Ep. 57 - The Elevate Your Escapes Conversation with Eleanor

Luxury travel has a new meaning, and it’s not crystal chandeliers or dressing up for dinner. It’s having the freedom to be yourself, the flexibility to pivot when plans change, and a trusted expert who handles the details so you can actually enjoy the trip you paid for. That’s why we sat down with Eleanor, founder of Elevate Your Escapes, to talk about how she turned a love of travel into a real travel planning business built on curiosity, creativity, and client-first service. 

We get into the origin story, from early trips and a nerve-wracking leap into a group travel company to the moment she realized people were already treating her like their go-to travel advisor. Eleanor breaks down what it takes to make things official, including why host agencies matter, how supplier training works, and what the “not glamorous” side of the travel industry looks like day to day. If you’ve ever wondered what a travel consultant actually does, or whether a travel agent can help you save time and money, her answers are refreshingly specific. 

Then we zoom out to trends shaping travel right now: modern luxury travel focused on comfort and personalization, river cruises gaining popularity, and destinations heating up beyond the usual classics. Eleanor shares how she designs deeply personalized itineraries, where travelers go wrong by cramming too much into one week, and how to choose smarter splurge moments like a catamaran day in Santorini or a once-in-a-lifetime dinner you’ll never forget. We also talk rising spots like Sardinia, Croatia, Norway, and Albania, plus why Greece still tops her list. 

If you’re planning your next vacation, subscribe for more conversations like this, share this episode with your favorite travel buddy, and leave a review so more listeners can find us. Where are you dreaming of going next?

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Transcript

Passion Montage And Purpose

0:09

Everyday people following their passions. That's probably like like one of the highlights of my life so far. Just being able to be creative like that. Something I've always wanted. And then I decided to get another hive, and that turned into a lot of hives. As long as I can do that, I want to be a good citizen. Help people out. Putting themselves out there, taking chances, and navigating challenges along the way. I I absolutely identified with having stage right because, you know, anytime I went on stage, I just felt like I was having a heart attack. Very first laugh, very first practice session, I crashed, turned the car upside down, made a spectacle of myself, and I got back on that horse and started riding again. As they pursue what makes them happy and brings them joy. As long as people are having a good time and I have the opportunity to put smiles on people's faces. I I love what I do. I have done things that I never thought I could do. To have somebody tell me how real it looks and how, you know, from their actual memory. Because that's telling me I captured what I was trying to get.

Helen’s Travel Loving Setup

1:24

Welcome to a started conversations. I'm your host, Helen. Hello and thanks for listening. Don't forget, hit subscribe or follow wherever you're listening to this podcast now so you don't miss any of the great conversations coming up. Now, if you've listened to any of the travel-themed episodes, you already know how much I love to travel. If it were free, nobody would ever see me again because I'd be off exploring. This week I got to sit down with someone who has the same passion for travel and was always considered the go-to person in her friend group for planning vacations. She began to blog about all of her travel adventures, and that blog was the stepping stone for her to create a career and a business for herself in the travel industry. Buckle up, grab your passport, listen to this week's episode, and I'll see you on the other side.

Eleanor’s Curiosity Becomes Travel

3:05

She took her love of travel, planning, and connection, then built a company focused on making every getaway seamless, meaningful, and stress-free. I am so excited to welcome Eleanor to Assorted Conversations. Hi, Eleanor. Hi, thanks so much for having me. Oh, thanks for being here. How are you? I am great. We're about to kick off summer, and I just can't wait to get out there and travel some more. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. I am right there with you. Travel is one of my life passions. So I have uh lots of questions for you about elevate your escapes. But let's start out with how did your passion for travel start? I think I'm just a naturally curious person. And I grew up in New York City. So I had the opportunity to get to know so many people from different cultures and learn about their traditions, their holidays, taste food, and in restaurants as well. So I think I really took that and wanted to then see the world and you know, visit as many countries as possible or that interest me. Um and then I I really started traveling a lot in 2019. I went on a few trips and I I always think the more you travel and the more you talk to people about travel, the more you're going to want to travel. Because when you meet people who have been to really cool destinations, it sounds amazing and you want to go for yourself. So that's absolutely what happened with me. I took trips to Portugal, London, and then Costa Rica at the end of 2019. And that was my first solo trip. After that, I was absolutely hooked and just ready to get out there and see and do as much as possible. Oh, that's fantastic. Interesting. Solo travel. And I interviewed a woman who basically quit her corporate gig and is now traveling the world. And she does it solo. And that's something I have not done a solo vacation. So that's interesting. Did you do all three of those trips solo? No. So the trip to Portugal, I went with two girlfriends who are actually pretty well traveled because they went straight into a graduate program after college. So they still had summers off. And, you know, we're getting out there and seeing and doing as as much as possible before joining the corporate world, which I did straight out of college. So I did study abroad in college, actually, but I I don't think I appreciated it the way that I appreciate travel now. So, you know, that that really wasn't a turning point in my love of travel. Um, and then I went to London with my mom. And for Costa Rica, I actually found a group travel company for young adults ages 21 to 35. And I was so nervous about it. I didn't know the company. I didn't know anyone going on the trip. You get a random roommate. And I sat there and I read hundreds of reviews and everything that I could possibly find on this company online, which, which looking back, I'm just kind of, I think is is silly, but you know, is really taking the the first step. And I didn't know even that companies like that existed. They're becoming more and more popular now. But, you know, this was this was still a time where meeting strangers on the internet wasn't wasn't what we did. Right. So I yeah, I took the leap. I I had this really strong urge to see the world and do more, but I always felt like I was wasting time trying to convince my friends to take these trips with me. And, you know, everybody's schedule is different, everybody's budget is different, and it was just becoming really challenging. So when I found this opportunity, I I took that leap, but I'm so glad I did because I also met amazing people on that trip that I'm still friends with and still travel with today. Oh, that's great. Yeah, I had no idea companies like that existed. It's it's funny, yeah you're you're younger than I am, but even at my age, after going through a divorce and having disposable income to be able to go travel, it was really difficult because not all my friends had the same freedom that I did. So I wish I had known that there were companies like that. And I probably would have done the exact same thing you did is research, research, research, and read because at that point in time I was also on dating apps. So, you know, meeting meeting strangers on the internet still isn't something I'd recommend. But that is so fascinating. So did you do the bulk of your travel after that through agencies like that? Or is that when you decided to, you know, go solo on your own?

