Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracy Effron.
Tracy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When I was little I wanted to be like the fictional character Eloise, who lived in the Plaza! Ever since I can remember, I was always curious about what the world had to offer and insisted on going into every hotel to take a peek anytime I could – I was always a bit curious, to say the least. With a degree in Hospitality Management & Travel tourism, I got to do a deep dive into the industry and experience the ins and outs. I started with an internship at a travel agency during college and loved it! For me, creating peoples lifelong memories was and is such a special experience.
I started working in hotels at the Front Desk and Concierge and worked in quite a variety of departments from Reservations to Catering/Special Events and Conference Services to get the full experience. From there, I went on to work in publishing doing advertising sales & marketing, which was fun and a great experience but my heart was aching to go back into the travel segment. I went on to follow my passion of designing travel experiences, where it is my job to know the world!
Has it been a smooth road?
There have been some bumps in the road of this journey. As I speak the language of hospitality & travel including logistics, that has been smooth sailing for me. However, it is just about educating the consumers on all of the benefits of using a travel agent. We live in such a digital society that people are used to immediate response time and think that they can get the best “deal” out there. It is up to us to make them understand that we are taking their money and most importantly, their time into consideration and curating an overall experience for them that they wouldn’t be able to do on their own, including many added-value perks. With our knowledge and connections worldwide, we can elevate their experiences in ways they couldn’t even begin to imagine, for the better of course!
Tell us about your business/company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
We bring an unfaltering level of commitment and expertise to your doorstep to ensure you have the most life-changing and awe-inspiring journey possible. We plan all our trips from the root of the very same passion that propels our own wanderlust to explore the world the way it was meant to be explored.
An Avenue Apart is a luxury travel company that specializes in planning unique and customized trips around the globe. We differentiate ourselves by only selling hotels and destinations we have personally visited and made contacts in. For the client, this means a personalized and tailored approach to travel planning and an unparalleled wealth of destination knowledge. Our staff frequently travel to the destinations we sell, which provides you with unique and exceptional access to places that many tourists and tour guides would otherwise overlook. Our motto is “We have been there, now it’s your turn!”.
As a member of Virtuoso, the World’s most powerful travel network, we have unparalleled access to exclusive VIP and invitation-only perks throughout the world. Such perks often include complimentary breakfast, room upgrades, and resort credits at some of the best hotels and properties throughout the World.
In addition to a wide range of destination and hotel knowledge, An Avenue Apart specializes in luxury and difficult airfare arrangements. From knowing the intricacies of nearly every carrier to the types of seats and layouts of specific aircraft, to even maximizing those hard-earned points and miles, An Avenue Apart works with clients on securing and managing complex and difficult airfare to make the often difficult process easy and enjoyable. An encyclopedia of airline knowledge is made available to every An Avenue Apart client compiled from our wide range of firsthand knowledge. After all, isn’t getting there supposed to be half the fun?
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see the travel industry making dramatic shifts in the coming years, constantly keeping our fingers on the pulse to keep up with the trends. Things that were well known in the past are going to continue to be updated with more modern elements. Whether it be new destinations, new technologies or new concepts, we will need to adapt accordingly to capture the business.
Many people are now looking to travel to secondary cities to explore the unknown, versus the typical over-tourism “hot spots”. This is giving tremendous exposure to the smaller cities and driving their tourism, all while being able to deliver that local flavor travelers are seeking.
With everything going on in the world and the continuous growth of a stressful political climate, people are also looking to take some time for a “digital detox”, making the wellness segment grow at a very fast pace. This is a trend I see growing over time, as well as the big sustainability movement – which go hand-in-hand. People will want to get even more organic as we go on and something to look out for in the marketplace.
Given social media plays such a large part of our lives, people will be looking for those bragging rights and to be able to see/experience things that their confidants haven’t gotten to yet. This is something that is going to continue to grow rapidly over time. This all relays to personalization and marketing tourism, which can apply to every aspect of the travel experience.
Solo travel is going to be a trend to be on the lookout for. With the needs of solo travelers no longer seeming taboo, this will make people get back in touch with themselves with no distractions from a companion.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://avenueapart.com
- Email: Tracy@avenueapart.com
- Instagram: @luxuryXleisure, @avenueapart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnAvenueApart
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/anavenueapart
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