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“ I think that it ’ s important to communicate what some of the constraints might be with their budgets and to suggest alternatives ,” says Braswell . “ Like a friend of mine always says , ‘ Have problem , think solution .’”
CrushGlobal ’ s work includes luxury escapes — think exclusive getaways to destinations such as Portugal and Grenada — but Braswell isn ’ t averse to suggesting accommodations including Airbnbs and motels , which she notes are “ stepping up their game ” when it comes to amenities .
Fondeur-Adams shares cut-rate deals on flights and accommodations with members of Latino World Travelers . She also suggests that people integrate points programs through credit cards and apps like OpenTable , a restaurant booking platform , into their normal routines .
“ I just went to Guatemala and paid $ 0.69 for a hotel ,” says Fondeur-Adams , who redeemed about five years ’ worth of accumulated points to cover her stay .
Jonathan de Araujo , who owns The Vacationeer , an agency specializing in Disney vacations , helps his clients maximize their money by looking at how they spend their time . Big choices such as visiting during the off-season and small ones such as arriving at parks early all translate to more time immersing yourself in Disney magic and providing more value — advice that could easily apply to other vacations .
“ You can see more in less time , which is important ,” says de Araujo . creatively about where to cut costs and where to splurge . “ I think that being strategic with the client ’ s budget is absolutely an underappreciated art form ,” Braswell says .
Braswell founded CrushGlobal “ to speak more to a diverse travel demographic ,” and doesn ’ t want “ clients with a smaller budget … to ever feel like things are shut off to them because of it .” To that end , she ’ s intentional about building out her preferred vendor networks so that she can recommend options at every price point .
“ Building partnerships with various business owners has allowed me to establish certain packages or things outside of market rate for my clients ,” says Braswell .
Food and beverage spending is typically the biggest budget line
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Help clients get the biggest bang for their buck Insider knowledge of destinations will only take travel advisors so far . You can go above and beyond for your clients by thinking
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