Taking The Leap With Group Travel

8:13

Yes and no. I had such an amazing time on that trip that I then went on about 10 other trips with the same company. I always added a little bit of like solo, solo time, like, you know, being on my own before or after the trip just to extend it. And that's what I did on the Costa Rica trip. After the group portion had ended, I rented a car and drove across across the entire country of Costa Rica to the other side and just, you know, wanted to experience a a very different area than we had been in as a group. So I started doing combo trips like that. And then as I, you know, started jumping into all of these things, people would ask me, friends, acquaintances, connections, like how I was doing this. And then, you know, some came with me, some also joined companies like that. And that's actually something that I do with my company now too. I host group trips. So I took my first land-based group trip to Cuba in November with a few ladies. It actually wasn't intended to be a girls' trip, but as I started seeing the registrations come in and it was all women, I decided, you know what, this is just gonna be a girls' adventure. And we had an amazing time. It was, it was so incredible. I worked with a local tour operator in Cuba who I had been following for quite a few years before I actually took that leap and messaged her and said, let's do something together. And then I also host group trips on Virgin Voyages cruises, which is a lot of fun for really anyone. And everybody who attends can kind of choose their own adventure. They don't have to stay with the group the entire time. They can pursue different excursions or onboard activities or really whatever they want throughout their voyage. There are group fitness classes, there are fun trivia games, pool time, things like that. But then there's also, you know, the party side. So it really does work out for, you know, whatever the attendees are looking for. So I think that's also a lot of fun because it it adds to the flexibility of the trip. Right. And that's one thing I've always loved about cruises. You can go with a big group of people, you can go with one other person. You could go by yourself. And no matter, no matter what uh large group, small group, there's always something for folks to do. A couple people will go to the casino while others just want to lay by the pool, and and others may want to go take a sushi making class. And that's one of the things I've loved about cruises. I want to, I want to go back a little bit to, you know, you doing a lot of your solo travel, getting that experience through that travel company, and obviously, you know, getting bit by the travel bug. At what point did you start to consider something like elevate your escapes coming into your life?

Starting Elevate Your Escapes

11:16

Yeah, it it really was 2023 when I started, but before that, I had sat on the idea of starting a travel blog for a few years. Actually, the idea came to me when I was in London and having such a good time. And one, I'm an entrepreneurial person, but two, I'm also a very creative person. So I always have to be kind of following a passion project at any given time. So I actually started something in 2019 when I got back from London. And I realized that it was just a lot of work. And I kind of said, okay, well, why am I doing this? Like I want to share like my fun travel tips and photos and stuff, but you know, I don't need to make it into this perfect blog. Also, that's, you know, out there on the internet, right? So in 2023, I got to a point where a few things were happening at the same time. One, I was, I was traveling so, so much. And my job went remote after the pandemic, and I was just kind of picking my laptop up and going. And I loved that. So I started seeing so many different places, and I became the traveler known in my circles. And, you know, people were giving their information out to family members to like contact me for travel tips and things without my permission too. Um, but you know, I had all these people messaging me, asking me for tips, asking me how I started going on these trips, how they could do it, how I afforded to do it, right? Because I, you know, I'm still in my 20s and budget is not unlimited. So that was that was a big question too. And people were asking to come on trips with me. And wow, you know, I I could invite people along, but I also kind of like my solo thing. I like a mix. So I had this idea after I brought a few friends on board with me on virgin, virgin voyages. It's absolutely my favorite travel experience, my favorite brand right now. Um, so it's such a good time. And this was the second trip that I did in which I brought friends and they all had an amazing time. They were all ready to plan their next one. And I I kind of started thinking about well, maybe I should monetize this and maybe I should just see where this goes. My full-time job, the time was really slow. I was very project-based, and it was the summer, actually. Nope. Nope, it was a little bit before the summer, but during the summer, I really had the time to get things moving. And to be completely honest with you, I never ever imagined that I would take my business full time. I would not have believed you if you told me, you know, I'd be where I am today, because it really was just a passion project. So as I went on, I would get excited when people would reach out to me for, you know, real, real bookings, right? Real business. And it was, it was just the excitement of talking to more clients and building my book of business versus the money. So, you know, I kind of got addicted to it a little bit. And I was just enjoying it so much because it's something that I love doing for myself. So I loved doing it for others. After some time, then, you know, I realized, oh, this is real business and it's snowballing. So, you know, I've had moments along the way where I've also told myself, you know, you need to slow down. I mean, I've come back to that point a few times, but I'm just so happy about, you know, where where everything has taken me and how my business has evolved since I started. Right, right. Wow. So that's amazing. It started with a blog and then word of mouth referrals from folks, and then you just jumping in.

