About The Professional Traveller – History
The Professional Traveller is a travel business, set up during the lockdown in the UK in 2020 when the tourism industry crashed. 2020 turned out a very different one from the diary full of tour guiding that was scheduled. It was clear by March 2020 that tourism was at a standstill.
The Professional Traveller had been an idea taking shape for a few years. However, being busy travelling meant there wasn’t enough time to actually stop and focus on the business.
2020 changed that and as a result, The Professional Traveller website was built. It was a busy year of writing content and trying to get 30 years of knowledge out on the webpage.
2021 was another disastrous year for tourism. In the UK there was the ever-changing red, yellow and green system which made it difficult to plan. These rules changed frequently and failed to give travellers certainty. 2021 turned into another difficult year for the travel industry as trips just kept getting rescheduled again and again. Financial pressures meant a return to work for The Professional Traveller, falling back on previous skills and experience.
These roles provided much needed income but also took up a great deal of time so The Professional Traveller business had to take a back seat again.
In 2022 tourism returned, albeit with ever changing rules and restrictions. Two years of pent up demand and carried over bookings turned it into a very busy year. It was a challenging year trying to keep travellers safe. The Professional Traveller business fell into the background again as the pressures of day to day working took over.
About The Professional Traveller – Purpose
The Professional Traveller is an online business, providing expert travel help and advice.
It has 3 main objectives;
To Help People Travel More and Spend Less
2023 is definitely the year for better value travel, given the cost of living crisis and the high inflation rates. The Professional Traveller guides, hacks and tips help travellers find the best deals on every aspect of their trip. That’s everything from flights to hotels, insurance and trip gear.
Check out the dedicated Travel More and Spend Less Page
To Provide Travel Inspiration
It can be hard to find reliable travel reviews. The Professional Traveller provides trip reports, with costings, to help travellers plan their own trips. These help to ensure travellers get the most from their budget and also from their travel time.
Check out the dedicated Travel Inspiration page
To Recommend Travel Gear and Travel Products
There is so much travel gear out there and it can be easy to spend lots of money on equipment. The Professional Traveller is here to help travellers find the best gear and to help travel with only what they need. That helps their travel budget go further.
Check out the Travel Essentials page
About The Professional Traveller – Future Plans
For 2023 The Professional Traveller is expanding the website, with more content to help travellers in the year that looks set to be all about better value travel.
There will also be a downloadable walking tour, as well as an in house Professional Traveller tour available for cruise ship guests and other tourists visiting the area.
Consultancy services will be available to review hotels, tours and tourism experiences. Business owners can expect practical advice and feedback to help them build on their current success and to help them avoid negative reviews.
The Professional Traveller Team
Working hard to sniff out travel bargains
Melanie
Professional Traveller
Very much like a dachshund myself. Determined to hunt out a bargain and sniff out great deals. Not great at being told what to do either!
Lotty
Expert Sleeper
As the oldest member of the team (in doggy years) Lotty gets to sleep a lot. She can’t see very much now, or hear very well but she still makes her views known.
Christy
Treat Demon
Able to sniff out a gravy bone or a treat in the local area, Christy loves her food. Every meal time she barks with excitement – similar to her owner?!
About The Professional Traveller – Meet The Team
About the Professional Traveller – Melanie
Melanie has been travelling professionally for work for over 20 years. Initially, this was business travel, working at exhibitions and events all over the UK and Europe.
Later she worked as a Tour Manager taking coach holiday tours all over the world. During that time she travelled with thousands of holidaymakers.
She has travelled to;
France, Belgium, Spain, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Switzerland, Morocco, Tunisia, Azerbaijan, Istanbul, China, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Portugal amongst others.
Travelling professionally has given Melanie a great deal of travel knowledge. Everything from how to get great deals, to tips and tricks to make travelling easier and smoother.
The Professional Traveller is a place to share that knowledge so that others can learn to travel like a professional too.
Melanie loves travelling still and her list of places to go is still huge. She loves to travel solo. She continues to work with cruise ship passengers as a tour guide for shore excursions. She still does part time work as a Tour Manager for coach holiday groups. In 2023 she will be working once again in Shetland, the captivating series of 100 islands that are located North of Scotland and close to Norway.
Melanie loves a travel bargain and uses all the techniques and tricks on The Professional Traveller website to find the best deals. Spending less on travel means more trips can be squeezed out of the budget!
Find out more About Melanie
Find out more on her LinkedIN page
About the Professional Traveller – Lotty
Lotty was a rescue dachshund. She came from Coventry. Her owners had tried to breed from her but they had bred her with another dog that was bigger. That meant she ended up having to have a section to get the puppies out. She was left with a saggy stomach and in her middle years she experienced some back problems, but thankfully not a slipped disc.
Lotty was a dedicated and loyal supporter of The Professional Traveller. She helped through lockdown by providing moral support and encouragement. In her latter years she went blind and deaf. This didn’t stop her from exploring and being a typical dachshund.
Lotty crossed the rainbow bridge in April 2022. She had been beside Melanie during the early part of the year when Melanie had major surgery. Once Melanie was recovered and able to look after herself Lotty headed over the bridge, almost like she knew her job was done. At 15 years and 4 months, she was a fantastic age for a dachshund.
About the Professional Traveller – Christy
Christy was Lotty’s best friend. She was a rescue dachshund who came from Suffolk. Her original owners had tried to breed from her and had been unsuccessful. After 18 months they gave her to a dog breeder who kept her in a kennel. What a shock after having lived with a family first. The breeder was unsuccessful and put her up to be rehomed after 18 months. We arrived, introduced her to Lotty, and then drove back to the Highlands in a day. The rest is history.
She was Lotty’s best friend and was never apart from her. They spent their nights sleeping curled up together beside me in the bed. Now at the ripe old age of 13.5 years, she is still going strong despite having had Cushing’s disease for a number of years.
She too is losing some of her sight and hearing but can still sniff out a treat at some distance. She has been my constant companion since we both lost Lotty.
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Travel Inspiration – trip reports, reviews, book reviews and more to help you get ideas for your next adventure
Travel Essentials – reviews of tried and tested travel gear
Travel More and Spend Less – articles, guides and hacks to help you squeeze the most from your travel budget
Annual Travel Insurance – all you need to know about this travel essential
The Scottish Highlands – holiday cottages, hotels, things to do, and much more to help you get the most from your holiday
Invergordon Cruise Port – all you need to know to help your plan your visit
Loch Ness Tour – details of a 1 day private tour that goes the whole way around Loch Ness!
Coach Holiday Expert – holiday reviews, articles, and advice to help you have the best coach holiday
About Melanie – background and travel experience
About the Professional Traveller – what this website is all about and why it was set up
Work with Me – details of the travel review services I provide to destinations, hotels, and holiday companies