Latest news with #travelplanning
Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
How A Miami Beach Residential Concierge Transformed Into A Luxury Travel Planner
Concierges have had a long reputation for being the go-to individuals for securing that impossible restaurant reservation or those must-have theater seats for hotel guests. A residential concierge at a luxury apartment property, however, has a far more arduous responsibility that has to meet the demands of its discerning residents, who expect a role that is more exemplary of a personal assistant by today's standards. Jacqueline Gonzalez has been in South Florida's hospitality industry for more than 17 years and has built a reputation for being one of the region's premier residential concierges, after joining the Continuum in South Beach as its head concierge more than a decade ago. With today's demands from residents in a post-COVID world becoming ever more elevated, Jackie quickly caught on and transformed her position into that of consultant for the resident's lifestyle choices. Since becoming the swanky beachfront property's Lifestyle Director, Jackie has expanded her role to resemble that of a luxury travel planner. She did this by forging her own relationships with destinations and luxury travel brands across various continents—enabling her to offer far more for residents than they would expect We caught up with Jackie who gave us some insight in to her new found skill set. How did you go from being a concierge and lifestyle director to planning travel for residents? My carefully curated events at the Continuum have included planning wine tastings, yacht tours, dinner events, broad cultural activities and wellness offerings. Given that our Miami Beach community is largely seasonal, many of our discerning residents began asking about recommendations for the same activities beyond our local community. A natural segue was to begin researching and constructing travel excursions. How much travel do you plan for residents? Travel planning for Continuum residents is in its infancy, but increasingly on the rise. I have a natural understanding of how our residents enjoy spending their leisure time. Travel offerings will be around the world. I often shortlist ideas and float the itineraries to individuals for them exclusively, or possibly to a sampling of our residents for collective input. The goal is to curate destinations and trip itineraries annually that will have broad appeal, for say 10-15 residents. What's the most elaborate or expensive trip you've designed? Many residents expressed a keen interest in visiting Portugal. In the fall of 2023, I arranged a week-long trip to Porto, a city in the northern part of the country. This itinerary included a visit to a renowned maker of luxury linen, the oldest library in the country, an historic producer of porcelain and the city of Guimarães - the birthplace of Portugal – along with an excursion on the Douro River. We also made must-see visits to a number of renowned Michelin Star restaurants, as well as several world-famous wineries in the region. Each day we stayed at a different 'Quinta' - a rural estate that housed an historic castle transformed in to a hotel which were truly memorable. The trip was an overwhelming success. Can you share how you're able to plan these trips? What connections do you have to make them happen? I have developed established partnerships and collaborations with luxury brands for destinations around the world that cater to the elite traveler. This network enables me to tap in to local knowledge, stay apprised of new trending entrants and ultimately co-develop a memorable and unique trip. You've actually accompanied some residents on trips. Tell me about how this happened and why? After spending considerable time and attention to detail, it is important that I am a participant in the journey. While the Continuum residents are like family, I must see first-hand how the experience is of supreme caliber that meets with their expectations. There are several trips now on the table. For our avid wine enthusiasts, a culinary excursion to a 300-year-old winery in Tuscany named Tenuta Torciano. Next, I have also discovered a one-of-a-kind resort in Arizona called Miraval. The property boasts hotel rooms and villas coupled with a program of the most advanced wellness treatments and therapies. This appeals to my own personal interest in wellness. Also on my wish list is a planned trip to Weggis in Switzerland, and the Chenot Palace, considered to be the number one health and wellness retreat in the world.
Wall Street Journal
5 days ago
- Wall Street Journal
Live Q&A: Summer Travel—Ask WSJ Your Questions
As the summer travel season heats up, what questions do you have? The world of travel looks a little different this year: Southwest is charging most customers $35 for their first checked bag, United's CEO is encouraging travelers to come back to Newark, and foreign visitors are staying away. Of course, some things remain the same: Spending the night in an airport is miserable, points have hidden perks, and there are countless road trips to be explored. What questions do you have about planning for summer travel? What questions do you have about travel in general? Dawn Gilbertson, who writes WSJ's Carry On column covering all things travel, and Allison Pohle, a reporter covering travel for The Wall Street Journal, will be here to answer some of those questions from 3 p.m. until 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 11. Put your question in the comments space below. We will accept questions from now until the end of the event on Wednesday. The reporters will reply directly in the commenting thread; please sort by 'Most Liked' to see their responses. We look forward to hearing from you.