Making It Official With A Host

15:04

When did you make it official and how did you go about that? Like, did you you mentioned virgin, virgin voyages or, you know, did was there training involved to become, you know, an agent that specialized in their excursions and in their experiences? Sure. So when agents start a new business, most will join what's called a host agency. And the host agency has these relationships with different travel suppliers, like Virgin Voyages and, you know, all the cruise lines you see ads for on TV. We have land partners, insurance companies. Like we have amazing connections all over the world. And, you know, the host agency really matters. So I took the time and I did my research. And again, being very entrepreneurial, I was very strategic about the way in which I was building my business. Now, of course, I made mistakes and there were things that I didn't build early on. Again, because this was just kind of a passion project at the time that I absolutely should have, but didn't and learned later. And, you know, I spent a lot of time going back to fix. But, you know, I have these amazing relationships and partnerships because of my host agency. Now Elevator Escapes is my own company. It is, you know, an LLC, but I have, you know, the the connections to suppliers and lots of back-end support from the agency as well. Is so Virgin Voyages is your host agency? No. Uh my host agency is called Outside Agents, but you know, it's not something that is really so hands-wide. Yeah, right. Right. Because I, my own independent business. I'm an independent consultant and I do own my own LLC and everything filters through me. So it's a little bit your escapes. But Virgin Voyages is a supplier partner. And I know you asked about training. They do provide training for people who are looking to sell the brand, but everybody has to be, you know, like a certified, if you will, agent through one way or another, many coming from host agencies. Gotcha. Gotcha. Yeah, I was gonna say it seems pretty daunting to just, you know, with great travel experience, a passion for travel, and all of this word of mouth. I'm like, there has to be something a little more structured behind that to help navigate the, I want to say, not so glamorous side of travel planning. So

The Unseen Work Behind Glamour

17:42

Right. Well, I'm I'm glad you recognize that and you brought that up because a lot of people just see the glamour and the excitement, right? They see me traveling all over the world. But what they don't see is me in the conference room from nine to five, learning and listening to supplier presentations and networking and all of that. You know, there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes. And it's it's been a little bit of a rough road too, because I did start my business when I had a full-time job and I was really working around the clock. I still sometimes, to be honest. And even when I'm traveling, I think my friends don't realize how much I work and how important being connected is because I am in client service, right? So not everything is an emergency, but some things are timely. And I always strive to provide the best service to my clients. So even when I'm traveling, like I'm back in, if I'm on a ship in my cabin or room or whatever, answering emails late at night or waking up before my friends or before a conference or something earlier in the morning so that I can get to emails or or tasks before I start the day. So there really is a lot behind it. And I think in travel in particular, we're starting to see some host agencies pop up that have really great marketing, attracting, especially a younger person. You know, Gen Z is all about the side hustles and you know, so are early millennials because life is expensive. Um, they're kind of promising this build a business as like a side hustle type of thing. And I, you know, I could tell everybody travel is not a side hustle unless you have two or three clients because there's there's always something new happening in the world, you know, with airfare and fuel prices and the new Europe entry-exit system. Like, if you're a professional, you really need to stay on top of that kind of stuff. And yes, you can do it on the side while you are working a full-time job, which I did, but it it definitely is a much larger lift than you know, a lot of these pop-up host agencies or MLM type companies are marketing. Years ago, back when I was in my 20s, you know, eons ago, when the dinosaurs roamed the world, I looked at do becoming a travel agent as a side hustle. And when I looked at, I don't even know if Saber is still the system of use, but you had to learn the Saber system. This is back when there were paper airline tickets, different things like that. And I went, yeah, it just seems like an awful lot of work for very little, very little bang for your buck. And and it wasn't that I was going to start my own travel agency. It was maybe I'd, you know, work part-time for Garber travel or, you know, one of the one of the chain travel agencies that I could do, maybe a couple nights and a weekend day and just a little extra pocket cash. And I went, oh, way too much, way too much for me. It is. Yeah, there's a lot of back-end work, but with that, there's also a lot of responsibility, right? Because if you enter in a date or a time or whatever it is wrong, you're on the hook for that, right? Oh, yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah. So I think I'll, you know, it's it's not as widely known, but uh, there is a very strong level of professionalism that comes with being a very successful business owner. And I think there's there's a lot of people who start out that then never continue, which is unfortunate. You know, it's it's nice that they are trying, but you know, I think there needs to be more preparation uh and learning and growth before taking the first steps. Yeah. There's an awful lot to learn and an awful lot to do. Especially, I mean, you're in you're you're in client facing services, you're also in hospitality. And when people are talking about going on vacation, are planning to go on vacation to the level that you provide. That white glove service, I can only imagine the expectations become that much higher and harder, especially if something, you know, something happens outside of your control. I mean, I can think of the TSA lines and and you know the high cost of fuel now and how that might, you know, be affecting travel. What are some of the, what are some of the current challenges that you're dealing with outside of those things?

