Planning a trip can be incredibly overwhelming. That’s because creating beautiful out-of-town experiences take time. Diligent curation and planning are needed to ensure that a vacation is absolutely perfect.
According to VacationKids, it takes travelers on average 10 to 20 hours to research and plan a vacation in an unfamiliar destination. To save time, many travelers hire a travel agent to aid them in aligning their travel plans, accommodations, and excursions.
Despite costing extra money, travel agents have been in the game for hundreds of years. Cox & Kings was recognized as the first travel agency in 1758. Since then, hundreds of thousands of travelers have sought their expertise when preparing to take to the highways and byways.
However, now a new player has entered the travel arena. Travel coaches have become the new wave over the last few years, offering an additional level of support and comfort not available through most travel agencies. With so many travel curation resources, travelers are weighing their options for who will plan their upcoming vacations – travel coaches or agents.
Difference Between A Coach And An Agent
If you’re interested in finding out more about travel coaches, look no further than The Travel Coach Network (TCN). Founded by travel expert and solo backpacker Sahara Rose De Vore, TCN is designed to not only plan trips but to create travel opportunities that transform.
De Vore says the difference between a travel agent and a coach is the why behind someone’s travel endeavors. Instead of focusing on planning vacations, travel coaches hone in on the intentions behind a trip and work with the traveler to create a plan and itinerary that’s driven by their motivating factors. In an interview with CNN, she describes travel coaches as “travel experts who help people bring awareness to why they want to travel and what type of experience they need in order to obtain the transformation, feelings, or outcomes that their urge to travel is calling for.”
Now, more travel experts are taking on the coach hat, launching business designs to incorporate the wellness and intent of the traveler into the travel curation experience. TCN is the largest database network of travel coaches online and more are emerging every day.
Services provided by each coach vary depending on their expertise and the needs of the traveler. However, through TCN and online research, travelers can find coaches who fit the type of vacation experience they’re seeking. Whereas some travelers only desire the basics, others are looking for a more tailored experience that accommodates their current wellness needs.
That’s where travel coaches come in.
A Luxury Or Unnecessary Expense?
While some may argue that travel coaches are an unnecessary expense, many travelers disagree. Especially the younger generations.
The co-founder of the Transformational Travel Council, Michael Bennet, Ed.D, told Forbes that travel coaches emerged heavily over the last five years. With more millennial and Gen-Z travelers tapping into this service, he doesn’t foresee it going away anytime soon.
“The average age of travelers has been getting younger and younger and these travelers are dealing with existential questions and crises, things like the infamous ‘Quarter Life Crisis’ and ‘Saturn’s Return’ and so forth, where they are facing some of life’s most important questions,” Bennet said. “They also have money for the first time, plus access to immersive and experiential travel experiences more than ever before.”
With more travelers prioritizing wellness over fun and entertainment, travel coaches may be a luxury worth splurging on. Travel writer and coach Dylan Essertier provides one on one coaching, goal setting, and travel mapping through her company Dylan Grace. She has seen a major shift in what travelers are prioritizing in this new travel season.
“Many of my clients are less interested in sitting on a beach and forgetting their life back home. Now they want to use their time traveling to reflect, learn, reset, and figure out what really matters to them,” she said.