What inspired you to become a travel advisor? The stories behind the careers

“What inspired you to become a travel advisor?”

Each week in PAX’s “Monday Minute” column—a Q&A feature written by front-line advisors—we ask this question, and the answers often spark stories as unique and inspiring as the journeys travel professionals create.

Some advisors join for a love of adventure, others turn a passion for planning into a career. 

Many simply want to help people create memories that last a lifetime.

Here, we share some standout Monday Minute stories from travel advisors explaining what inspired them to join the industry. 

Jatin Thakur of Westshore Travel Centre (Victoria, BC)

Growing up, most kids around me wanted to become engineers (common in India, where I'm from), but I wanted to do something different.

As a kid, we went on family trips every year, and that helped me catch the travel bug.

I’ve always loved travelling, and with the help of guidance from a family friend, I decided to pursue tourism management. Since then, I’ve earned three degrees (including a master’s degree) in tourism management. And I’m grateful for that decision!

Shari Tucker of Love The Way You Travel (Halifax, NS)

Two major life events at very different times led me to becoming a travel advisor. In 1998, I survived a plane crash in Fredericton, New Brunswick. For the next 10-plus years, I was terrified to get back on a plane. At that time in my life, there were obviously no thoughts of becoming a travel advisor!

When I did decide it was time for me to fly again, it was because I had a desire to see the world and not be held back by what I had been through.

After visiting a few countries in my first few years of flying, I decided to host a photography tour in Peru (I was a professional photographer at the time). The photo tour was in partnership with a travel agency here in Halifax. While I sat at Machu Picchu, overwhelmed by the beauty and the peacefulness, I knew that I needed a life and career change.

From that point forward, my life changed. I took a new path that led me to an opportunity to become an adventure travel consultant with the company who helped me launch my first photo tour. I wanted nothing more than to explore this big, beautiful world, encourage others to do the same and have control over the fear of flying I had lived with for so long.

Terry Declare of TravelOnly (Ottawa, ON)

For me, becoming a travel advisor was rooted in a realization of just how short and precious life really is.

In 2012, my wife and I went through a very difficult year, losing several close family members. My uncle had been encouraging me for years to become a travel advisor — I'd been organizing group cruises for fun — and with his persistence and the support of my wife's mother before she passed, I finally joined TravelOnly.

Fourteen years later, I'm grateful every day that I took that leap.

Faith Sproule of Niche Travel Group (Dartmouth, NS)

I finished my degree in Western Literature and Civilization, travelled the world for three years, and settled down in Nova Scotia where I opened a small fruit and flower stand.

Flight Centre opened a storefront across from my little business, and a staff member mentioned that they were always looking for university-educated salespeople with extensive travel experience. I thought, "That's me.”

Scott Waldron of Gravitate Travel (Kemptville, ON)

I worked for a theme park in Florida in 1995. The hospitality training provided is known worldwide and I just loved it. Making people happy, thinking of the little things they may not think of when they travel.

I wanted to show the world to clients using my experiences and connections to enhance their travels.

Laura Kelly of Elsewhere by Laura (Northern Ontario) 

I grew up reading National Geographic Traveler with my father, which opened my eyes to the world and sparked my curiosity in learning about faraway places and cultures.

Our family travels added fuel to the fire and my passion grew from there, embarking on my own solo journeys after graduation and taking the leap into the industry following my move to a new city.

Robert Townshend of Total Advantage Travel & Tours (Toronto, ON)

I’ve always had a love for travel and originally wanted to become a pilot — but after planning hundreds of vacations for my friends and family I decided that I should get paid for doing it!

Cynthia Davidson of Rivers Oceans & Expeditions (Burlington, ON)

My first love used to be medical sciences and pharma many years ago. 

Unfortunately, I suffered a series of health issues and could no longer work in that field. My second love was learning about geography, weather and ocean patterns, and environmental/animal life cycles. Essentially, how the world "lives.” 

This passion for nerdy science stuff led me to discover that I could learn so much more about the world through travel. I decided to share this passion by learning how to help others plan their trips too. An added bonus was that I found that I could be my own boss, work from home, and at my own pace.

Alexis Parks of Travel Best Bets (Langley, BC)

I loved geography in high school. The history and authenticity of cities around the world captivated me and I wanted to see the world. In the beginning, I wanted to be a flight attendant. 

However, I was told by the tourism college I went to that I was too short (5’3”) and I did not speak a second language. So, a travel and tourism diploma was my next path.

Teena Dowd of Vacations for Canadians (Ancaster, ON)

I’m an accountant by trade, but I’ve always been passionate about travel.

One day, my husband challenged me to find a way to travel more and make a career out of it. I think he was half-joking, but it sparked something in me. I started researching what it would take to become a travel advisor and realized I already had what I needed: a love of travel, business management skills, financial know-how and the full support of my family to make the leap.

I started as an independent advisor, and as the business grew, so did the team. 

Today, we have a team of expert advisors, along with dedicated admin and marketing staff. It’s been an incredible journey from that one conversation to building something I’m truly proud of. 

Want to be featured in an upcoming Monday Minute column? Apply today at newsroom@paxglobalmedia.com!

Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!  Click here to follow PAX on Facebook.