When Plans Change Mid Trip

22:32

Yeah, I think with travel, there's there's always things that can and will pop up, right? And you just described a few situations, you know, traffic, flat tires, and things like that happen. I mean, I had one situation a few months ago where I booked a group on a cruise, and I also booked them on a private experience, a private tour of the area after the cruise. So the tour was meant to pick them up at the port. Now, the cruise line then let us know that the ship was going to operate out of a different pier. And that is very common in cruises because also the cruise line doesn't have any say over where the port puts them or allocates them, right? Because there are so many different ships coming in of different sizes. Also, things change with weather or customs or whatever. And sometimes ships don't go to the port that they were intended to go to. But the private tour that we had organized was meant to pick up the group in golf carts. And the golf carts then couldn't get to this second pier. So, you know, this is this was a great learning for me because it's it's never something that I thought about. It was not something that even my tour operator on the ground ever considered. And I really rely on the tour operators to, you know, be more flexible. And he was, however, he was then incurring a separate cost because he had to hire then a van to bring the passengers from this pier to the downtown area where they were always meant to disembark. So that was probably my biggest learning. But I think flexibility really matters. It matters across the board because things are going to change. I have been so lucky that for the most part, my clients are really nice, very excited people because they're gonna go on an amazing vacation. And I will say, if I am talking to somebody and I pick up weird vibes or, you know, it that our personalities are a little bit different in a way that I can't service them the way that I do service them or service my clients, then I will decide not to to work with someone just as much as I would hope that they would feel the same to not hire me if they don't feel as though I'm a good vibe fit for them. So, you know, there's there's always this level of flexibility, and we we have to also like remember that as we go through our travel. As much as possible, we try to provide absolutely seamless experiences. And I have the right contacts on the ground that when something does change, like that peer changes, we're gonna find the plan B and we're going to get you where you want to be and get you on the tour you signed up for. But we might have to send a minivan instead of a golf cart. Right, right, yeah. No, that's that's good. And and I like that, you know, you're screening your potential clients as much as you hope they're screening you. Because I do think, you know, to have a memorable experience, one of the criteria has to be you've got to be a good listener to hear what's important to me and sometimes even read between the lines so that I get that extra, oh my God, what a fantastic experience. Let's talk about some of the fun stuff. And I know it's not all fun. I did business travel for years, and if I had a dime for every time I heard, oh, you're so lucky, you get to travel everywhere. It's like you don't understand. Right. Business travel and vacation travel, two completely different animals that yeah, I I do get to see places, but I really don't get to see them. I see them from the inside of a convention hall or a hotel room. Right now, what are you seeing as the hottest trends in travel, given the economy and everything else that's

