Travel’s New Talent Pipeline: The Rise of the Second Career Travel Advisor

Who says your first career can’t be the secret weapon for your second career? Professionals from industries like education, healthcare, finance, and corporate America are bringing hard-earned skills—and valuable networks—into the travel industry.

We spoke to travel advisors who have successfully changed careers. They revealed which skills translate well to travel, what it takes to turn the experience you already have into a profitable travel business, which niches are sustainable—and why starting over may actually mean starting with an advantage.

Segueing From Career #1 to Career #2

Savannah Hill, VTA, CTA, owner of Savvy Travel, tells us what she did before becoming a travel advisor, and what ultimately convinced her to make travel a second career.

“Before becoming a travel advisor, I was in math education. I taught geometry and pre-calculus and was also involved in math education research at SMU,” Hill explains.

“Travel started as something I genuinely enjoyed doing personally, but I quickly realized I loved the planning, problem-solving, and relationship-building aspects just as much as the travel itself. I started helping friends and family with trips, and it eventually became clear that there was a real business opportunity there.

“What ultimately convinced me to make the leap was realizing I could take skills I already had through my education background of organization, teaching, communication, problem-solving, and relationship building, and apply them to a job as a travel advisor. Jumping into starting a business was taking a leap of faith, but I felt like I was taking the skills I had spent years developing and putting them into a completely different industry.”

Coming from an entirely different background, Marlene Russell, founder, owner, and travel designer, Opulent World Travel LLC, describes her career-changing story.

“Before becoming a travel advisor, I spent many years in corporate America, where I developed a career centered on sales, leadership, strategic planning, project management, marketing, and business operations. I also earned my Master of Business Administration, Six Sigma Green Belt, and Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

“As I began thinking about my secondary career, I knew I wanted to continue serving others but also wanted to pursue something I genuinely enjoyed and was naturally gifted at. I had always enjoyed planning events, bringing people together, and managing the details required to create memorable experiences. In fact, I was preparing to launch an event planning business one year ago.

“Then one night, I woke up with a very clear vision and plan to start a travel agency.”

Skills That Translate to Travel

Certain skills from previous careers translate particularly well to running a travel business.

Brandi Vincent, owner and travel advisor, Principal Travel, LLC, who was a schoolteacher before entering the travel industry, says: “My teaching background has been incredibly valuable in running my travel business. It taught me patience, organization, communication, and how to listen carefully to each person’s needs. Just as every student learns differently, every client travels differently.

“I love educating my clients, explaining their options clearly, and giving them the confidence to enjoy new destinations and experiences. Teaching also strengthened my research, planning, and problem-solving skills—all of which help me create smooth, personalized vacations for my clients.”

For Russell with her corporate background, “Every aspect of my career has transferred into my travel business.”

From vision, leadership, ownership, business acumen, management, sales, to operational excellence—strategic planning, project management, attention to detail, organization, communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, vendor management, budgeting, finance, process improvement, and relationship management—she has found all to be extremely valuable in travel and business ownership.

Tapping Your Existing Network to Find Clients

Regardless of which industry a new travel advisor comes from, each one has a professional network they can tap into to begin building a database of travel clients.

For Vincent, being from a small town, relationships and trust meant everything. From her prior life as a schoolteacher, many of her clients already knew her personally or professionally before they trusted her with their travel, and those relationships led to repeat business and referrals.

As she explains, “One client may start with a Disney vacation, then come back for a cruise, anniversary trip, group vacation, or family getaway—and often refer friends and family along the way.”

And Hill relates that while her existing community connections were important, she has also grown a bigger network. “A large portion of our business has grown through relationships and referrals, particularly within our local community through our local chamber and networking groups. It has allowed us to build a reputation where clients aren’t just looking for someone to book a trip…they’re looking for someone they know, like, and trust.”

Understanding Misconceptions About Travel

Advisors who switch careers must also wrestle with understanding misconceptions they may have had about being a travel advisor before they entered the industry.

“I think my biggest misconception was that being a travel advisor was primarily about booking travel,” says Hill. “I quickly learned that the booking is actually a relatively small part of the job. I underestimated how much of running a travel business is actually running a business. Marketing, sales, finances, technology, supplier relationships, networking, client communication, and building a brand are all part of it.”

Similarly, Russell comments that, “I understood that becoming a travel advisor would require a significant investment of time, education, and industry knowledge. What I underestimated was the depth of that investment required to become a credible, knowledgeable, and trusted resource for my clients.”

She talks about how, as an independent travel advisor and business owner, there is always more to learn—from extensive destination knowledge and supplier training to travel policies, certifications, industry updates, and the many details that can ultimately impact a client’s experience.

