One Advisor’s Journey to Making Travel Accessible for All Families

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a 49-year-old woman and her 77-year-old mother – both of whom had never been on a vacation in their lives – contacted Paul Graham, owner of Wish List Travel, to book their first trip. 

They didn’t have much money to spend, so they took advantage when cruise lines offered cheap rates upon resuming sailings in 2021-22. Graham sent the mother-daughter duo on a Carnival cruise, and they had a blast. Months later, when the mother contracted COVID and passed away, the daughter made sure to call Graham and thank him, saying “I’ll have those memories for the rest of my life.” 

Stories like these – and he has several – are the foundation of Wish List Travel. In another instance, Graham booked a Disney trip for a family of eight who had just finished their adoption process but only had $4,000 to spend. With an Airbnb stay and half-day park tickets, he made it happen. 

Whether handling budgets constraint or the needs of neurodivergent clients, Graham has a can-do attitude about making travel memories for all. He is a Certified Autism Travel Professional (CATP) who tailors trips to people’s specific needs, relishing the challenge and reward of it all. 

“I have a lot of clients that have never gone on a vacation because they don’t think they can afford it, or they don’t know how to plan it,” Graham told Travel Market Report. “So when they come back and say, ‘I had the best time; these are memories I will have for the rest of my life,’ how do you not be excited about being a travel advisor? That’s really what drives me.” 

Making a Purposeful Career Change 

Like many in the industry, the need for a career change – and desire to help people – is what drove Graham to become a travel advisor. He formerly worked for an Arkansas Secretary of State but was seeking more job security when it was suggested that he try becoming a travel advisor. 

In the past, Graham helped book Disney trips for friends and had positive experiences as a substitute teacher while earning his master’s degree, with students whose parents said he understood them in ways other educators didn’t. He and his wife also knew the challenges of planning vacations for them and their four adopted children – but also the importance of taking those trips anyway to create positive memories and family bonds. As it turned out, his new career would combine all this life experience. 

After much research on this new career that he previously didn’t know was possible, Graham launched Wish List Travel in 2018. The first certification he received was to become a Disney travel specialist, and he spent the first two years focused on general family travel. Since he himself has adopted children, he has helped other families in similar situations plan trips, especially to Disney. 

“Disney is awesome when you have adopted children; it helps with that bond with the family,” he said, “especially when you consider the abuse they went through before they were adopted. It creates good memories to replace those bad ones.” 

It wasn’t until 2020 that he realized he could also help make travel easier for people with autism and other disabilities – when a friend with M.S. remarked that “no travel advisors know how to help those with disability.” 

So Graham earned his certification in autism travel, and since then has dedicated himself to helping people break down what they see as barriers to vacationing.  

Championing Travelers with Autism 

When receiving his autism travel certification, the courses emphasized that everyone deserves to travel. This message hit home for Graham, and he’s run with it. 

The first trip he booked in this vein was a family trip to Beaches Ochi. The parents of the child with autism were able to have alone time – for the first time without their child – because of the resort’s caretaker program. 

“You have to plan it, not just for the person who is on the spectrum, but also for the family members, so they can enjoy it, too,” he said. “Because they need a break also, and a lot of times, they don’t take a vacation because it’s the same situation that they’re at home, where they’re having to take care of that individual.” 

Another tip he has for booking autism travel: Don’t assume what a client needs based on the diagnosis. Two people with the same diagnosis can still have different needs. It’s best to ask the right questions, such as about sensory or emotional triggers. 

“Each client is different. We already know that in general. But a lot of times when we see someone with a disability or autism, we think ‘well, this is what they need,’ when that may not be exactly what they need,” he said. 

For example, in one case, he sent special links to a family’s children with autism so that they could book Disney Park tickets themselves and feel that they were part of the planning process because he recognized their autonomy was important to them enjoying the trip. 

“I love that challenge to help them experience that,” he said, “because we all know how important it is to create those memories with your family.”   

Graham renews his credentials as a CATP every two years. He also stays involved with the local neurodivergent community in his town, keeping him connected with the population he serves, which in turn helps him do his job well. People will sometimes recommend travel providers that were not previously on his radar. He said suppliers such as Beaches Resorts and Royal Caribbean have high-quality autism programs, among many others, which can be found on autismtravel.com.