Travel Trends Redefining Luxury

27:00

going on? What are the hot trends? So luxury travel is growing. And the word luxury means something different to everybody, but we are seeing people, and I'll sort of say Americans, because I live in the US, we live in the US, and I'm servicing mostly American travelers. So Americans are still very much traveling despite the costs. Now, there is some hesitation, and I've definitely seen that over the last two years. You know, when we start to see some uncertainty or costs rising, we see people being a little bit more hesitant around booking something further in advance. But once things level out a little bit, and I don't know if I can even say that things have leveled out more recently, but to some extent, once we're feeling a little bit more comfortable, then we see people booking and traveling. We're also seeing this idea of luxury and these luxury cruise lines, for example, you know, they're they're not as posh as they used to be. And that is not what people are looking for anymore. In the past, people would think, oh, luxury is crystal chandelier, it's dressing up for dinner, formal night, captain's dinner, all of that. And that is not what people are looking for anywhere. They are looking for flexibility and to be themselves. And if that means, you know, they've been out on an excursion all day in Alaska and, you know, they powered through some rain and got dirty and, you know, did whatever, and they just want to have a chill dinner. Well, they can go back and hopefully shower and change, hopefully. But, you know, they can go to dinner and what they are comfortable wearing. They don't have to go put on a gown to go to dinner. And we're seeing some of even the higher end cruise lines uh pull back on their dress codes based on client feedback. And that's actually something that has changed on one cruise line, Regent Seven Seas cruises in the last year because I was on Regent last May and we did have a dress code. And now it has relaxed very much so because you know, people really want that flexibility. And then also to a lot of people, luxury means, you know, having a more personalized, more relaxing experience. They don't need to be weighted on hand and foot with butler service, but they want to know that there is somebody either on the cruise line or at the resort that they can go to to ask for what they might need. So for some people, it's just the luxury of not having to cook dinner for themselves and not having to clean up after their dinner that they're just really excited to go to the dining hall and be served. So, you know, we're definitely seeing luxury travel on the rise. We are also seeing river cruises rise, which is exciting for me because I'm definitely not the current demo for river cruises, but I really enjoy them. Yeah, I really enjoy them and I think they're just an awesome way to travel and see multiple places without having to pack and repack and get on trains and all of that, which is a lot of the type of travel that I have done over the last several years, but it's exhausting. So, you know, if you can calmly sail down a river and see, you know, these really small towns that you probably would not have seen otherwise. But then you also see the the bigger highlight cities like Vienna and Budapest and Paris and Amsterdam. It's I I think it's an amazing way to travel. And we're seeing current river cruise lines expanding on the waterways, Avalon waterways. And then we're seeing newcomers in the space like Celebrity, known for their ocean cruises, now coming to the river. So there's probably going to be a lot of ships on the European rivers, but also the Mekong and Vietnam, the I forget the name of the river in Colombia, but that's starting to become popular as well. And there are also, which I didn't fully realize until recently, river cruises within the US, the Colombian Snake River and the Mississippi River. And those are gaining in popularity too, because there are some people who just want to stay in the U.S. or closer to home or, you know, for whatever reason can't get out there and take a 10-hour flight to another destination. So we're seeing those grow as well. Yeah. I I was most familiar with Viking River Cruises. As a matter of fact, I interviewed with them years ago to do customer service training here in Boston. And I looked at some of the some of the uh cruises that they offered. And if I had gotten a job, I would have qualified for two free river cruises a year for training purposes. So I definitely have my fingers crossed for that one. But it didn't work out. And at the time they were talking about, and I think they did, I don't know if the pandemic affected them, but I think they did get into the ocean cruise side of things because they actually started as the river, river cruises. They did, yes. And Viking is a major player in the space. But what I think is interesting is there are so many newer companies popping up to now compete with a Viking that's always really had that market share and just being known for the river. And there are some lines too that are shaping up to cater to a younger or more active audience. Um, a line like Emerald Avalon now has adventure guides on all of their ships doing biking and hiking and a lot of things I don't care to do on vacation. But people that sounds like work to me. Yeah, active people do like to do. I like to do it on my own, on my own time. Yeah, with my own uh level of energy, right? Because if I don't want to do the full hike, I'm not gonna do the full hike. Maybe I'll get halfway and decide that the view is enough and and come back. But there's there's a lot of exciting things happening. So I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what's what's gonna have been in the space over the next couple of years. Yeah, I uh I you know I was I was pretty surprised by the new definition of luxury travel because for me, luxury travel, I'm picturing chartering a yacht like what I watch on below deck. To me, that's a luxury travel. But, you know, I really like the new definition of luxury travel. And it really is a luxury to have a point person to take care of the little details, especially if the little details don't fall into place. That's, you know, it's aggravating in real life when things don't go according to the plan. I feel like I lose time when it happens, you know, on vacation. I don't get upset about it because I'm on vacation. So, you know, things could be a lot worse, but it is nice to know that there is somebody there and that it is a luxury to have somebody that can smooth those rough edges out for you. Sure. Yeah, there's a lot of things that travelers don't realize will pop up along the way. And even when I get out there and travel on my own, you know, especially in new destinations, you don't think about how long point A to point B is going to take. And, you know, you might misjudge how the subway works or metro works in any particular city if if that's what you're doing. Right. Um, so yeah, so I help a lot in the planning process from all the way to from the start, like where are you going and how what's your mode of transportation? How are you going to do that, all the way through those, those little details.

