This article
originally appeared in the July issue of AGENTatHOME magazine. Subscribe here to receive your free copy
each month.
The following
article was written by Margo Van Ness, ASTA Senior Director, Marketing and
Communications:
For many
professionals, becoming a travel advisor is not where their working life
begins. It is where their experience, passion and purpose come together in a
new way.
Across the
industry, more people are leaving careers in education, academia and the
corporate world to build something more personal and fulfilling in travel. Some
are looking for work that better reflects what they love. Others want
flexibility, stronger client connections or the opportunity to build a business
of their own. Travel advising offers all that, along with the chance to help
clients create memories that last.
The stories of
Michele Lindsay, owner of Blue Pointe Travel, and Rebecca Cruse, a travel
advisor with Chronicle Travel, show there is no single path into the
profession. But their journeys reveal why this career is increasingly appealing
to those seeking a meaningful next chapter.
For Lindsay,
travel had long been part of who she was. Before becoming an agency owner, she
spent years as a world history teacher, helping students understand cultures
and people around the globe.
"From a young
age, I was captivated by travel," she said. "I remember watching my
grandparents set off on cross-country road trips and cruises around the world,
and those early memories shaped my sense of curiosity."
Margo Van Ness, ASTA Senior Director, Marketing and Communications. (Photo Credit: American Society of Travel Advisors)
Today, she brings
that curiosity to clients overwhelmed by seemingly endless options.
"I often tell
people I’m part travel advisor, part matchmaker," Lindsay said. "I
pair travelers with the experiences that will become their most meaningful
memories."
Cruse, meanwhile,
entered the travel industry after a long corporate career and a moment of
personal reflection.
"After a long
and successful corporate career, I reached a point where I wanted my work to
reflect what I genuinely loved," Cruse said.
After a trip to
Kauai, she began as an advisor part-time, then moved into a full-time role in
June 2025.
Professional
support also matters. Lindsay credits the American Society of Travel Advisors’
Verified Travel Advisor certification with giving her "the confidence,
tools and fiduciary knowledge" to serve clients.
For
career-changers, travel advising is not a departure from who they are — it’s
often a fuller expression of it.
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