Hawaii On Your Own vs Through a Travel Advisor
Last week, I shared some thoughts about why you shouldn’t book a trip like the Rocky Mountaineer by yourself. This week – let’s look at a trip to Hawaii.
I’ve often wondered why knowledgeable consumers don’t hire a travel advisor to work on their travel plans.
To me, it’s an easy choice to borrow someone’s expertise, rather than build it yourself. If you hire someone to help with your finances, you should hire someone to help with your travel. When you partner with an expert in the travel details, you can be the expert on your trip – and – let the travel detail expert handle the rest. As your travel advisor, I can help with your decision-making, and provide extras that you cannot get on your own.
As a travel advisor, I have more tools at my fingertips than “Google.”
I have earned my expertise. I’ve invested time and money to build my skills and knowledge over 17 years in travel (and 20 years in financial risk management before that). As Malcolm Gladwell says, I’ve put in my 10,000+ hours. Most consumers only see the tip of a travel advisor’s ‘work iceberg’. But there’s so much going on beneath the surface with my work.
I safeguard a client’s investment in their travel, and help them protect their life experiences and memories. I act as my client’s fiduciary. I have insider knowledge about the islands, travelling between them, current entry requirements (that have been changing constantly), hotelier partners, and more. I also know how the hotels and tour partners have weathered the CoVid storm, and which of the higher-end hotels provide the best value, experiences, beach-time, best location, best food, best service, etc. Want to consider a cruise, we can discuss small catamaran excursions to 7-day trips around the islands.
I have also been to most of the destinations I recommend – so I have destination expertise that Google does not. And yes, I’ve been to Hawaii many times. I can share my experiences on the different islands, and help you discover why you want to go to Hawaii, and what kind of experiences you want to have.
I have met most of my travel supplier partners with whom I work face-to-face- so I have built relationships, and have established trust that Google does not. I know my luxury hotelier partners, and can call up my friends at the Four Seasons, etc., to help VIP you. Want to consider a villa, I can help you there too, and ensure we’re dealing with a vetted and trusted supplier.
I have partnered with travel suppliers to create clients’ trips and lifetime memories – so I have met many of the guides who offer and curate my clients’ quality experiences that Google does not. I can share my experiences of what I believe to be the best luau, maybe share some thoughts about self-drives versus helicopter tours, some thoughts on best waterfalls and best restaurants, hotels with your own pools, beach beaches for kids or for surfing, advantages of renting a car vs cabs vs ubers, which whale-watching tours are the most eco-friendly and sustainable, where to find the best black sand beaches or pineapple tours, how to create a celebrity home tour or maybe trace the steps of a favourite Hawaii TV show, where to swim in the sacred pools, and more.
I have established myself in the travel industry with my dedication and commitment – so my sales metrics have earned access to client experiences that Google cannot find, nor book. And there are lots of hidden experiences in Hawaii. Maybe you might want private helicopter transfers to Lanai to do a private wellbeing vacation, or do a Four Seasons hotelier tour of the islands – or more. (Of course, the magic comes when we start to plan.)
I have earned high quality, and validated client testimonials – so I can deliver, and be accountable for the promises made, that Google does not.
Travel is not my hobby. Travel is my business, but it is also my passion. You can leverage my expertise and connections to travel better yourself.
Contact me to arrange a bucket list travel consultation.