Designing Personalized Wow Moments

34:48

But my favorite part, and I think where I do provide the most value is the destination expertise. I have been a lot of places and still even invest in traveling to places or uh with suppliers, cruise lines, et cetera, that I am not personally interested in, but I know my clients are or will be. So, you know, it's it's just that feeling of, you know, where you're not super sure about any particular destination you're going to, and then you have someone there to talk to you about what it's like to be there, how you do get around if you are moving independently. Because I will say, not everybody books that package tour. Right. Or not everybody hires me for services pre-cruise, post-cruise, or pre-river cruise or pre-package or, you know, whatever it is. And I try to lean in as much as possible that makes sense, but some things are just, you know, kind of out of scope. But I do help clients then, you know, create their own more DIY itineraries, which are more budget-friendly for some travelers. Yeah. And I talk to them what it's like to be in different cities, how you can navigate around the cities, what my favorite highlights, sites, restaurants, bars are. So, you know, there's a lot that goes into that. And I'm so passionate about it. I like to think of this example. I was in Paris a few more than a few years ago, and I learned on a walking tour from my guide about how to take the river evening cruise along this end, how to take it the just the right time to experience daylight and nighttime, to turn around Notre Dame with the sunset behind it. And, you know, that's that's something you maybe, if you're really digging, can find in thread or trip advisor, whatever. But that's something that most people know or, you know, would be able to plan for. So it's those special moments and those special tips from my personal experiences that I love to weave into my client itineraries to make it truly special for them. Yeah. And I was gonna ask, how do you design travel experiences that feel exclusive and deeply personalized for each one of your clients? Because I'm assuming they can't all want the same experience. No, they don't. Every everybody's different. I work with destination management companies that are experts in their given destinations, right? So some only service particular cities and some service countries, some service multiple countries, but usually not too many. And they have access to all of the people on the ground and these experiences that you're not going to see when you're searching online. So, for example, um I know you mentioned uh yacht charter. I've actually done that and I've helped clients plan for that. I work with a company called Via Croatia, and they have set up a picnic with a Michelin-starred chef at a national park. They've set up personal oyster tastings on a oyster farm that you have to take a private boat to. And that those are just some examples of these really curated experiences that you can't find on your own. And you know what? They sound expensive and they are. Um, but you know, I also work with some clients who aren't maybe looking for an entire luxury trip, but they need a special moment or day to be um really special because of an anniversary or a proposal, or it's their honeymoon and they really want to invest in like one particular day. So, you know, I do work with clients with budgets of, I don't want to say all, but a lot of types. So, you know, I really try not to discourage people from reaching out to see how we can work together because I think sometimes the word luxury, you know, really can can deter people from reaching out, right? Even sometimes when I look at these ultra-luxury destination management company or suppliers that I partner with, I'm like, whoa, I know the price tag on that and what that's going to be. But it really can be more flexible. And like I mentioned, you know, we can plan for one specific, very special moment. And then maybe the rest of your trip is DIY or um piece together in a in a more of a budget. And then I also like to help my clients figure out where to splurge and where to save. And that's how I travel personally. And, you know, with my budget growing in, you know, being a business investment, I do tend to splurge a little bit more than I used to. But I remember what it's like to travel on a very tight budget. And still, you know, I look for hotels in Europe that cater to solo travelers and have, you know, very small rooms with one twin bed. And a lot of times that's fine for me because I would rather splurge on a foodie experience or a cool tour. Whereas on the other side, if I am going to a resort and spend all of my time at that one resort, I'm gonna want a really nice resort and that's what I'm going to invest in. And then maybe I take the bus to the airport to get there. So, you know, there are a lot of ways to save and splurge within particular itinerary, and that's what I help people do. Oh, I think that's amazing, especially now, you know, with the economy being what it is, the uncertainty that's out there for what the future holds for us, you know, as a country, let alone as individuals and as families. I think that is huge. And I'll be honest with you, the last place I would think a travel agent could help me would be to save money. So that is that's actually really refreshing to find that out. I do. And and I know how to navigate things to find better pricing. I also, for cruises in particular, almost always have a deal that is better than booking yourself online. So it it really is very advantageous for clients to at least see what I can offer them at any given time because especially for cruises, I have lots of very close partnerships with the different lines, but I also am part of preferred networks. So we talked a little bit about my host agency, but I'm part of preferred and exclusive groups based on my sales volume, but also, you know, I've I've been recognized by suppliers for being a good partner to them and servicing my clients very well, that they are also more flexible for me. So, you know, it's it's not always going to cost people more. I will say a lot of times I do charge a planning fee for, you know, these customized in-destination experiences. But that's also because, you know, I need to protect my time and get paid somehow. So anyone who is looking for a customized trip, at the end of the day, I like to think I have saved you m so much money and so much time that my fee was nothing compared to the experience you had. Right. Now, what do you do? And you don't have to give away business secrets, but what do you do to really tap into a particular client and what what would really appeal to them and what would give them a wow moment? Well, I'm a gabber and I love to talk to people. And sometimes I get my clients on the phone for hours and just, you know, talk about what they've liked on past trips, what they didn't like on past trips, what their vision is, what they'd like to see. Some will come to me and they've already started researching, you know, XYZ sites in a city and things like that. But then I really try to understand their goals and how they're trying to make their trip special. I then take that and depending on how we're moving ahead, either build them a custom itinerary myself or work with a destination management company to add, you know, these different experiences in. You know, I help people with things like hot air balloons, you know, and they didn't even need to mention that. But if that's something that is really special to that destination that they may not have even heard about, I might add that in. I might also ask them beforehand, well, what do you think about hot air balloons, right? Because not everybody's gonna love that. Not everybody likes loves heights. And that's just one example. But usually in a conversation, I can gather whether they would be interested in like walking tours or uh tuk-tuk tours or food tours, things like that. And then I build them something a lot of times also based on personal experiences and things I've enjoyed and things I have not enjoyed.

