Travel Beyond the Obvious

24/03/2024

Eva Metz-Tolliver with Germany Travel Company, one of our Silver Certified Travel Experts, talks about fantastic winter holidays in Germany! https://icyeurope.com/some-best-places-to-visit-in-the-world-in-december/?fbclid=IwAR06n1OGqhyc8gUOGy6xLH2x4S7OpTsj0rC26TshOXMxfHPkcrNghasYWBs

Many places including Iceland and Scotland are some of of the best places to visit in the world in December. All these places have something unique to offer.

18/03/2024

“Totaranui: Beach Bliss and Hidden Wonders in Abel Tasman

Basking in the glorious warmth of the sunshine on my neck, I revel in the contrast to the past couple of long, soggy days that have chilled my bones. Determined to shake off the lingering cold, we made the spontaneous decision to take a little adventure to the untamed beauty of Abel Tasman National Park’s Totaranui Beach – oh yeah, was it the right call!…”
- Courtney Kenady, New Zealand Travel Solved

This is just a taste from the first Travel Expert Network newsletter.

Today my partner at Travel Beyond the Obvious, Madeline Clark, and I launched the Travel Expert Network Newsletter, the first newsletter with only curated content from Certified Travel Experts. It is perfect for savvy travelers who want to find out where their next bucket list trip will be! Each newsletter will include a specific highlighted destination, blogs from our CTEs, travel tips, pictures and more.

You can check out the first newsletter here. See what you think, we hope you join the Travel Expert Network!
https://mailchi.mp/travelbeyondtheobvious/travel-expert-network-march-2024-newsletter-5672951?e=a0751f7d56

You can subscribe here: http://eepurl.com/h0y-WP.

Also, please share with any fellow travelers who want something special for their next trip, or maybe you even know someone who does trip planning and would be interested in becoming a contributor!

Basking in the glorious warmth of the sunshine on my neck, I revel in the contrast to the past couple of long, soggy days that have chilled my bones. Determined to shake off the lingering cold, we made the spontaneous decision to take a little adventure to the untamed beauty of Abel Tasman National....

26/01/2023

This is it! Madeline Clarke Jhawar will be speaking at Host Agency Reviews' Host Week 2023 today at 5:05pm for 30 minutes on
How (and Why) to Build a Fee-For-Service Travel Business in 8 Steps!

To watch, go to the link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfZ0EIkCYZU&list=PLdEeS4KrdBLqVDL24Cw8Mw2XeMQVBwmec&index=4

Also, we are giving a discount through the end of February for any Host Week attendees of $200 off our Travel Expert Training Program, the 8-lesson course. Here is where you can claim your discount: https://www.travelbeyondtheobvious.com/har-host-week-23-promotion-8-steps-to-success/

8-step video program teaches new travel business owners how to launch business with templates and training guides

23/01/2023

Host Agency Review’s Host Week 2023 starts today! Madeline Clarke Jhawar will be speaking on Thursday at 5:05pm for 30 minutes on
How (and Why) to Build a Fee-For-Service Travel Business in 8 Stepsl
Definitely check out Host Week, there are a lot of different kinds of sessions. Much of it is targeted at travel agents but still lots to learn!
https://hostagencyreviews.com/events/2023/host-week-2023
On Thursday, if you want to see Madeline’s presentation, just go to the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfZ0EIkCYZU&list=PLdEeS4KrdBLqVDL24Cw8Mw2XeMQVBwmec&index=4
To see the links for all of the days, go here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdEeS4KrdBLqVDL24Cw8Mw2XeMQVBwmec

Back for its third year, Host Week 2023, Jan. 22nd-28th! What is Host Week? It’s a week-long celebration of hosted travel agents and the industry that supports them.

17/01/2023

After over a year beta testing and 100+ trips organized by our Certified Travel Experts, Travel Beyond The Obvious is launching the first free directory that connects travelers with travel experts for custom trip planning!

