Travel specialists Sacha Pinto and Ginger Blum discuss the evolving travel industry and helping clients plan meaningful, memorable vacations
Can you tell us a little about yourself and what you specialize in?
SP: My name is Sacha Pinto, and I’m the founder of Counting Countries, a travel brand where I combine my work as a travel advisor and travel content creator to help Canadians plan meaningful, memorable vacations. I specialize in all-inclusive vacations for family travel, women getaways, and multigenerational group travel.
Before becoming an independent travel advisor, I was the person family and friends always turned to for planning their vacations. Today, I combine that passion with more than a decade of experience in digital marketing, content strategy, and social media to help travellers make confident decisions while showcasing destinations through authentic storytelling.
As a travel advisor, content creator, and college professor teaching social media marketing, I enjoy creating engaging destination content that highlights the experiences, culture, and unique moments that inspire travellers to book. My goal is to produce authentic, evergreen content that provides value to both travellers and destination partners.
GB: My title is Luxury Travel Advisor, but I’ve had a long career starting in retail, moving to corporate, then film, (weddings briefly, not my thing) but for the past 20 years, I’ve been specializing in luxury. I’ve worked in BDM roles with tour operators and been in management at several travel agencies over the years. Motherhood forced me to become an Independent Contractor about 15 years ago, and post-Covid, I began mentoring a team. We are affiliates of North South Travel, who have been amazing to work with.
Did you always know you would be a travel advisor?
SP: Travel has always been my first passion. From a young age, I knew that exploring the world would be a part of my life, inspiring me to earn a business degree specializing in Hospitality and Tourism. A co-op placement during university led me to a full-time position at the Delta Chelsea in Toronto in the Sales Department, where I discovered my passion for helping people create memorable travel experiences. Although my career eventually took me into sales and marketing for more than two decades, and into the world of entrepreneurship for the last 12 years, I never lost my passion for travel. Returning to the industry felt less like a career change and more like coming home.
Looking back, the journey makes perfect sense. My background in marketing helps me understand traveller behaviour and storytelling, while my experience in hospitality reminds me that great travel is about creating memorable experiences. Today, I have the opportunity to combine both as a travel advisor, travel content creator, and educator.
GB: At eight years old, a trip to Taiwan to meet my namesake, Ginger Li, hooked me on the exotic and I always wanted to return. Growing up poor, my dad’s advice was simple: “If you want to travel, work in travel.” I went straight from college to a travel agency and never looked back. Sure, I’ve had brief detours—as “Safety-G” in the oil sands and a fire dancer in Montreal—but travel is who I am. I love the endless variety, the continuous learning, and above all, my community. I always come back home to travel.
What are the biggest trends you are noticing right now?
SP: One of the biggest shifts I’m noticing is how travellers are researching and making booking decisions. They still visit destination websites, supplier pages, tour operator descriptions, even using AI, to compare resorts, itineraries, and pricing, but they’re increasingly turning to social media to answer a different question: “What is it really like?”
Travellers want to see the atmosphere, the beach, the food, the rooms, and the overall guest experience through authentic videos and real traveller perspectives. Professional photography and destination marketing inspire people to dream, but authentic content gives them the confidence to book.
That’s one of the reasons I approach creating travel content the way I do. As both a travel advisor and travel content creator, I focus on creating honest, experience-driven content that helps travellers visualize the destination while providing the context and guidance they need to determine whether it’s the right fit for them. I believe that’s where travel advisors have an incredible opportunity – combining authentic storytelling with personalized expertise to help travellers make confident, informed decisions.
GB: Travellers are experiencing “trauma fatigue.” Earlier in my career, headlines about war, recession, or political turmoil would crush travel spending. Today, world events barely dent demand. Maybe it’s just the demographic I work with, but not only are they still travelling, but they are taking the kids and grandkids, or four other couples!
What are clients asking for more of than they were a year ago?
SP: I’m seeing travellers become much more open to destinations they may not have previously considered. Conversations that might once have focused on a familiar vacation spot are now opening the door to exploring Canada, Europe, and destinations that may have been further down their bucket list. Travellers seem more willing to step outside their comfort zone and experience somewhere new. It’s creating wonderful opportunities to introduce clients to experiences they may never have otherwise discovered.