Biggest Travel Mistakes To Avoid

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Yeah. Uh what do what do you find the biggest mistakes travelers make? And and how can how can folks avoid making those same mistakes? I would say the number one mistake is jamming way too much into an itinerary, trying to see and do everything and multiple. Multiple destinations. I think a lot of Americans don't realize how far apart different cities are in Europe. Like, yes, they're close. It's kind of like going to a different state for us, but would you jump to four different states in one week? Right. By plane or train? Probably not. And, you know, a lot of people, they are taking very special trips. I work with a lot of people going to Europe for the first time or who hadn't haven't been back in 20 years or, you know, whatever. And they they do want to see as much as possible. And that is great. But a lot of times if they would move forward with an itinerary that they were envisioning, they would have spent four days in or on transportation between getting to an airport, being at the airport, going through security, customs, what have you, going on the plane. And, you know, that's just not an enjoyable experience. That's not the vacation you want to have. So almost always when I talk to some of my Europe travelers, I am talking to them about paring down what they are looking for in a trip. So they can actually enjoy it more. Exactly. And not spend their whole time travel. Absolutely, 100%. And we do still have, you know, very full itineraries, but there's so much to see and do in the particular cities that they're looking at that there's no reason to spend all that time going for a train ride or plane ride because they're, you know, the opportunities are are there in these particular cities. And they might just not know about them yet. And it's always really important to build in buffer time between different activities or just relaxing time or shopping time, all of that, because we don't want a traveler to get home and say, well, I didn't even get to shop for olive oil in Italy because I was just running from one thing to another, or, you know, that they feel it was really enjoyable because they constantly felt like they were running. So, you know, these are things that I help clients balance. Yeah, nice. Nice.

Under The Radar Destinations Rising

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What are some of the under the radar luxury destinations that are worth exploring right now if folks are considering, you know, taking a trip with the family this summer? We're seeing the classics really, you know, continue to be strong. Rome, Barcelona, Paris, London. But we're also seeing smaller cities and types of different types of travel popping up. So Norway has become very popular in Northern Lights travel, especially over the last couple of years. And that's something I've done over the last few years, the fjords over the summer as well. So I'm seeing that more operators are coming to Norway, more travelers are definitely going to Norway, and more of my clients are asking about destinations like Norway. Um, Iceland has been on the on the circuit for a while. Uh Croatia has definitely come up in the last several years. Beautiful islands. Yeah. Oh. Yeah. Especially because of Game of Thrones. We're seeing that also a lot of TV shows and movies do impact where people are traveling, right? Like the White Lotus effect and Sicily. Yeah, that's that's huge. Sicily is also coming up. We're also seeing some of the airlines start nonstop flights into what we don't consider, you know, the most travel destinations, but for example, United just started a nonstop Newark to split Croatia this year. And a lot of people are traveling out to Croatia. Delta has started JFK to Sardinia, which is a beautiful Italian island that I think is really going to be going to surge in in popularity soon. It is such a beautiful place. The water is just this amazing turquoise color. People are very friendly and they're not experiencing over tourism, whereas, you know, the Amalfi coast, Tinqueter, like those are places are jam-packed. But I I think Sardinia is going to be really hot soon. And I had the chance to get out there last summer, and I'm starting to uh send my clients there now because it's it's just such an incredible destination.

Planning The Greek Islands Dream

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Interesting. Interesting. All right. I have two bucket list destinations, and I want you to plan, you could you could do one of them. I want you to plan a seven-day trip for me. Maybe it would have to be 10 for the amount of travel, but my two bucket list places are Bora Bora. And I must sleep in a hut over the water at least once. And cruising the Greek islands. Oh. So I, you know, there's and and I would like to visit Albania during that Greek island trip because I'm part Albanian. Oh, amazing. Yeah, we're starting to see Albania really pop up and travel too. I actually thought it would become more popular faster because a lot of people are now seeing it as an amazing alternative to again what they're picturing. They're picturing the Greek islands. Um, a lot of people are picturing Croatia, but Albania is uh more untouched, very much so than than Greece, which is you know surging in popularity, as well as you know, Croatia has become super popular as well. So I'm I'm definitely excited about Albania. I have not been there, but I really, really want to go. I'm trying to figure out when I can possibly add it to my personal travel because, you know, unfortunately, unfortunately, because it's fun and I have met a lot of really cool people, but I spend a lot of my travel time in work situations. I actually just today got my luxury group's travel schedule for next year. So it's it's a little tough sometimes to plan personal travel around that. But the Greek islands are absolutely incredible. Greece is hands down number one, my favorite country ever. It's funny, a lot of people ask me like what my favorite country is, and I just say Greece, and you know, no question about it. And you know, I think people are expecting me to be like, well, you know, I really enjoyed this and this and this and this. But no, I know that Greece and the uh incredible experience that I have had there, it it just does not compare to to anywhere else. And just based on my interests and what I like to do. So I am so excited for you to eventually get to to that trip and be on the water in Greece. It's it's just so magical. Yeah. Well, uh, what are some of the things that you would plan for me? So Santorini number one, and that is another destination that has been experiencing over tourism. The government in Santorini has actually started to tax cruise ship passengers as they're coming ashore. They've tried to limit the number of cruise ships and the size of the cruise ships coming into the crater there. But it is one of the most exquisite places you will ever see. You know, Santorini is this like volcanic rock with this amazing crater with these ginormous cliffs that are just kind of unbeatable to look at from both on top, you know, the the different cities like Fira and Ia, you know, and walking along. I actually did the, I think it's seven miles hike. It's not really a hike because it's it's flat, but it is definitely very strenuous in the sun. I've done that walk along the entire crater, which is absolutely stunning. But there are places, you know, you can grab a taxi or or go to in the various cities. And then from below the crater as well. So the catamaran tours that that go there are just so much fun. And that I will say that the catamaran in San Germany is the best day uh that I've ever had in my entire life. It was everything I could literally ever ask for. And I just had such a fun time. But there's, you know, other amazing islands. Milos has become more popular, but still isn't on the circuit that is traveled by most, most travelers around Greece. So it is still a bit untouched and more authentic. For example, my hotel front desk lady did not speak a word of English, which was a little bit stressful for me at the time because I was not very well traveled when I went there in 2021. And, you know, Uber and ride chair is not a thing there either. So I was hoping that the front desk could arrange some transportation and tours and things for me once I got there. And that was not the case. Oh no. Which was fine. You know, I figured it out, you know, and you kind of have to be savvy if you don't partner with a travel advisor that's already handled all of that for you. But, you know, there's there's plenty of ways to get around the island. And I just hoped for the best and hoped the company would come pick me up once I called them on the phone, and they did. That was one of my favorite places. Paros is another absolutely incredible island. I feel like that was kind of like my woe moment when I went to Greece. You know, I had already explored Athens. I had gone to some smaller islands, Hedra and a few uh Agena, some smaller islands closer to Athens. And then once I got to Paros, I was like, wow, this is what I've dreamed about. I had, you know, the classic family style, amazing Greek dinner spread with all of the very, very fresh seafood, cheese, salad, like everything so fresh there. And watched the sunset, and then, you know, experienced the the nightlife with the wine and the beautiful hanging string lights above our heads. It was just exactly. I've experienced some of that too. But yeah, it was just it was just the the most amazing experience. And I I love sending travelers to Greece. Actually, one of my very good friends, I helped her plan her Greece honeymoon, and she's leaving in about 10 days from now. So I'm I'm really excited for her to go and and experience everything and and come back with stories to