New York Times
6 days ago
- Lifestyle
- New York Times
How to Research and Plan a Vacation, Right on Your Phone
Google Maps celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, but like Apple's Maps (released in 2012), it has moved far beyond basic navigation services and into travel planning. Both provide tools to bookmark your favorite places, read reviews, make reservations and see the points of interest around you. Here's a guide to some useful tools for travelers. Know Your Place(s) When you search for and select a business in the app, both Google Maps (for Android and iOS) and Apple's Maps (for iOS) display a 'place card' with the address, hours, reviews and other details about that location. In Google Maps, tap the Explore tab at the bottom of the screen to see nearby places. On some restaurant cards, you can make reservations using the OpenTable booking service. Google usually includes an immersive Street View 360-degree photo of the area. Apple's cards, where you can save and add your own notes, include buttons for the establishment's phone number, its website and other information. Tap the Search box and choose Find Nearby to see places around you. Apple's 360-degree view feature is called Look Around; tap the photo thumbnail on the map to open it. To bookmark a place for later reference, tap the Save or + button on the card. Saved places are stored in the Google Maps Lists area (which includes a default Travel Plans section) on the You tab, or in Apple's Maps Library, linked on the app's Search screen. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Travel Daily News
7 days ago
- Business
- Travel Daily News
WeTravel and Group Travel Odyssey launch strategic partnership
WeTravel partners with Group Travel Odyssey, integrating supplier pricing data to enhance efficiency, transparency, and profitability for U.S. group travel organizers. AMSTERDAM, N.L. – WeTravel, leading platform for multi-day travel businesses, announced a strategic partnership with Group Travel Odyssey (GTO), a trusted provider of group travel software for tour operators. This collaboration marks a major milestone in WeTravel's vision to build a connected, global supplier ecosystem in its platform, streamlining supplier discovery, pricing, contracting, and payments for group travel organizers. As part of the partnership, WeTravel PRO users will gain access to GTO's proprietary group supplier pricing database, which includes more than 26,000 U.S.-based suppliers. This supplier data—already loaded with preferred group rates – will be integrated into WeTravel's platform via API, allowing operators to generate faster, more accurate quotes and improve trip planning efficiency. 'This partnership accelerates our vision to connect the multi-day travel industry with a unified supplier ecosystem,' said Ted Clements, CEO of WeTravel. 'By improving supplier discovery, streamlining contracting and pricing, and expanding payment infrastructure, we're making it easier for group travel companies to grow profitably while saving time and resources.' The integration builds on WeTravel's recent launch of its new operating system for multi-day travel, which redefined the company's platform as an all-in-one solution to build, sell, and operate tours. The addition of GTO's supplier pricing data enhances the OS by embedding real-time vendor insights into the same environment where operators already manage bookings, payments, itineraries, and communications. WeTravel currently supports thousands of student group travel organizers on its platform. These customers use WeTravel to manage every aspect of their business—from client onboarding and installment payments to rooming lists and real-time messaging. With the addition of GTO's group pricing insights, these organizers will now also benefit from faster supplier sourcing and quoting, helping them remain competitive and efficient. 'By integrating supplier pricing directly into the operational workflow through a partnership with GTO, we are empowering organizers – especially those in student and group travel in the U.S. – to make faster, more informed decisions. It brings greater transparency, efficiency, and equity to supplier access, helping businesses of all sizes deliver high-quality travel experiences while improving their bottom line.'