It’s official – today Travel Beyond The Obvious™ (TBO) launches the Travel Expert Network™, the only online directory of travel experts, where savvy travelers…

11/01/2023

Great Zoom call today presenting our new services (skip to 0:20 for presentation) One of our biggest Zoom calls ever! Thanks everyone for coming, and if you're watching it later we want to know what you think. If you have questions reach out to Madeline Clarke Jhawar or Devin McKinney or schedule a call with Madeline: https://calendly.com/madelinejhawar/travel-beyond-the-obvious-course-consultation

09/01/2023

Update Reminder - we’re hosting a live Service Update tomorrow at 11am PDT on Zoom. If you’re thinking of starting your own travel planning business, you are welcome to join!

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: TBO Service Update. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

05/01/2023

TBO Founder Madeline Jhawar to present at HAR Host Week:

I'm excited to be presenting at Host Week 2023: How and Why to build a Fee-for-Service Travel Business, in 8 Steps. It's exactly how I built Italy Beyond the…

02/01/2023

Happy New Year – Buon Anno - Gelukkig nieuwjaar - Bonne année - Frohes neues Jahr - Eftychisméno to néo étos - Hauʻoli makahiki hou - Gleðilegt nýtt ár - Godt nytt år! And in every other language too!

With the new year comes exciting times for Travel Beyond the Obvious. We have launched our new web site at https://www.travelbeyondtheobvious.com/ and created a separate site showcasing our Certified Travel Experts at https://www.thetravelexpertnetwork.com/

Join us for a special event
Now is the perfect time to explore and plan for a great year! If you are a travel expert come join us on January 10th when we’ll be showcasing our new service programs for training and certification! If you are just starting we offer training and certification, and if you’re established we offer certification and access to the Travel Expert Network where savvy travelers find exceptional travel planners.

TBO First Annual Service Update
Date: January 10th, 2023
Time: 11am PDT
Sign up now: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtd-utpzojGt19a47TFSidotp9fwIXWW9h

If you can’t make the call we’ll be posting the video here on Facebook.

We hope you have a fabulous year!

Madeline Jhawar
Devin McKinney
Travel Beyond The Obvious

14/09/2022

Congratulations to our newest Certified Travel Expert™ Stephanie Chastain who has earned her Gold Certification for travel to Ireland. Here is her new Profile Page on the Travel Expert Network at https://www.thetravelexpertnetwork.com/certified-travel-expert-stephanie-chastain-infinite-ireland-travel-co/.

22/08/2022

GoT travel news - House of the Dragon tourism coming soon to Cornwall, Derbyshire, Spain, Portugal.

House Of The Dragon: Cornwall, Derbyshire, Spain, Portugal Tourism Industries Prepare For Surge Of Fantasy Fan Visitors

When House of the Dragon makes its highly-anticipated global debut this week, it won’t just be fans who will be poring over every scene. The tourist boards of the UK’s Cornwall and Peak District re…

19/07/2022

Travel Business Owners Podcast – new episode available!

Hidden Treasures of Greece: Carol Papaletsos, Ambrosia Travel
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1016953/10986554

Carol Papaletsos loves everything Greek – the food, the islands, the history, the people, the water, the wine. And the olive oil. Especially the olive oil. Madeline Jhawar and Devin McKinney interview Carol about how she turned a passion for all things Greek into a successful travel planning business.

Carol is the founder of Ambrosia Travel (ambrosiasc.com) providing custom trip planning for travelers seeking Greek vacations. An early passion for travel led her to move to Greece at the age of 22 and stay for 20 years. She returned to South Carolina and launched Evge, a Greek food export company, and Ambrosia Travel, a concierge Greek Travel business where she plans trips for people who want to see the hidden treasures of Greece.

Listen as she shares her journey and find out how what inspired her to create her successful travel planning business - maybe she'll inspire you to start your own business too!

Subscribe to her newsletter here – it’s always full of great recipes and travel tips for Greece! https://mailchi.mp/ambrosiasc/weekly-email

Don’t forget to subscribe to the Travel Business Owners podcast so you can listen to our monthly episodes!