What’s Next And Where To Find Her

54:11

tell. So, what does the future hold for you and elevate your escape? I wish I could tell you, honestly. My my business has just changed and evolved so much since I started, like all in a good way, because I am learning and growing every day. I've been in business for about three and a half years now. And just the amount of learning and and traveling that I've done is just absolutely unreal. Where I would personally like to take my business, and this isn't really a client-facing answer, but an entrepreneurial one is I want to get out of the weeds in my day-to-day because what I enjoy is the interactions with my clients and helping them sort out what they want to do and and where they want to go. And I've also enjoyed learning so much about the different experiences that I can plan for them in destination or different cruise lines. Because even if someone knows they want to go on a river cruise, well, you know, there are 10 really strong contenders that, you know, you're even if you're you're on your own, you're looking at, you're like, well, what's the difference? And I've spent all the time and all the money doing getting out there and yeah, but even experiencing for myself and going to seminars and conferences and getting to know my sales reps from these companies. Um, so I'd really like to be more of the face of the brand and less of the admin back side of the brand. Yeah. Great, great. And Eleanor, where can folks find you? So my blog and website is elevateyourescapes.com. I am also on Instagram, which I am trying to grow, but really haven't prioritized yet. I have plans to post something else today. And I uh will be launching soon a new YouTube channel, which will be under my brand ElevateYour Escapes. Perfect. I will keep an eye out for that. Well, Eleanor, I cannot thank you enough for all of your time. I have loved learning about your journey in a space that is very near and dear to my heart, which is travel. And I've just, you've only been in business for three years. And to be in this business, looking back over the past three years and all of the travel challenges that you've had to face on behalf of your clients, it's just mind-boggling to me that you did far more than just tread water. You actually made tracks. And I think that's phenomenal. So I wish you the best of luck. And again, thank you so much for all your time. Thank you. I really appreciate that. And the more joy that I can bring to the world and my clients and anyone who reads my blog around travel, I'm I'm going to do that. And I love sharing um, you know, all of the special moments that that travel has created for me. So I just want others to be able to do that as well.

Helen’s Takeaways And Support Links

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What a go-getter Eleanor is. As we talked, I was so struck by how knowledgeable she was about anything and everything that had to do with travel. Understanding the business, keeping an eye on industry trends, staying in tune with what each specific client needs and wants in a vacation experience, plus building her network to ensure she's got all the tools and resources to address anything that doesn't go according to plan. She really handles it all. With all the travel I've done, I've never used a travel consultant to plan or execute a trip. I've loved all of my trips, but now I'm wondering if I got the best bang for my buck or if I left some amazing experiences on the table because I had no way to know about them. Rest assured, when I'm ready to cruise the Greek islands, Eleanor will be hearing from me. Jump down to the show notes to read her blog and connect with her website and socials. And while you're there, don't forget to connect with me. All my socials are linked as well. And something I don't promote much, you can buy the podcast a coffee on Buy Me a Coffee. It's a small way to help support the podcast, and a hundred percent goes right back into the podcast. As always, thanks for listening, and I'll see you in two weeks.