Forbes
03-06-2025
- Health
- Forbes
3 Ways To Prevent A ‘Vacation Meltdown' With Kids, By A Psychologist
Do your family vacations leave you more drained than delighted? Here are three ways to outsmart the ... More chaos and make every moment count, with your sanity intact. Recreation is a powerful way to connect and bond with your family. Family vacations, in particular, give you and your family a chance to get away from the monotony of everyday routine and be fully present with one another. Although, as parents, this can be a challenging experience. In the process of managing your child's energy dips to navigating teenage mood swings, while trying to make it all 'worth it' for everyone, vacations can be more overwhelming than relaxing. However, it doesn't always have to be stressful. The key to remedy this is better preparation. While you definitely cannot predict or foresee the ups and downs that may happen, you can certainly make a plan catering to your family's needs, which can make a major difference. Here are three ways to plan a better vacation with your family, based on research. As a parent, you'll likely do most of the planning for the trip, while trying to keep everyone's preferences in mind, which can be a lot to juggle. A better and more harmonious way to do the planning is by involving everyone, including your kids and teenagers. A 2021 study published in the Journal of Travel Research explored how children's involvement in family travel decisions is influenced by their own knowledge and emotional connection to tourism, as well as by the family's communication style. Researchers found that children who are more knowledgeable about travel and feel emotionally attached to it tend to have a greater influence on both initiating trips and making decisions about activities. Additionally, families that encourage open and concept-oriented communication allow children to participate more actively in planning. Based on the study's findings, one practical suggestion for better vacations is to engage in open communication within the family when planning trips. You can do this by encouraging your children to share their ideas, preferences and concerns freely. Actively listen to them without any judgment. This reinforces the idea that everyone's voice matters and gives a sense of autonomy to each and every member of the family, making it less likely that they'll be upset or frustrated on the trip. Start with conducting family meetings or casual planning sessions where each member, regardless of age, has a say. This helps reduce potential conflicts and stress, making the trip smoother and more enjoyable for all. Ultimately, this way, as a family, you change your decision-making in a way that better reflects everyone's interests. Eventually, this leads to greater enthusiasm and cooperation during the vacation. One significant stressor during family vacations can be the pace of the trip. While the idea is to have fun, an overpacked to-do list can leave you and your children feeling more exhausted than rejuvenated. This is because when itineraries are packed without breaks, it leaves little to no time for rest, play or spontaneous fun. A nonstop schedule can deplete your children's energy, which eventually increases their irritability and reduces their ability to enjoy the trip fully. All of which equally impacts you, as a parent, causing you to feel more fatigued than rested on a trip. Research published in Tourism Review analyzed the influence of various stressors on overall vacation stress. The researchers highlight that vacation stress is a multi-dimensional concept. The three main categories are pre-trip stressors (such as planning and preparation), travel stressors (such as transportation delays) and destination stressors (stress experienced at the vacation location). Destination stressors, out of three, were identified as the strongest factor contributing to overall vacation stress. This usually happens because destination stress can feel overwhelming with the many unpredictable factors that you may encounter. These may include crowded attractions, long waiting lines, sensory overload from new sights and sounds, unfamiliar routines and sometimes even unexpected weather changes. For children, especially, these stressors can quickly lead to meltdowns or withdrawn behavior. This is an added stressor for the parents. For these reasons, intentionally creating buffer time can be a great solution. Mindfully try to incorporate it into your travel itinerary. Extra time between activities can serve as a breather for everyone to rest and recalibrate. This helps prevent the buildup of fatigue and frustration that often leads to irritability. It's important to remember that a vacation isn't a checklist to complete. Let your focus be more on doing less but doing it right, which means prioritizing quality time that suits everyone's age and needs while cherishing the time you spend together. Vacations with kids often involve adventure parks and crowded places that involve waiting in lines for long periods of time. This is a common source of tension. It's okay to acknowledge that waiting is frustrating and sometimes exhausting. You're doing your best and that counts for a lot. In this situation, turning the inevitable waiting time into playtime can make a huge difference. Try to stay lighthearted by playing simple games, telling funny stories or sharing little observations about your surroundings. You can even engage in planning future activities together while you wait to transform the experience. Encouraging kids to stay engaged not only distracts them from boredom and irritation, but also strengthens family connections. When parents stay calm and engaged, it sets a positive tone that helps kids relax, too. Bringing along snacks and small comfort items can also be a game-changer during such long waits. Hunger and fatigue can often amplify irritability for many, making patience even harder to maintain. Having familiar snacks on hand can provide quick energy boosts and a sense of comfort, which helps stabilize mood and keep spirits high. A 2024 survey conducted by Talker Research found that three and a half hours into a holiday trip is when parental stress typically peaks. One of the top reasons for this is the stress of keeping kids entertained and managing temper tantrums. What helped the most, according to 83% of parents, was having a good roster of snacks on hand. Keep in mind, you just need to find a rhythm that works for everyone. Remember to stay flexible in your approach and turn small moments into opportunities for connection. This way, even the most tedious parts of a trip can become meaningful. It's in these in-between moments, while waiting, laughing or simply being together, that some of the most cherished memories are made. To transform your vacation experience, focus on what works for your family, keeping each member in mind. Making everyone feel involved, connected and well-rested will help create more harmony and ease. One of the most powerful shifts you can make is in your mindset. Traveling with children naturally involves mood swings, tantrums and unexpected moments that will test your patience. The key is to prepare yourself to respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively. Things may not always go as planned and that's okay. Staying flexible and attuned to your family's needs will help you power through moments of frustration and create space for connection, even when things don't go perfectly. Are you running on empty as a parent? Take this science-backed test to find out if you're burnt out: Parental Burnout Assessment