And she notes that she underestimated the amount of work that happens behind the scenes to coordinate travel arrangements, particularly when working across multiple supplier and technology platforms.

Furthermore, she says that “the vast amount of time invested in learning the industry is happening simultaneously while building the business itself—developing the brand, cultivating clients and supplier relationships, marketing, managing operations and technology, and continually strengthening my expertise.”

Having Realistic Expectations

For someone entering travel as a second career, it is also important to have realistic expectations about what it takes to build a sustainable and profitable business, including how long it will be before they feel they have hit a flow of real momentum.

Vincent elaborates: “There is a huge learning curve when entering the travel industry as a second career. I had no idea just how many suppliers, destinations, systems, and moving parts there were until I got started! Building a sustainable business takes time, patience, continued education, strong relationships, and a willingness to keep learning. I’m still learning something new every single day.

“For me, it took about two years before I truly felt confident across the different areas of travel and felt like I had real momentum. You don’t have to know everything when you start, but you do have to be willing to put in the work, ask questions, build relationships, and continue educating yourself. The travel industry is constantly changing, and I think being a lifelong learner is one of the biggest keys to success.”

Niches That Bring Riches

Certain niches have proven to be more profitable for advisors. And sometimes the types of travel they end up selling most are not what they initially projected.

“Group travel has proven to be one of the most profitable areas of my business, which is different from what I originally expected,” relays Vincent.  “When I started, I thought Disney vacations would make up the majority of my business.

“However, being based in a small town has allowed me to build strong, personal relationships with my clients. Once they trust me with one vacation, they tend to come back and use me for all of their travel needs—from cruises and all-inclusive resorts to group trips, luxury vacations, and beyond. That repeat business and word-of-mouth has helped me grow Principal Travel into much more than I initially envisioned.”

Hill works heavily with busy families and couples, particularly in the Caribbean, cruises, and premium and luxury travel. She has also found groups can be an incredibly valuable part of her business.

“Initially, I probably thought the most profitable opportunities would simply be high-dollar individual vacations,” notes Hill. “Over time, I’ve learned that the combination of repeat clients, referrals, groups, and higher-end travel creates a much stronger and more sustainable business.”

And for Russell, the sweet spot is serving individuals and groups seeking elevated, bespoke travel experiences. “While individual travel has been a strong part of the business, group travel, both land and sea, is my strongest areas of business as initially anticipated,” she says. “This includes affinity groups, milestone celebrations, multigenerational travel, and groups looking to experience a destination or cruise together.

“As part of my growth strategy, I plan to expand further into river and expedition cruising, as well as once-in-a-lifetime journeys to lesser-known and hidden-gem destinations.”

Getting Support From the Start

Every advisor we spoke to talked about how critical it is to have a host agency or broader advisor network from the start.

Vincent sums it up: “My host agency and advisor network have been incredibly important to my success. In an industry with so many suppliers, destinations, systems, and constant changes, having a strong support network is invaluable. The training opportunities, supplier relationships, technology, and access to experienced advisors have helped me grow my knowledge and become more confident in serving my clients.”

She says that supplier trainings and relationships made an especially big difference. Being able to learn directly from the brands she sells, build relationships with BDMs, and have trusted contacts when questions or challenges arise allows her to provide a higher level of service to her clients.

“I’ve also learned that you don’t have to know everything—you need to know where to find the answer and have a network of people you can trust,” Vincent comments. “Connecting with other advisors, sharing experiences, asking questions, and learning from one another has been one of the most valuable parts of building my business.”

Sage Advice for Potential New Travel Advisors

Have you ever heard someone say, “I’d love to become a travel advisor, but I’m not sure I can make a real career out of it”?

Russellhas some sage advice for anyone currently working in another industry who is considering becoming a travel advisor.

First, don’t underestimate the value of the career you already have. If you’ve spent years working in education, healthcare, finance, corporate America, hospitality, project management, sales, or another profession, you’ve probably developed skills that can transfer directly into travel.

Second, the key is understanding that you’re not starting over. You’re starting from experience. Your previous career may have taught you how to communicate, manage people, solve problems, organize complex information, negotiate, build relationships, manage budgets, lead projects, or serve customers. Those are all valuable skills in the travel industry.

Third, be prepared to become an entrepreneur. You need to be willing to learn the travel industry, invest in education, understand the business model, develop relationships, market yourself, identify your ideal client, consistently build your pipeline, plus plan and grow your business.

Fourth, if you approach becoming a travel advisor and/or business owner as a real business—and not a hobby—you can create a meaningful second career.

And lastly, Russell says, “Sometimes your next chapter isn’t something you plan. Sometimes it’s something you discover.”

FROM THE SPONSOR:
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