Monday Minute: Ola Honeysett of Jet Lag Voyages

The Monday Minute is a weekly feature in PAX that highlights the movers, shakers, leaders and rule breakers of Canada's travel advisor community. Wanna be profiled? Wanna nominate someone? Email newsroom@paxglobalmedia.com! 

Name: Ola Honeysett

Name of business: Jet Lag Voyages

Where do you live: Barrie, ON

How long have you been a travel advisor? This is my 15th year.

What is your specialty?

I specialize in adventure travel and more exotic, obscure destinations. Alongside that, I also focus on luxury travel, often with an adventure component, such as African safaris and custom FIT itineraries.

What inspired you to become a travel advisor?

My love of travel has always kept me in the industry. I actually started out working on cruise ships. Becoming a travel advisor happened by happy accident, and I never looked back. It’s a role that’s always evolving and always interesting, and I get to help people reach their travel goals while inspiring them to see more of the world without fear.

What’s the first trip you ever took?

When I was a kid, my parents took me to Mexico and filled the trip with activities and excursions. That’s really where the travel bug started. My first real solo travel experiences came later, when I was working on cruise ships and hopping all over the world. I haven’t slowed down since.

What travel trends are you seeing these days?

One of the biggest shifts I’ve seen in recent years, at least with our client base, is how quickly people are moving on their bucket-list trips. Safaris and river cruises, those once “someday” experiences, are now happening much sooner. At the same time, travellers are upgrading more than ever, booking better room categories, premium or business class flights and more high-end experiences overall. What stands out most is frequency. Travel is no longer a once-a-year event. Many of our clients are prioritizing it in a whole new way, often taking three or more trips a year.

Of all the bookings you’ve made, which itinerary or travel package are you most proud of?

There are so many. My favourite itineraries are the ones that challenge me, and ultimately, that’s what keeps me loving this job. Recently, I put together an around-the-world six-month itinerary involving multiple tours, planes, trains and boats, with every meticulous detail in place. That’s the kind of work I love. When it all comes together, everyone makes it through unscathed and you get a glowing review, it fills me with pride.

What’s the most memorable trip you ever took?

I can’t even imagine how to answer that. I’ve travelled a lot, very recently reaching my 100-country milestone. Antarctica will forever be a top favourite. There's something about the remoteness and quiet beauty of the destination that is indescribable. It's one I desperately want to repeat.

Where do you see your business one year from now? What are your future goals?

My business has grown incrementally over the last five years. I want to continue growing our team and our footprint. In the next year, I’d love to add another two or three advisors, which would allow us to market more heavily. Over the next two to three years, I’m hoping to open a second storefront location.

What’s one new skill you’ve acquired recently?

Patience. I feel like this has come with age and industry experience, and it took me this long to finally gain that skill (because I do believe it is a skill).

What’s one thing you would change about the travel industry?

This isn’t so much about the industry itself, but about how situations are portrayed in the media and the ripple effect that has. There’s often a level of fear-driven messaging that creates unnecessary concern, and managing those perceptions can make our job more challenging than it needs to be. I’d like to see travel suppliers become more active in pushing back on those narratives and releasing more statements that give us better tools to face yet another challenge.

What’s the secret to being successful in this business?

Persistence, adaptability, resilience and knowing when to let go. Anyone who has been doing this work for a long time knows the role is always changing. The world changes, rules change, perceptions change, fears change. The only constant is change itself. Being adaptable is the biggest key to success. If you don’t adapt, you get left behind. Resilience is key.

What is your motto?

I don’t believe in problems. I believe in solutions.

What is your number one piece of advice to other travel advisors?

Do not make assumptions about anything you think you know or what you think your travellers know. Which leads to another motto: if you have made an assumption, you have made a mistake.In any situation, you need to assess what is within your control, what is within your influence and what you simply need to accept. It is incredibly easy to spiral or get upset about a situation, but you need to be as pragmatic as possible, and defining that situation really helps.

Where are you travelling next?

TTAND's conference onboard Celebrity Silhouette. Then, just a few weeks later, I’ll be off on the TTAND Top Performers trip in Colombia on the AmaMagdalena, which I’ve paired with a G Adventures tour in Ecuador. Shortly after that, I’m heading to Georgia and Armenia with Explore Worldwide. I always aim to have three or more trips on the calendar to keep myself going and motivated.

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