magic, to find duende, wherever they go.
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, California
What is a travel advisor?
Is it the same as a travel agent? Not really. Years ago, when airlines, cruise lines, and destinations like Disney World were coming to the forefront of the travel industry, they had dedicated booking agents who handled reservations for their particular company. They would answer the phone and book what you wanted for the dates that you wanted. But as online booking engines and these companies’ own websites started to gain traction, the necessity of those agents shrank.
The role of a travel advisor is more complex-- we work for the client, not for a particular hotel or cruise line. Our first job is to quickly whittle down the millions of choices that you have and cut straight to the best fit for you. So, instead of googling “Mexico resort” and sifting through literally thousands of search results, I can quickly provide you with a refined list of options that I not only trust, but that are also perfect for you (because unlike a booking engine, I know you). Not only that, but I’ll have direct contact with the general manager or someone else at the property-- someone who has a vested interest in making sure that you have an amazing time at their resort. And on top of all that, it’s highly likely that you’ll get a better price or value added to your stay, as we’re constantly being updated on the latest promotions and deals, some of which are only available to travel advisors to book for clients. As Duende Travels is a preferred partner of tons (really, a lot) of hotels, you’ll often be extended extra amenities simply for showing up and being your special self. Case in point: recently, I sent college friends celebrating their wedding anniversary to the Four Seasons Westlake Village, where for the same amount of money that they would have paid booking on their own, they received daily breakfast, an upgrade to a waterfall-view room, a resort credit, and even a box of chocolate-covered strawberries and a note waiting in their room when they arrived to celebrate their special day.
Travel Advisor Myths:
In the interest of demystifying the role of the travel advisor, I’ve picked the top three misconceptions that my own friends and family have had about the job, and tried to set the record straight.
It’s expensive to use a travel advisor.
A common misconception is that using a travel advisor will cost you more money. In reality, using a travel advisor can often end up saving you money, and at the very least will make your money go farther in terms of amenities and extras like breakfast and resort credits, as well as in the travel experience as a whole. I get paid commission (at no extra cost to you) by hotels, airlines, cruise lines, and tour companies that I book for you. So, depending on the type of trip we’re working on, I may not charge any type of fee at all, and you’ll be sure that your investment is going the farthest that it possibly can for you. Every trip I plan will involve a chat at the very beginning to talk about what you want, what you’d like my role to be, and if any fee on my end will be involved.
If I love planning my own trips, I shouldn’t use a travel advisor.
It’s something I would’ve thought before I started working in the travel industry-- if what they say is true, that planning is half the fun of a trip, then why give that part of travel up to someone else?
The truth is, you can “give up” as much or as little of the planning process as you want. I worked on a recent trip to Sedona and the Grand Canyon for my parents and their friends, and while my mom struggled with the idea of using an advisor for this exact reason, in the end she still planned their day-to-day activities herself (with a few suggestions and bookings from my end) and still did her own research on the accommodation options that I provided to her. She was involved at every step of the process, but the process was just more streamlined and focused. If, however, you feel completely overwhelmed by trip planning and just want to pass it off to someone who will check in with you before locking anything in-- that works too!
Travel advisors are only for luxury and high-budget travel.
If there is one thing you take away from this post, let it be this: while every travel advisor is different, I truly believe that everyone is entitled to the transformative experience of travel, and I want every one of my travelers to experience that, whatever your budget. If you come home and tell me that you had the trip of a lifetime and learned, grew, and experienced the world-- then I accomplished my goal, and hopefully earned a client that will come back to me again and again.
If you read this far-- congratulations (and thanks!). You’re in on one of the best-kept secrets of travel. If you’re inspired to start planning a trip, I hope you’ll let me get in on the fun-- if I can’t actually go on the trip with you, the next best thing is to help make sure you have the best trip possible. Visit our contact page or send me an email at claire@duendetravels.com and we’ll get to work!