SmartFlyer

We couldn’t have asked for a more inspiring set of partners to celebrate our SFONE Top Producers' inspiring successes than the family-owned properties that make up Querido Hotels. A heartfelt thank you to the Querido and FORESTIS teams who made the magic happen with special thanks to Carlos Quereda, Caitlyn Travers Stroup, Lukas Burkia, and Riyad H. for making our week truly remarkable with your thoughtful attention to detail. The hoteliers behind the family-owned hotels that make up Querido ensured this celebration was all the more meaningful. Thank you to Alejandro Bataller (SHA Wellness), Alvaro Sanchez (Puente Romano), Arianna Cirigliano (Borgo Santo Pietro), Ariela Duina (Villa Cora), Attilia Avino (Palazzo Avino), Catarina Cachola (The Largo), Ernesto Floro (The Lowell), Elisa Lino (Sublime Hotels), Jorge D. (Beaverbrook), Julian Cabanillas (Marbella Club), Loic FRESARD (Lily of the Valley), Martino Acampora (Villa Treville), Mounsif Majdoubi (Royal Mansour Collection), Natacha (Natalia) Shalyminova (La Fantaisie and Casa Monti), Valentina De Santis (Grand Hotel Tremezzo and Passalacqua), Valeria De Luca (Egnazia Hotels), and Vanessa Tomé (S?o Louren?o do Barrocal) for your partnership. And of course, congratulations to the sixteen exceptional affiliate agencies—Rob Merlin, Judy Stein, Kara Levy Slater, Elisa Brown, Kyle Seltzer, Michelle London, Addie Bell, Jacqui Weidman, Deborah Director, Erin Trager-Kusman, Amanda Poses, Betsey Brown, Kimberly Gavin, Betsy Polatsch, Suzy X Dodd, Ash Chin—along with two affiliate partnerships, Imperial SmartFlyer and Marchay, who were honored as SFONE 2023 Top Producers.

Erina Pindar, COO and Managing Partner, and SmartFlyer advisors Barri Reisch and Meg Sokolosky Smith recently shared their insights with Travel Weekly about what it looks like to break a million dollars in sales as new-to-industry agents. They chat about transferrable skills from Barri's previous life as a lawyer, Meg's adept use of Instagram to win new clients, and the value of reliable brand backing. Erina shares, “They specialize in their clients, and I do believe that is a common thread across the board for all of our agents.” Thank you, Jamie Biesiada and the Travel Weekly team for this coverage! We can't wait for part two of "Million Dollar Sellers: Hitting the Mark," set to publish next week.

As we look back on another remarkable year filled with shared experiences in unforgettable destinations worldwide, our hearts brim with gratitude. A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated team, advisor community, clients, and partners for being integral to our journey. Here's to the next adventure, the next unforgettable moment, and the countless memories we’ll create together. Celebrating 34 years—we're just getting started!

Our SmartFlyer community continues to grow even stronger and earlier this year we welcomed the Elysian Travel team. Co-presidents and sisters Courtney McCarthy and Trish Injaychock bring over two decades of hospitality expertise to their travel planning endeavors, driven by a mission to deliver “the best of the best”. They are joined by Katie Hennebry Kozlowski, Sheila McNaughton, Megan Bergin, and Nicolette Pollard, forming a powerhouse all-woman team. Based in Chicago, the Elysian Travel team is known for their refined tastes and eye for detail. Collectively, their expertise spans the globe and includes Europe, Japan, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Africa.

On August 1st, we revealed our 2025 Travel Trends Report, capturing not just where but?how?discerning travelers are looking to approach discovering their next destination. The report encompasses trends we've seen accumulate across our desks as travelers' 2025 plans take shape, as well as insights gleaned at Travel + Leisure's inaugural World's Best Summit led by Neil Vogel and Jacqueline Gifford. Special shoutout to the brands and thought leaders we were able to include in this iteration of our annual report including Delta Air Lines, CLEAR, PS, Accor, Belmond, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Yachts, Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, HX Hurtigruten Expeditions, Paravel, Jumeirah, Aman, SHA Wellness Clinic, Lanserhof Group, Chenot Palace Weggis, White Desert, and TCS World Travel.

This past week, Michael Holtz, Erina Pindar, Barrett Hollo, Amy Cochran Klein, and over 50 SmartFlyer travel advisors from Manhattan to Melbourne came together at Virtuoso Travel Week to meet with partners from across the world and learn about what's to come in 2025. There was no better way to kick off this week of learning and meeting new faces than by first gathering together with our fellow Smarties!

Congratulations Josie Schiavone, Virtuoso Travel's 2024 Top Wellness Community Advisor winner! When asked what wellness on the road means to Josie, she shared, “Wellness travel isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s most effective when it caters to the unique needs of each individual. Different people require different paths to ‘wellness,’ and my favorite experiences are those that meet the diverse needs of my clients.”?

In our latest SmartFlyer familiarization trip, we partnered with our friends at Rosewood Hotels & Resorts to explore three of their most recently opened European gems: Rosewood Vienna, Rosewood Schloss Fuschl, and Rosewood Munich. It was such an honor for our team to have pre-opening access to the reimagined Schloss Fuschl ahead of its much anticipated July 1st reopening. A select group of SmartFlyer advisors including Judy Stein, Alexandra Stockton, Trish Injaychock, and Emily Brillanti returned from our FAM with a wealth of Austria and Germany expertise to share with their clients. Curious what we got up to? Kayla Douglas accompanied this dynamic group to capture original content across our site, socials, and newsletter — be sure to subscribe so you don't miss this week's edition, including our Take Me To Austria Meets Bavaria itinerary and Vienna City Guide. Special thanks to Helen Bitschnau at Austria Tourism - USA/Canada, Marie Theres Polt at Vienna Tourist Board, the team at Tourismus Salzburg GmbH, and Gwen Kozlowski at Exeter International for making our time in Central Europe so special. Roselle Blitzer, Andrea Riesen, Simon Gilkes, Roland Hamberger, Frederico Vasconcelos Faria, Sascha Hemmann, Olga Schuster, Jo Franziska T?dter, Madlen Marschall, Roland Duerr, René Schmid, and Antonia Poate, your thoughtful touches throughout our week on the ground made for an unforgettable Rosewood journey — thank you.

This past week in Sydney, Australia, we hosted our Australia-based advisors, providing a space to collaborate and exchange ideas while celebrating our collective achievements. ? As a platform for independent consultants, SmartFlyer’s global presence provides the resources, arena, and broad knowledge base for our network to work from. This global footprint provides a wider perspective on emerging travel trends and destinations. Through round table discussions where our Australian agents shared their experiences, successes, and challenges, we continue to support their businesses and entrepreneurial spirit. Our commitment to community, celebration, and leveraging our global insights offers a gateway to more opportunities for all, and we can’t think of anything more exciting, fulfilling, and gratifying. A special thanks to the teams at Capella Hotels and Resorts, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and Langham Hospitality Group — specifically John Ladd, Nicolena Oborn, Ricky Grunden, Kartik Kapoor, Helen Radic, Cathy Favaloro, Charlotte No?l, and Amanda Frack — for your partnership and for providing the backdrop for an inspiring?few?days.?

SmartFlyer COO and Managing Partner, Erina Pindar, shared her insights with The New York Times's Elaine Glusac on how American travelers can maximize their spending — and her recommendation just might surprise you.