Shoptalk: Niching down in travel – how specialized should you get?

Most travel advisors have heard the advice: specialize. 

But how narrow should you actually go? Go too broad and you're competing with everyone; go too narrow and there may not be enough business to sustain you. 

PAX spoke with five industry professionals who've navigated that balance. 

Those who've built successful specialties say the real question isn't how narrow to go, but whether your niche gives you room to grow.

Niche on client, not destination

Geraldine Ree, a Vancouver-based travel industry strategist and author, says specialization is no longer optional, but how you define your niche matters. 

"I believe in niching on customer, not on product or destination," she says. 

"Most of my really high-producing advisors focus on people who are in a particular age or lifestyle demographic, and that tends to be the one that you yourself are in because you're going to be able to give the best advice."

By contrast, Ree cautions that destination-based niches can be difficult to sustain. 

"It might sound amazing to specialize in something like Australia or Africa, but most people only do those trips once, so you're always having to go find new customers."

Start with passion — but stress-test it

Personal passion matters, but it needs to be backed by sound business logic.

Sandra Pappas, owner and founder of ClickTheMouse Travel, built her agency around Disney. 

"I'm not a salesperson by nature, but I can talk passionately about things I truly love, and that authenticity has driven our success," she says.

But Pappas doesn't see Disney as a narrow niche. 

"Between theme parks around the world, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, and Nat Geo Expeditions, Disney can take families and adults almost anywhere," she says.

Melissa Baum, a travel consultant at Yaycations in McKellar, ON, who goes by "The River Cruise Queen," arrived at her niche through trial and error. 

"I did adventure travel. I tried family travel. I had some other plans that I worked on until I came across what really worked for me. Don't be afraid to pivot," she says.

Tracy Sinclair, owner of Ultimate Destination Weddings in Mississauga, took a more analytical approach. 

"It's not just about picking something that's fun. Pick something based on: is it scalable? Is there longevity in it? Is there industry support in the niche?" she recommends.

Jelena Jado, regional manager, corporate stores Western Region, at TDC, encourages advisors to specialize but warns against going too thin. 

"Advisors should ask themselves: is there year-round demand, and is the audience large enough to sustain the business?" she says.

Use your niche as a door, not a wall

A well-chosen niche can work as a client magnet, not a ceiling.

Baum describes her river cruise focus as a lead generation strategy. 

"We're using river cruising as a way to attract the kind of clients we want to work with and the kind of travel experiences that we want to sell," she says, noting that once the right clients are in the door, she often books them on other types of travel. 

Pappas has seen a similar dynamic at ClickTheMouse. 

"Disney is what we're known for, but it's really an introduction to who we are and how we work," she says. 

"Disney opens the door, but our professionalism and service are what keep clients coming back."

Sinclair says her destination wedding niche has a built-in multiplier.

"For destination weddings, we just have to sell to two people: the couple. In return, you're booking groups of 30, 60, 100 plus people," she says. 

The business doesn't end with the wedding, either. 

She says couples come back for honeymoons, babymoons, and family trips, and guests who had a good experience often reach out to book their own travel. 

She's since begun expanding into other group travel using the same playbook. 

"I would start with one thing and do it well," she advises. 

"Put the proper organization and structure and processes in place. Then you can take that model, and replicate it." 

The bottom line

Ree says the biggest barrier to specialization is psychological. 

"Everybody has that FOMO. They think they have to be all things with all people," she says. 

"It does take courage to focus on a niche, but what you'll find is actually really time saving, because suddenly the questions start to repeat themselves. You start to get known to the suppliers."

For those just starting out, Pappas makes the case for going deep early. 

"If you are new, specializing helps people find you faster. You can always diversify later once the trust is there."

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