Louise is a travel consultant and having recently organised my family holiday to Tenerife I asked Louise to sit down with me and answer a few questions which I think will be of interest to our clients and connections.

What does a typical client of yours look like?

Typically, my clients tend to be busy professionals and families.  People who love to travel and can afford at least a couple of holidays a year but just don’t have the hours available to sit and trawl the internet for inspiration and the best deals.  I offer a complete service from enquiry stage right to return home.  With new clients I tend to have a chat with them to determine the kind of holidays they normally go on and understand their likes and dislikes.  Once I know this, I just ask for a rough idea of the budget they’re looking to spend and then I go away and start pulling together some options. 

I love to inspire people and open them up to places and ideas they hadn’t necessarily thought of themselves.

I can provide pretty much any type of holiday, from a package holiday to Europe right through to a bespoke round the World trip by private jet and everything in between.

I have also recently grown my team and can now offer business travel to clients who need it.

Where does your passion for travel and holidays come from?

I’ve had a passion for travel for as long as I can remember, I think it initially came from having family in LA as a child and being totally fascinated with life out there and what it was like.  I always wanted to travel so decided to work as Cabin Crew for Virgin Atlantic in my twenties which was such a fantastic experience, getting paid to travel the World and coming home every few days to see family and friends, loved it! 

I have travelled extensively in my personal life also visiting every continent apart from South America which is on my “must visit list”

What destinations are particularly popular at the moment?

I’ve seen a real increase in high end holidays,  I think people came out of the pandemic realising just how much travelling meant to them and that they were going to spend that little bit extra and treat themselves when travelling. Whether that be travelling by Business Class or First Class rather than Economy or just booking that hotel they’ve always dreamed of staying in.

People are also looking for different experiences while travelling. I’m currently looking into an Italian road trip by supercar for a client which looks amazing!  I work with fantastic suppliers who can pretty much provide any kind of holiday or experience people are after, pardon the pun but the World really is your oyster .

My most popular destinations this year have been Dubai, Maldives, Turkey, Lapland, Ski holidays and also Sporting events. I have a client off to Abu Dhabi F1 with top hospitality included and a group travelling to Qatar for the World Cup this month

What are your best money saving tips for those looking at their next holiday plans in the current climate?

BOOK IN ADVANCE – spread your holiday cost overtime. To book a holiday well in advance I only require a small deposit. I can book most holidays around 12-18 months in advance depending where you travel to. As soon as flights are released you have the cheapest seats available to book.

FREE CHILD PLACES – make the most of free child places. More options available the more in advance you book. If you are flexible on dates and destination even better USE INSET DAYS – all schools around the country have different inset days – so check these dates and if you can travel earlier or later this could make a big difference to the cost of the holiday

FLIGHT TIMES – if you aren’t fixed in to travelling certain times then travelling on later flights or unsociable times could make a big difference to your holiday cost.

FLYING INDIRECT – this would appeal to more long-haul destinations to make it worthwhile. Some of the difference in cost by flying indirect can be HUGE. So, if you are open to this you could save here.

TWIN CENTRE HOLIDAYS – want to go away for 14 or 10 nights to a luxury hotel but prices are high? Why not split the stay with a cost-effective hotel and a higher end hotel.

TRANSFERS – try and pre book transfers where you can as I have found this year from my own travels that paying on arrival or direct with hotels can be very expensive. I have a few transfer suppliers that have fantastic prices. I cater to all budgets and all different client requests to make it as personal and tailored to you.

 Where would be your number one all time destination?

I’m often asked this question and find it so hard to answer but if pushed my top destinations would be the Maldives. It’s like nowhere else on earth and the number of Islands available to book now mean that all tastes and budgets are catered for. 

What was once a honeymoon destination is now getting increasingly popular for families.  Kids are really well catered for there; the islands have amazing kids’ clubs which means the parents actually get a chance to relax in peace!  It’s also a real foodie’s paradise!

Close runners up would be summers spent in the Mediterranean because of the abundance of destinations to choose from and only a short flight away.  Middle East for winter sun and 5-star luxury and Thailand for a real cultural holiday experience!

Any other great tips you could give people to think about?

Book with a trusted travel expert like myself- my service is completely free I am paid by my suppliers at no extra added cost for you. You have a fully ATOL protected package meaning your money is in safe hands and you are looked after every step of the way by someone that cares.

As a client of mine you will receive weekly emails with some amazing offers, travel updates and new hotel openings.  You will also have access to our (free) MyTC app where you can view quotes, request to book holidays, make payments as and when you want to and access all of your travel documents so no need to print anything off.  You’ll also have me to contact directly if there are any issues, rather than having to spend hours on hold to tour operators or airlines yourself.

Louise can be contacted at louise.murray@travelcounsellors.com or 0121 259 0048

Thanks for reading.