GB: Plan B’s. Industrial actions have affected many of my clients and climate change is coming up increasingly. Clients are concerned about drought, fire, flood, sargassum, hurricanes, all these situations that are more commonplace. The counselling part of travel counselling seems to be more important than in the past. People want to know I’m thinking about them and that I’ve got their backs.
How are clients prioritizing experiences over traditional sightseeing?
SP: Today’s travellers are less interested in checking landmarks off a list and more interested in creating moments they’ll remember long after they return home. Travellers are asking for vacations that feel more personal and meaningful. Rather than trying to see everything in a destination, they’re looking for experiences that help them connect with it – food tours, cooking classes, local guides, wellness experiences, private excursions, and authentic cultural interactions.
I’m also seeing more interest in celebrations and shared experiences. Whether it’s girlfriends’ getaways, multi-generational family trips, milestone birthdays, anniversaries, or reunion travel, people are placing greater value on spending quality time together and creating lasting memories. They’re looking for vacations that reflect who they are and what matters most to them. They want to immerse themselves in a destination and come home with memories, not just photos.
GB: Demand for specialist private tour guides is soaring, with requests ranging from celebrity chefs to ancient alien theorists. The right expert guide doesn’t just show up—they converse, relate, and build an unforgettable connection. That value is priceless.
What change would you like to see in the travel industry?
SP: One thing I hope we continue to see in our industry is a focus on meaningful travel. Whether it’s reconnecting with family, celebrating a milestone, exploring a new culture, or simply taking time to slow down, travel has the unique ability to change our perspective and create lasting memories. As advisors, we don’t just book vacations – we help people experience some of the most important moments of their lives. That’s a responsibility and a privilege I never take for granted.
We often talk about return on investment in business. I think travel offers one of the greatest returns of all – shared experiences, lifelong memories, and a broader perspective on the world. Today’s travellers want to come home with memories and stories, not just souvenirs.
GB: Two things… First, airlines need to compensate agents fairly. Selling $35,000 in business class tickets for zero commission is taking on massive responsibility without compensation — I truly sympathize with flight attendants working unpaid. Second, travel agencies must embrace service fees. Charging for my time from day one is the foundation of my success. Because my clients pay for my expertise, my time is never wasted, even with difficult inquiries—if I’m at my desk, the clock is ticking and I’m getting paid. Fees elevate the profession, and it’s stressful. We deserve it.
What trend has surprised you the most recently?
SP: The rise of nostalgia travel has surprised me the most. More travellers are planning trips inspired by music, movies, television, and meaningful memories. People are travelling to reconnect with something meaningful from their lives – seeing a favourite band they’ve followed for decades (I can personally attest to this with my own New Kids On The Block adventures!), visiting filming locations from beloved movies and television series, tracing their family heritage, or recreating a memorable childhood vacation with their own children. The destination is not always the headline – it’s the backdrop for a story they want to experience.
I think this speaks to a broader shift in why people travel. Travellers aren’t simply choosing destinations anymore—they’re choosing experiences that evoke emotion, create connection, and tell a story.
GB: The TikTok trend of showing up at the gate just before they close the flight, hoping to get a good seat assignment without paying. I would not recommend that. I found this baffling.
Do you have anything to add?
SP: I’m excited to be part of an industry that continues to evolve. While AI is transforming how travellers discover, research, and plan travel, it can’t replace the experience, empathy, and personalized guidance that a trusted travel advisor provides. Travel isn’t just about finding the best flight or hotel – it’s about understanding a client’s priorities, anticipating challenges, and creating experiences that truly fit their travel style.
As travel becomes more experience-driven and technology continues to reshape how people discover the world, I believe the human connection a travel advisor provides has never been more valuable. The future of travel isn’t AI vs advisors – it’s AI empowering advisors to deliver even more personalized, thoughtful, and memorable travel experiences. AI helps travellers research. Authentic content helps them visualize. A travel advisor helps them choose.
