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The travel industry has had its ups and downs for the past several years. With COVID-19 related shutdowns and economic instability, many people are viewing vacations differently than they once did.

Cheryl Sowder is a travel advisor who lives in Harper and owns her own franchise with Cruise Planners for nine years and runs her business from home.

Through her hard work and thorough training, Sowder recently was awarded an opportunity to travel to Kenya and gain an in-depth understanding of the value of an African vacation.

“I’m more than just cruises. I do Europe and I do African safaris,” said Sowder about the types of trips that she helps her clients to book.

Sowder grew up in Houston and worked for a travel agency prior to owning her own franchise and moving to Gillespie County. While attending a conference, Sowder met another travel advisor who mentioned they worked from home, and Sowder decided she wanted to invest in the same type of business for herself. Since then, she has seen a lot of success, due to her commitment to her relationships in the industry.

“(After) all of these years I know who to talk to,” said Sowder. “I’ve developed good relationships with my vendors. If I have a problem, I can call them up and say, ‘These people are good clients, can you help me out on this?’”

As part of her commitment to her clients, Sowder keeps an eye on price adjustments in the travel plans up to the point of the trip, and will apply cost savings to her clients as they come up, a service that she claims has earned her trust as an advisor.

“I feel like, if I do good for you, you’re going to tell 10 other people,” said Sowder. “It’s really all about doing good.”

When asked about the value of a trip advisor versus booking a vacation DIY, Sowder said there are advantages to working with a professional.

“Cruise Planners is part of a signature travel network, and they have buying powers to say, ‘If my agent books with you what will you give us?’” said Sowder. “So sometimes you can get extra perks.”

Sowder also claims that the ability to provide travel insurance provides important value to a professionally planned trip, and cited many experiences with her clients who had major health problems during a vacation and needed the financial support of a good travel insurance plan.  She emphasized that, while cruise companies offer their own insurance, most of them pay their claims in cruise credit rather than compensating medical treatment financially.

While 2020 saw a lot of travel shutdowns and quarantines, Sowder said that many travelers are now more invested in quality experiences than ever before.

“People are now taking their bucket list,” said Sowder. “Their price point and their spending is a lot greater than before COVID.”

Kenya trip

Due to her commitment to thorough research and training with Cruise Planners, Sowder was selected along with 15 other travel advisors to attend a familiarization trip hosted by the Kenya Tourism Board.

Sowder explored four regions in Kenya, including Nairobi, Laikipia, Maasai Mara and Watamu. During her week-long stay, she experienced several camps that she described as luxurious.

“It was not a boy scout tent,” Sowder said. “It had flooring, it had a living room, it had a poster bed, it had a writing desk, it had a big bathroom, it had a deck that overlooked the watering hole — very very luxurious.”

Both the food and hospitality were beyond Sowder’s expectations, and she mentioned the service was impeccable.

One of the highlights of Sowder’s trip was the proximity to wildlife. On one occasion, she experienced a middle-of-the-night surprise in one of the camps.

“One morning I jumped up out of bed and I said, ‘What was that noise?’ Then I heard it again and said, ‘That’s what I thought it was, I just heard a lion,’” Sowder said.

She described that many of the camps had perimeter fencing to protect from any wildlife dangers, and at nighttime they were escorted to their accommodations to ensure safety.

“I’ve been bitten by the African bug and fell in love with the people and the country instantaneously,” said Sowder. “Everyone should experience this extraordinary destination once in their lifetime. So many times, I choked up throughout this amazing journey.

“From standing on the equator line, to being one of the very few to meet the last two remaining Northern White Rhinos left on this planet, it was the trip of a lifetime.”

Cheryl Sowder is a Cruise Planners Travel Advisor and can be reached at 713-392-8745, or by visiting her website at:

www.campdavidtravel.com