A Day in the Life of a Travel Advisor: What It Takes to Run an Agency

Have you ever wondered how your fellow travel advisors run their business – and how they break down their days in terms of which tasks they perform during different parts of the day?

We caught up with four travel advisors to see what it takes to run a successful agency or find success as an independent contractor.

Mark Hennigan, Co-Owner, Dreamers Travel

Morning: Hennigan begins his day at 6 a.m., when he opens his dashboard to clear any requests and answer questions from quotes that were sent the day before.

“This helps me feel like I am starting each day with a fresh start before the phones start to ring or walk-ins come in — we are a storefront,” he said.

Hennigan also books/secures any trips that came in from the quotes sent out the day before, so client payments can be made prior to leaving the office.

Noon to Midday: “By 10 a.m., I am usually starting my quotes for the day,” Hennigan said. “This can vary by time but often takes four to six hours, depending on how many quotes I am currently working on.”

Late Afternoon/Evening: From 2-6 p.m., Hennigan answers questions that have arrived from his morning follow-ups and from quotes that were sent between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. He also makes reservations for clients ready to secure their trips and processes those payments before leaving the office for the evening.

“This is a rinse and repeat cycle five days a week,” he said.

Isabel Perez, Luxury Advisor, Forest Travel

Morning:Perez starts her day by focusing on ensuring an exceptional client experience.

“I prioritize being available, responding quickly, and following up promptly,” she said. “Much of my time is dedicated to clients and new leads, so revenue-generating tasks naturally come high on my list.”

But client emergencies will always take precedence in her morning schedule.

“For example, if a client’s flight is canceled, that becomes my top priority, even if it means pausing other work,” Perez said. “A traveler flying out today with a cancelled flight will always take priority over preparing a quote for a trip planned a year from now.”

Noon to Midday: At the day’s midpoint, Perez typically centers her focus on growth and organization. This might include internal meetings, webinars or networking opportunities, all of which help her strengthen her product knowledge and stay current with industry trends.    

Perez also spends this stretch of the day on pending tasks and checking in on clients who are currently traveling.

“Proactively reaching out to make sure their journeys are running smoothly not only builds trust, but also helps me resolve any small issues before they become larger problems,” she said. “Balancing professional development with client care during this time allows me to grow while still keeping client satisfaction front and center.”

Late Afternoon/Evening: “This is when I review any outstanding issues or follow-ups that weren’t fully resolved during the day,” Perez said. “I take the time to organize and prioritize them, classifying tasks by urgency and importance so that I can start the next morning with a clear game plan.”

Her routine ensures nothing slips through the cracks, whether that’s confirming payments with vendors to secure bookings, following up with clients who were waiting on updates, sending trip reminders, sorting through flight schedule changes or reviewing proposals.

“By preparing in the evening, I can hit the ground running the next day, giving clients the prompt responses and proactive service they expect,” Perez said.

McLean Robbins, Founder, Lily Pond Luxury

Morning:Robbins starts her day at 5:45 a.m. before her toddler wakes up.

“Three mornings a week, my non-negotiable is a workout, ensuring I accomplish at least one thing in the day,” she said. “It sets the tone for productivity.”  

She then reviews what came in overnight, such as client texts and emails from Europe and urgent supplier updates, as well as messages from her independent contractors.

“I’ve learned that addressing those urgent matters first thing keeps the day from spiraling and ensures clients feel the 24/7 support they expect from a luxury advisor,” she said.

Noon to Midday: Midday, Robbins goes into what she calls “project mode,” handling tasks like designing itineraries, connecting with destination management partners and curating hotel options for clients.

“I’ll toggle between Sion for numbers, Travefy for itineraries and my inbox for supplier negotiations,” she said. “I also mentor my team — reviewing proposals, helping them refine client communications and setting business strategy.”

At least two days per week, Robbins focuses on operational leadership rather than day-to-day tasks, which she says has become easier now that she has administrative assistants who load proposals and pay balances.“This is when I think like a CEO rather than just an advisor,” she said. “Are we hitting revenue targets? Where do we need to refine the process? What’s coming next quarter?”

She additionally fits in content and marketing tasks during this part of her day, including drafting client-facing emails, polishing LinkedIn posts and finalizing press quotes.

Late Afternoon/Evening:

Every day in the evening, Robbins takes a dedicated pause for family walks, dinner and bedtime.

“I find the mental clarity that comes with a break to be both helpful and necessary — clients can become 24/7 if you let them,” she said.

An hour or so after Robbins puts her son to bed, she wraps up business by pre-setting emails and making a list for the next day.

“I’ll confirm transfers are en route, double-check late hotel check-ins, and scan for any issues that could crop up overnight,” she said.  

Kendra Wolfe, Owner, Zip Travel Co

Morning: Because Wolfe is no longer a booking advisor, she focuses on ensuring that her agency runs smoothly.

“I’ve learned I can’t be an effective leader while also carrying a client load, and equally, I can’t be the best travel agent while trying to lead a company,” she said.

Wolfe’s workday begins at 7:45 a.m., when she peruses the list she created the previous evening.

“I like to tackle what feels most urgent right away,” she said. “After that, the first part of my morning is about checking in with my agents — sending encouragement by email or text and making sure they know I value their work.”

She then moves on to checking email and working on marketing strategies.

“Mondays especially are marketing-heavy, with scheduling social posts, planning email blasts and building the calendar for promotion,” Wolfe said. “Social media doesn’t come naturally to me, but I work hard to stay on top of trends, music and hashtags so our content gets seen — and I share what I learn with my team so we’re all in the loop.”

Noon to Late Afternoon: Around lunchtime, Wolfe carves out time for training.

“This is also when I schedule ‘Lunch and Learn’ webinars for my team to give agents who work outside of Zip Travel [office] a chance to attend on their lunch break,” she said.

After lunch, Wolfe turns her attention to emails and works in the CRM, checking numbers, reviewing strategy and connecting with vendor business development managers.

“This is also when I work closely with my writing team, since we’re always improving what we send to clients,” she said, adding a nonnegotiable cutoff at 3:30pm, which is when her 7-year-old arrives home.

“I’m a mom first, and since my job is the most flexible, it’s important to me to be present for homework, activities and family time,” Wolfe said

Evening: After dinner, when her youngest child is in bed, Wolfe checks her emails to ensure nothing urgent has come in. Then, she makes her to-do list for the next morning, prioritizing what needs attention first.

“That way, when I sit down at 7:45 a.m. the next day, I already know where to begin,” she said.

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