Luxury Travel Advisor Spotlight: Travel Planning for Elite Clients

Ready to don the white gloves as a luxury travel advisor? Catering to the most discerning travelers can be a tough yet highly lucrative career for a travel agent. Looking for details? We have you covered.

Want elite support for your travel business? Apply to become a Fora Advisor. We partner with luxury brands all over the world, allowing our travel advisors to unlock VIP perks and status for their clients, offering a competitive edge that’s hard to beat.

Curious about how to become a luxury travel agent in the first place? Our guide has intel. (Want to start smaller? You can also check out our guide on how to become a travel agent.)

First, what does an ordinary travel advisor do?

What does a travel agent do? On the surface, it’s actually pretty simple: travel agents — a.k.a. travel advisors — make reservations and help plan trips with expert suggestions for their clients.

Research, networking, tons of back-and-forth communication and a bit of self-marketing are all normal parts of any travel advisor’s life. As for luxury travel advisors…

A luxury travel advisor does the same thing, but with higher end itineraries & bookings

As you might predict, luxury travel advisors essentially do the same thing as ordinary travel advisors, except the bookings and custom itineraries are of a more refined nature. Instead of booking a standard room at your average hotel, you’re likely looking for lavish rooms or suites at elite hotel brands, like Four Seasons or Rosewood properties.

Additionally, of all the different travel agent jobs and niches, luxury travel advisors are expected to deliver a class of service above what’s otherwise normal. That often means going the extra mile with client requests, making more complicated (and often multi-destination) bookings and ensuring constant availability in case something goes wrong, or to accommodate an itinerary change.

This elevated service isn’t without reward, though, and you’ll find that luxury travel advisors are consistently among the top earners in the field.

What types of bookings do luxury travel advisors make?

All sorts — and often beyond what you’d typically expect to make as a travel advisor. 

(Wondering what types of bookings you can make as a Fora Advisor? Check out our article.)

Luxe hotels in elite destinations…

From the most lavish hotels in Dubai to the most exotic Costa Rica jungle resorts, luxury travel advisors get to make reservations at amazing places in the most coveted destinations around the world.

International travel is far more common among luxury advisors, as are bookings at world-class hotels.

…and perhaps even resort buyouts

Few things excite a travel advisor more than hearing that your client wants to rent out an entire resort. Right off the bat, you can expect a travel agent commission totaling in the thousands, if not tens of thousands or more.

Unsurprisingly, resort buyouts are no easy feat to master. But you will find that most resorts are very eager to accommodate such requests, and may even throw in extra support. 

VIP & curated experiences in exotic locations, chauffeurs, private tours...

Luxury travel clients don’t just want the best hotels and accommodations; they want rare and unique experiences, elite pampering…you get the idea. On the one hand, it can be a little stressful to book so many off-the-beaten-path-experiences. But on the other hand, these clients are often willing to pay well for the extra work.

Love the idea of being challenged with unique, bespoke travel itineraries? Sign up to become a Fora Advisor with a luxury travel niche.

(P.S. If it wasn’t obvious, online travel agencies can’t accommodate any of the services provided by a luxury travel advisor.)

Luxury travel advisors are also expected to offer white-glove service

Working with the most discerning travelers often means providing nothing short of exceptional service. This doesn’t mean you should expect your clients to be demeaning or rude, but you should anticipate smaller margins for error and more demanding clients.

(Alternatively, a similar degree of service is expected of corporate travel agents, who typically cater to clients with jobs where you travel.)

Why should I consider becoming a luxury travel advisor?

Of all the jobs in the travel industry, successful luxury travel advisors have it made. While it’s true that there are higher expectations placed on the role, that doesn’t mean you can’t work flexible hours. Moreover, the pay can be exceptional (how much do travel agents make, anyway?).

The top-earning Fora travel advisor salaries are largely made up of luxury travel advisors, and it’s not out of the question to pull in six figures (or more) annually.

Like the sound of that? Learn how to become a luxury travel agent.

You’re able to identify & accommodate demanding clients

Identifying elite clients isn’t as easy as it sounds. Oftentimes, these clients are going after well-established advisors. But if you’ve acquired an affluent network, perhaps through your existing career, this may be less of a challenge. 

Alternatively, most luxury travel advisors start out as ordinary advisors and then work their way up. Not everyone wants to accommodate demanding clients, but if this isn’t something you shy away from, then becoming a luxury travel advisor may be the right niche for you.

On another note, working with Fora is a powerful asset. The brands we partner with include the very best in the industry, meaning you can offer elite perks at top hotels around the world as soon as you become a Fora Advisor.

You want to maximize your earnings as a travel advisor

There’s nothing wrong with trying to earn as much as you possibly can as a travel advisor. Unsurprisingly, catering to the world’s top travelers is a surefire path to success. 

You can craft awesome personalized experiences

We don’t mean you’re allowed to craft awesome personalized experiences; we mean you literally have the ability to. Frankly, it’s not something everyone can do, at least not right away. But if this is something you can do, be prepared for an exciting career.

This is another area where we can help, by the way. We’ve built a highly cooperative community of travel experts who are more than happy to help you succeed.

How do you become a luxury travel advisor?

Learning how to become a luxury travel agent isn’t as difficult as you might assume.

Fora doesn’t require prior experience or a degree to become a luxury travel advisor

You don’t need special travel agent education, like a semester at travel agent school (which likely teaches an outdated curriculum) — at least not if you become a Fora Advisor.

We provide all the travel agent training you could possibly need as part of our membership, starting with the basics and running all the way through the most advanced topics in our field. 

Moreover, you don’t need a degree (of any kind). Nor do you need to be a travel expert. While the latter certainly doesn’t hurt, you can always rely on our travel advisor community for assistance and ideas.

(Wondering how long it takes to become a travel agent? Check out our guide.)

Join Fora and become a luxury travel advisor (or any type of advisor)

Can’t wait to start selling bespoke vacations and make lavish hotel bookings? Start working toward becoming a luxury travel advisor today by signing up to become a Fora Advisor.

Or, if you’re still unsure if this is the right career path for you, check out these travel advisor resources, too:

• Take it from Our Advisors: 8 Reasons to Become a Fora Advisor 

• How Much Does It Cost to Become a Travel Agent? Fora Tells 

• How to Become a Travel Agent Online: Fora's Full Guide 

• How Do Travel Agents Get Clients? Fora's Top 5 Tips 

• Book a Cruise With a Virgin Voyages Travel Agent 

• Is Being a Travel Agent Worth It? Fora Discuses the Pros & Cons 

• What Does It Take to Become a Travel Agent?