EPISODE · Dec 11, 2021 · 13 MIN
Stop working for free - start charging planning fees NOW
from Travel Marketing & Media ® · host Sandra McLemore
As many of you know, I started my career in the travel industry as a travel advisor for STA Travel. I worked in a few of their branches before moving up to their head office in the UK. When I sold travel, we were paid commission on EVERYTHING, even domestic air. It was also an era where travelers still didn't have smartphones, and most had no access to the internet.The big yellow booking engine and that little blue gnome were not yet household names, and nobody thought they knew more about booking travel than their travel agent. It was still an age when we picked up our tickets in person from the travel agency, and when we checked in at the airline counter we were asked for our "ticket and passport please Mam". It was also a time in history when it was totally OK to smoke on flights - that didn't end until the late 90s! But that's a whole other story.My honest feeling, having watched the industry evolve over the past 22 years, is that we moved away from professional travel planners, to the big booking engines, and now a great majority of those who used to DIY their own travel are now hesitant to do so.Last week I sat down to buy travel insurance for my family as we get ready to fly to France for two weeks. Before I knew it, I had 22 tabs open on my screen, and I was confused. I switched tasks to stop getting frustrated. But my next task, booking train tickets and car transfers also made me uncertain. I... 22 years of industry experience felt for the first time in my life, unqualified to book my own travel.I felt unsure of the rules, unsure of the protocols. I feared making a mistake. So I picked up the phone and paid a $250 planning fee and handed my entire worry list over to a travel advisor. In the past few days, we have given her another $250 for another trip and sent a friend her way. A friend who is an avid online book.My goal from 2022 onwards is that all 42 000 travel advisors that follow me, are members of our community, and take our training, ALL start to chargeI am determined to pull every single one of you to a place where you feel proud and confident of your planning fees.▶︎▶︎▶︎Your HostSandra McLemore: Multi-lingual Travel Expert | TV Host 🌍 ✈️🌟 90+ countries explored | 2 decades in the industry📺 Featured on CBS, ABC, NewsNation, CNN, FOX, and top marketing morning shows💼 Shares the stage as a renowned keynote speaker with travel CEOs at international events🎙️ Founder & CEO, Travel Marketing & Media - over 42K travel advisors are part of her community🎧 Host of top-rated iTunes podcast for travel business owners🎥 Produces captivating travel, reality & documentary programsLet's explore the world together! 🌎 🧳 ✨#TravelIndustryExpert #TVHost #TravelMarketing #TravelPodcastwww.sandramclemore.com | www.travelmarketingandmedia.com▶︎▶︎▶︎Welcome to Travel Marketing & Media! We understand your desire to become a travel-planning superhero. And to make that dream a reality, you need a steady stream of new clients.We know that even though you're passionate about travel, the world of successful marketing strategies can feel overwhelming. But don't worry, we're here to help!You deserve to focus on what you love most: planning unforgettable journeys for clients who matter to you.As a former travel advisor and fellow business owner, I know firsthand how running a business can be daunting. That's why, for over 25 years, we've assisted travel brands and more than 42,000 travel business owners like you in growing their ventures.If you're feeling swamped, stuck in a rut, or unsure how to take your baby business to the next level, we've got you covered. Check out our quiz! Answer 15 multiple-choice questions,...
What this episode covers
As many of you know, I started my career in the travel industry as a travel advisor for STA Travel. I worked in a few of their branches before moving up into their head office in the UK. When I sold travel we were paid commission on EVERYTHING, even domestic air. It was also an era where travelers still didn't have smartphones and most had no access to the internet. The big yellow booking engine and that little blue gnome were not yet household names, and nobody thought they knew more about booking travel than their travel agent. It was still an age where we picked up our tickets in person from the travel agency, and when we checked in at the airline counter we were asked for our "ticket and passport please Mam". It was also a time in history when it was totally OK to smoke on flights - that didn't end until the late 90s! But that's a whole other story. My honest feeling, having watched the industry evolve over the past 22 years, is that we moved away from professional travel planners, to the big booking engines, and now a great majority of those who used to DIY their own travel are now hesitant to do so. Last week I sat down to buy travel insurance for my family as we get ready to fly to France for two weeks. Before I knew it I had 22 tabs open on my screen and I was confused. I switched tasks to stop from getting frustrated. But my next task, booking train tickets and car transfers also made me uncertain. Me... 22 years of industry experience felt for the first time in my life, unqualified to book my own travel. I felt unsure of the rules, unsure of the protocols. I feared making a mistake. So I picked up the phone and paid a $250 planning fee and handed my entire worry list over to a travel advisor. In the past few days, we have given her another $250 for another trip and sent a friend her way. A friend who is an avid online book. My goal in 2022 is that all 30, 000 travel advisors that follow me, are members of our community and take our training, ALL start to charge I am determined to pull each and every single one of you to a place where you feel proud and confident of your planning fees. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/travel-marketing-media/id1589935763 (Get notified) when a new episode drops At Travel Marketing and Media we know that you want to be a travel planning professional (superhero status). In order to do that, you need a consistent stream of new clients. The problem is that you are passionate about travel but you do not have the expertise in successful marketing strategies, which makes you feel overwhelmed. We believe that you deserve to focus on what you love most, planning travel for clients that you care about. As a former travel advisor and fellow business owner, I get how overwhelming it can feel to run a business which is why over the past 22 years we have helped travel brands and over 15,000 travel business owners just like you to grow their business. If you're feeling overwhelmed, stuck in a rut or just not sure what you're meant to be doing to grow that baby business check out our https://travelmarketingandmedia.com/quiz/ (quiz). Answer 15 multiple choice questions and we'll give you an action plan to get you from where you are now to your goals.
NOW PLAYING
Stop working for free - start charging planning fees NOW
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
Feb 4, 2026 ·18m