Meeting with Alexandra from the blog On the Way to Asia, travel designer.

Alexandra shares her experience.

Alexandra dedicated some of her time to answer a few questions about her experience with the free travel creators' app Vialala.

Hello Alexandra, can you introduce yourself briefly ?

I am Alexandra, I live in the South of France. Passionate about travel, I have, in the past two years, taken a particular interest in Southeast Asia... I spent six months on this continent which I adored, and the creation of my travel blog "En Route to Asia " is the logical continuation. Its purpose is to provide, as a travel planner, sound advice to future travelers to help them prepare their trip. Also passionate about digital photography, all the photos on this blog were taken by me.

What destinations do you offer and what is your experience with them? 

South East Asia: Bali (Indonesia), Singapore, and Vietnam

I spent 6 months on the Asian continent. Vietnam is the country I know best, having stayed there for almost 3 months living among the locals.

Its goal is to provide, as a travel planner, knowledgeable advice to future travelers to help them prepare for their journey.

What motivated you to become a travel planner?

The simple desire to share good tips about the various countries I know.

Helping people save a lot of time in travel planning and making them travel at the right price. Sharing with them my passion for this continent...

What does the job of a travel designer entail?

Help in preparing a travel project, advising on an itinerary, good accommodation deals, activities. It's a real travel consulting profession.

What is your process when a traveler contacts you for a custom travel proposal?

Contact him immediately by phone to fully understand his request.

Reinforce his country choice by sharing one or two anecdotes specifically about the country. This immediately breaks the ice and often builds more trust from the client.
It is at this moment that you must differentiate from a "traditional agency". Our role as "advisor" remains a crucial asset.

Provide him with an initial quote. If he is satisfied with the quote, proceed to booking the trip. If the quote needs to be adjusted, no worries, I will start over.

In all cases, remember to call the client just before their departure to wish them a safe trip, have them review the few words of the local language (that I provided in the quote in tips and tricks), and remind them about the customs and traditions of the country they are visiting.

Offer to stay in touch during his trip.

How much do you support travelers?

I talk to them about the itinerary, accommodations, and activities, but not only that. We discuss the customs and traditions of the country, general information about visas, vaccinations, etc. I teach them a few words of the country's language because it seems essential to me. Making the effort to know a few words will always please the locals, it's a real key to start being "accepted".

I am reachable at any time when the traveler is on site.

What qualities do you think are necessary to become a travel planner? 

Listening above all else.

The passion for the destination or destinations.

The methodology and responsiveness to quickly provide a quote.

The desire simply to share

Tell us about one of your best experiences as a traveler... and as a travel planner!

As a traveler.

A meeting that took place in Phan Rang, in the center of Vietnam. We leisurely follow the coast of the South China Sea in search of a temple and take the wrong path... Thus, we find ourselves immersed in another temple of a minority ethnic group of the country, the Chams. And there, the phrase "in unknown lands" truly comes to life. Indeed, they as well as we are inevitably surprised. They do not encounter many Westerners, and for some of them, it's even the first time it has happened. And, magic happens: beyond our differences, we receive an exceptional welcome... with open arms and smiles from the bottom of their hearts, the children give us a tour of the site.

After that, the women invite us to eat sweet potato fritters. The men offer us drinks... We take photos, some women almost argue to be in the picture with us. So, we take several shots! We spent a good hour in their company. The children then walked us back to our scooter and we said goodbye to everyone. What a joy it was to share this moment with them, it was a pure moment of mutual happiness, the meeting of an entire community.

As a travel planner.

With my first client who headed to Vietnam. As with every client, I inform them about the customs of the country and some basics of the language… So, apparently she got it all mixed up and once there, she was saying goodbye instead of hello and so on. She explained to me that the Vietnamese certainly had a good laugh about it. Quickly, they kindly told her that she had made a mistake!

What role do you think social media plays today in organizing a trip?

Many things. People are used to gathering a maximum of information by visiting traveler groups. Sharing photos also makes some want to discover one destination over another. Social networks even allow some people to travel without going through an agency because they feel capable of managing everything themselves with information found here and there….

As a travel planner, it also allows us to gain some tips !

What motivated you to join the Vialala.fr community?

Being part of a large community of travelers and enabling others to travel to places I know. The feeling of offering true "custom-made" experience and freely talking about the destination by sharing my own experience.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a travel planner?

Do not hesitate for a second! If you love traveling and sharing your knowledge with others, this is the job to do! The concept is innovative and has a lot of future. There are as many ways to travel as there are travelers… the travel planner therefore has a real place in the world of travel!

If you love to travel and share your knowledge with others, this is the job to do!

Why use a travel planner instead of a traditional travel agency?

The concept is simple and ensures that the person advising you truly knows their destination. The ability to travel at the right price, much lower than in traditional agencies. Personalization and customization truly come into their own because the travel planner masters the destination or destinations offered.