Listen on your preferred podcast player:
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/travel-business-owners-podcast/id1509060319
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28si2ccn1O8RZ74ZzS9f0B
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xMDE2OTUzLnJzcw?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ9sEGahcKEwjQ--vD2fb2AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQPg
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/0a9bd34c-38cc-4ff2-9d3b-f20eb70461b6/travel-business-owners-podcast
Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/?podId=2887696
Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/9v654xia

If you know a destination locale like the back of your hand and want to learn how to turn your knowledge into money, this podcast is for you. Madeline Jhawar, founder of one of the most successful custom travel planning services around, Italy Beyond the Obvious, talks with travel business owners and...

07/05/2022

Travel Expert Training Program Popcast Series
This is the sixth in a series of 10-15 minute conversations between Madeline Clarke Jhawar and Devin McKinney where we discuss one of the lessons in the TETP, give an overview, and highlight how it fits in to Madeline’s proven successful 8-step process for creating and launching your own travel planning company.

Step 6 is Your Little Black Book. You’ve cultivated personal relationships with locals who trust you. This is gold. How can you leverage these connections to create unforgettable trips that are customized for each traveler? We’ll tell you.

Even if you’ve taken the lessons you might find something useful!
Feel free to share it with anyone who you think who might be interested.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1016953/10366886

Devin McKinney and Madeline Jhawar talk about the sixth step in the Travel Expert Training Program, give an overview, and highlight how it fits in to Madeline's proven successful 8-step process for building and launching your own travel planning c...

01/05/2022

Nice to see the world opening up - congratulations!

NEW ZEALAND IS OPENING!

Exciting news! New Zealand is opening to fully vaccinated American travelers TODAY! May 1, 2022! Now is the time to plan your travel! We can help! We create custom itineraries especially for you!

Visit https://newzealandtravelsolved.com/covid-19-advice-for-nz-travelers/ for more information!

18/04/2022

Travel Expert Training Program Popcast Series
This is the fifth in a series of 10-15 minute conversations between Madeline Clarke Jhawar and I where we discuss one of the lessons in the TETP, give an overview, and highlight how it fits in to Madeline’s proven successful 8-step process for building and launching your own travel planning company. This is lesson 5, How to Earn Money – Turning the passion into a paycheck – the different ways you can increase your cash flow – from fees to commissions to affiliate income. One of the most important ways to maximize your earnings is to work efficiently. We show you how.

Even if you’ve taken the lessons you might find something useful!

Feel free to share it with anyone who you think who might be interested.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1016953/10366573

Devin McKinney and Madeline Jhawar talk about the fifth step in the Travel Expert Training Program, give an overview, and highlight how it fits in to Madeline's proven successful 8-step process for building and launching your own travel planning c...

11/04/2022

Ever wonder what goes in to planning a perfect trip? Expertise, that's what.

11/04/2022

Travel Expert Training Program Popcast Series
This is the fourth in a series of 10-15 minute conversations between Madeline Clarke Jhawar and I where we discuss one of the lessons in the TETP, give an overview, and highlight how it fits in to Madeline’s proven successful 8-step process for building and launching your own travel planning company. This is lesson 4, all about Madeline’s proven 5-Step Travel Planning Process - the logistical "Secret Sauce" for trip planning!

Even if you’ve taken the lessons you might find something useful!
Feel free to share it with anyone who you think who might be interested.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1016953/10366572

Devin McKinney and Madeline Jhawar talk about the fourth step in the Travel Expert Training Program, give an overview, and highlight how it fits in to Madeline's proven successful 8-step process for building and launching your own travel planning ...

05/04/2022

04/04/2022

Travel Expert Training Program Popcast Series

This is the third in a series of 10-15 minute conversations between Madeline Clarke Jhawar and I where we discuss one of the lessons in the TETP, give an overview, and highlight how it fits in to Madeline’s proven successful 8-step process for building and launching your own travel planning company. Step 3 shows you how to get past the objections and get a signed contract. As a travel expert, you need a lot of requests and you need to close customers fast.

Even if you’ve taken the lessons you might find something useful!
Feel free to share it with anyone who you think who might be interested.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1016953/10340432

It’s not always smooth sailing closing deals. Devin McKinney and Madeline Jhawar talk about the third step in the Travel Expert Training Program, give an overview, and highlight how it fits in to Madeline's proven successful 8-step process for bu...

