Welcome back to The Travel Advisor Life!
In Episode 4, host Amy Westerman, Founder of Curated Travel Collection, asks an important question for anyone considering this career: Is becoming a travel advisor actually right for you?
Loving travel might be what first draws someone to the profession, but loving travel alone isn’t enough. Enjoying your own vacations and creating meaningful travel experiences for other people are two very different things. At its core, travel advising is less about places and more about people, relationships, service, and building a real business.
Drawing from 27 years in the industry, Amy shares the three questions she uses to identify people who are likely to thrive: Do you genuinely enjoy taking care of people, even when it’s inconvenient? Are you willing to treat this like a real business from day one? And are you willing to become part of a community rather than trying to figure everything out alone?
In This Episode:
[00:01] Is becoming a travel advisor right for you?
[00:51] What separates advisors who last
[01:41] Making the right decision for your life
[02:28] Loving travel isn’t enough
[03:20] Your clients won’t always travel like you
[04:02] Question #1: Do you genuinely enjoy taking care of people?
[04:58] Service, details & the unexpected
[05:45] When taking care of people energizes you
[06:35] Question #2: Will you treat it like a real business?
[07:29] Building something real
[08:17] Why some advisors struggle
[09:29] Question #3: Are you willing to be part of a community?
[10:17] Showing up matters
[11:23] You don’t have to know everything
[12:19] This industry runs on relationships
[13:13] The three qualities that matter most
[14:12] What’s NOT on the list
[15:09] What training can’t easily teach you
[15:59] When your life experience becomes your strength
[16:56] The strength she didn’t know she had
[17:58] Ask yourself these three questions honestly
[18:49] Explore what’s possible
Why This Matters
Loving travel can spark your interest, but passion for destinations isn’t what determines whether you’ll build a lasting business. The profession is deeply rooted in people: remembering their preferences, helping when plans change, and sometimes solving problems that weren’t your fault. It also means treating your work as a business—you don’t have to begin full time, but you do need to approach it with intention. And you don’t have to build it alone: community, coaching, and mentorship are some of the most important ingredients for sustainable growth.
Action Steps for Listeners
- Ask yourself honestly: Do I enjoy taking care of people even when it’s inconvenient?
- Am I willing to treat this like a real business instead of something I’m casually trying?
- Am I open to building inside a community instead of figuring everything out alone?
- Consider the skills you’ve developed outside travel: communication, organization, relationship-building, follow-up, attention to detail.
- Don’t assume that lacking a traditional business or sales background disqualifies you.
- If your honest answer to all three questions is yes, explore the profession more seriously.
Resources & Links
Curious about what life as a travel advisor could look like? Learn more at https://curatedtravelprofessionals.com
Curated Travel Collection
https://curatedtravelcollection.com
Subscribe & Stay Connected
If you enjoyed this episode, follow The Travel Advisor Life so you don’t miss what’s next. And if you know someone who’s been wondering whether this career might be right for them, share this episode and encourage them to ask themselves Amy’s three questions.
Remember: Travel is simply the vehicle. The life you build is the destination.
