The Travel Design Company
Q & A with Laura Dean, Founder of The Travel Design Company
Where is your business based?
The Travel Design Company is based online and we like to talk to our guests either on the phone or face to face to get a true sense of what matters most to them so that we can design an itinerary that meets their exact requirements. We are also more than happy to meet those local to us at a place that is convenient for them.
Tell us about your business. Where did it all begin?
We create exceptional, bespoke, and truly personalised holidays that go beyond the ordinary. To us, it’s the personal touches that make the difference. We’re absolutely obsessed with travelling and short of taking you with us in our own suitcase, we promise to help you plan your holiday as meticulously as we would our own. We have travelled to over 50 countries across six continents and use our first-hand knowledge of the destinations that we sell to help you to experience things beyond the guidebook. We developed this love of travel into the business that we have today, drawing on our customer service and leadership backgrounds to give those that travel with us the experience that we would expect from our own travel.
What does your business offer? What is its USP?
With us you will discover an end-to-end personal concierge service with meticulous attention to detail and an unrivalled level of service, creating your travel plans and taking care of everything. It is the flexibility to change your mind knowing you are being taken care of every step of the way. From transfers to exclusive spa treatments and guided tours and excursions and everything in between, we are here to look after every single detail. Every one of our partners and locations is hand-picked, and we only work with people who share our values, and who, we know, will offer you the very best service on our behalf. These local partners know their destinations better than anyone and can offer an experience that goes beyond those usual guidebook ‘go to’ destinations that everyone knows about. Many of them are exclusive to us at The Travel Design Company. Our first-hand knowledge of destinations means we often know the best hotel rooms to choose, that give you the best views. Everything we design is bespoke, so no two holidays are ever created the same. We arrange surprises throughout people’s trips as we believe that the little touches make all the difference.
What are your plans for the business for 2022?
Since the pandemic and the resumption of travel with less restrictions, we believe that people are more discerning now and looking for more experiential travel. That all means that they are more likely to use a travel professional to plan their trip, provide flexible arrangements and itineraries and offer care and attention to detail that won’t be found in mass booking platforms. We will be showcasing more ideas for great travel in 2022, providing information and inspiration to help you to make up for lost travel opportunities over the last two years.
How do you find being a small independent business owner? Do you have any tips for business owners striving to do the same?
Owning a small business means we get to work on something that we are passionate about along with the freedom to always be there when our family needs us and work the hours we choose around the needs of our customers. Our tips would be: Do something you love and are passionate about. It can be difficult at times when you run your own business, but if you are doing something you enjoy, it will help you to stay motivated and keep going. Build your network. This is something that we didn’t do well enough at the beginning but has since proved so valuable to us. These are the people that will be your best supporters and a network provides you with like-minded people to talk to and pursue ideas with and who are also the most likely to recommend you. This is linked to the tip above, but don’t be the best-kept secret. It can be so hard to shout about what you do, but you will know your area of expertise better than others, so push yourself out of your comfort zone and shout about it, on social media, through your website, to anyone who will listen! You will feel so much better for it.
Anything else you’d like readers to know?
As travel lovers and parents, we believe that it is not about travelling less once you have small children, it is about travelling differently. During the pandemic, we made the decision that the family element of the business would stand alone and Little People, Big Adventures was born. Here we specialise in holidays for those adventurous families who want to truly experience the place they are visiting. Here we provide help, advice and guidance based very much on our own family travel experiences and build itineraries that are full of fun and enriching experiences for young adventurers that you won’t easily find online.
Contact The Travel Design Company
Website: www.thetraveldesigncompany.com
Instagram: @thetraveldesignco
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thetraveldesignco
Copyright 2022 Made In The Shire | Terms and Conditions
Copyright 2024 Made In The Shire | Terms and Conditions