Hi everyone! I have some exciting news! Many of you know that I’d been looking to start my own consulting firm this year, but I’ve decided to take this in a different direction. Rather than Five Foot Consulting, I’ve partnered up with Guidester, a new, innovative travel service that captures the emotion of a person’s travel desires to help them create the experience they really want to have. That’s right, I’m proud to announce that I’m officially their lead travel consultant and trip planner! So for all you wanderluster's that need some travel direction, you know where to find me!
Frequently, travelers are often left overwhelmed, under-prepared, and missing much of their experience due to lack of preparation. People often spend more time planning for a trip than they actually spend enjoying it. Feeling confident about sorting through all the information you find online and in normal guidebooks can be daunting. There is also a lack of cultural understanding that can lead to awkward moments or missed opportunities.
So, what is Guidester?
We make any destination in the world familiar before you arrive, by creating high-level custom travel guides based on your own interests that alleviates the burden of hours of research, and provides enhanced knowledge that will help you better experience a new place. Guidester gives you the confidence and expertise of a structured tour, with the freedom and flexibility of doing it yourself.
Guidester focuses on planning details of your trip and provides you with a rich cultural experience. Travel agents and tour companies are primarily focused on the booking aspect of the trip, and will typically direct you to companies in which they are affiliates. The thing is, Guidester does not make money through commission which makes us unique in the travel industry. We do not offer recommendations based on a commission structure, but rather what is always in the best interest of the traveler.
Watch the video below to see how it works!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNV0Y8tsWVM
Unlike an app, we create our guides in real-time ensuring that all recommendations are up-to-date and personalized. No matter how big or robust the app’s database, you can never fully substitute the human aspect. Relying on TripAdvisor and Yelp can be insufficient because…
- You still have to go through and take the time to read hundreds of reviews
- TripAdvisor doesn’t include your opening times, price, locations, and the level of detail that you really need
- These review sites are someone else’s opinions
- You can’t be sure the reviews are new and authentic
We have a direct relationship with our clients and are able to pinpoint a traveler’s personal preferences through a simple online “vacation profile.” We curate content in real-time based on a traveler’s personal preferences and then put it all into a highly interactive guidebook that downloads to your phone or any smart device giving you a higher level of convenience and capability. All you need to do is sit back and enjoy your trip! Sounds pretty easy and relaxing, right?
Click here to take a look at one of our sample guidebooks!
If this may be of interest to you, feel free to check out Guidester’s site and all that they have to offer! See you there 🙂
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Hi Sarah,
Congrats on this! Awesome news.
I dig the idea behind it too because we sometimes get caught up in pure convenience based on speed when tailoring trips and app it, versus speaking to skilled folks who customize experiences. Go with the human….at least sometimes LOL.
Ryan
Ryan, glad you see the value! We absolutely love helping travelers who constantly fall into the “I’ll just figure it out as I go” because it can make all the difference in the world! Cheers!