29/03/2022

This is so true!

29/03/2022

Travel Expert Training Program Popcast Series
This is the first in a series of 10-15 minute conversations between Madeline Clarke Jhawar and I where we discuss one of the lessons in the TETP, give an overview, and highlight how it fits in to Madeline’s proven successful 8-step process for building and launching your own travel planning company.
Here is Step 1 – Customer, Services and Pricing. This lesson is the foundation for all our students. Let’s work out who you’re selling to, what you’re selling, and what you should charge.
Feel free to share it with anyone who you think who might be interested.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1016953/10153327

Lean and Mean – Want to get right into it, get your feet wet? This lesson is the foundation for all our students. Let’s work out who you’re selling to, what you’re selling, and what you should charge. Here's an overview of our first lesson in our ...

17/09/2021

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Congratulations to Carol Rogers Papaletsos of Ambrosia Travel for passing our four-part assessment and earning her Gold Certification as a TBO travel expert for Greece!
🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷
Check out her website here:
https://ambrosiasc.com/index.html

Fresh authentic Greek cuisine. Home delivery. Customized Greek travel. Olive oil

19/08/2021

Our 8-step process on how to build an online travel business works! One of our first Gold Certified travel experts was interviewed about her business, Euro Travel Coach.

"Betsy was also one of the first participants in the Travel Beyond the Obvious course, which trains Destination Experts on how to create their businesses. This is now a full-fledged organization with video segments, support groups, and certification. This has been an enormous contributor to our ability to be efficient and effective in what we do to find and best help our clients have amazing trips.

This has all helped us slowly build a customer base and greatly increased our site’s Domain Authority, so customers are now finding us through Google searches."

This post is brought to you by a few of Greg and Betsy’s travel must-haves: MacBook Airs and iPhones for work and communication and Trekology Trekking Poles for hiking. This is the latest interview in a series featuring digital nomads talking about their lives and lessons (click here if you want t...

03/08/2021

Congratulations to Alissa Rose for completing the 8 lessons of the Travel Expert Training Program and nailing the final assessment questionnaire! 💥💥💥💥💥💥
Next stop.... Silver Certification. We're here cheering for you Alissa!

20/07/2021

The TBO podcast is included in Welp Magazine's Top 20 woop! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
https://welpmagazine.com/20-best-destination-services-podcasts-of-2021/

Are you wanting to learn more about destination services ? Well you've come to the right place. This is a curated list of the best destination services podcasts of 2021. We have selected these

24/02/2021

One of our awesome Travel Experts shares everything you need to know about traveling to Turks & Caicos during the pandemic. Watch below!

08/02/2021

Congratulations to Dave Sammel for completing our Travel Expert Training Program!
He is launching his new travel planning business Magical Mexico Travel soon. We are excited to have him join our community. ¡Hasta pronto!

http://www.magicalmexicotravel.com/

If you want to grow your own travel business - check out our 8-lesson online video training. We offer free samples taken from every lesson so you can see how easy it is!

07/01/2021

Congratulations to Teresa Cavazos with I Spy Spain who is now a Travel Beyond the Obvious Silver-certified expert for Spain. I Spy Spain is new in 2020, but she has been traveling and planning toward this for some time. We are proud to welcome her to our community of travel experts!

She can now use the title "Certified Travel Expert™" and display our Silver Certification badge in her marketing materials, as well as being eligible for referrals via our Travel Expert Directory We hope that this certification makes a difference in her business, and we are going to do everything we can to make sure it does!

Check out her business, I Spy Spain, here: https://www.ispyspain.com/

If you want to know more about getting certified here is a video from Madeline: https://www.travelbeyondtheobvious.com/apply-travel-expert-certification/

Grow Your Wildly Successful Travel Planning Business Learn to Stand Out From the Crowd as a Certified Travel Expert™ Get me started Top 3 Crazy Reasons to Build Your Travel Business During COVID Become a Certified Travel Expert and: 1. Gain a Competitive Advantage Be the first in your region to ge...