Community Highlights: Meet Vanessa Genger of Genger Travel Services

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Genger.

Hi Vanessa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My love for travel started early with my father’s career at Goodyear Tire Company. I grew up flying on Pan Am and TWA, spending my childhood in Venezuela and Thailand, and exploring Europe and the Far East with my family. Cities like Paris, Rome, and Vienna made a lasting impression on me—so much so that I later returned to Vienna for a study-abroad program. I even had the chance to spend a month road-tripping through New Zealand, an experience that deepened my appreciation for adventure and cultural immersion.

After building a career in customer relations and logistics, life shifted dramatically. I lost my husband at a young age, and as my children were heading off to college, my parents in California were growing older. It was a moment of reflection and reinvention. Long before “digital nomad” became a familiar phrase, I imagined creating a career that would allow me to work from anywhere while pursuing something I loved.

In 2015, I took the leap and launched a boutique luxury travel agency specializing in bespoke, deeply personalized journeys. Over the years, I’ve discovered how much joy I find in helping clients connect with local cultures and experience the world in meaningful ways. I draw on extensive firsthand travel experience—especially my frequent trips to Prague, where my daughter has lived for more than a decade—to craft itineraries rooted in insight and authenticity.

I’ve been fortunate to embark on many of my own “trips of a lifetime,” and my mission is to design those same awe-inspiring, life-changing moments for every client I work with.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’d love to say the path was smooth, but becoming a Travel Advisor—especially choosing to build my own business from the ground up—came with its share of challenges. Stepping into entrepreneurship meant wearing every hat at once: developing a brand, building a website, navigating marketing, accounting, systems, and workflow processes. I had no mentor at the time, so much of the journey was fueled by self-teaching, persistence, and a genuine passion for elevating the client experience.

There was also the challenge of mastering the world itself—learning destinations in depth and identifying the trusted partners who could help me deliver seamless, stress-free travel. I invested heavily in my education, attending trade shows around the world and building relationships with outstanding members of the travel community. Over time, I aligned myself with an exceptional host agency and became part of the Virtuoso network, known for its rigorously vetted luxury hotels, cruise lines, and on-the-ground experts.

Those partnerships, combined with years of firsthand experience, now allow me to collaborate with the very best in the industry to create beautifully curated, bespoke journeys for my clients.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Genger Travel Services is a boutique luxury travel-planning agency dedicated to crafting deeply personalized, immersive journeys for discerning travelers. I specialize in bespoke itineraries that go far beyond standard sightseeing—focusing instead on local culture, meaningful experiences, and seamless execution from start to finish. My clients come to me for my global expertise, my industry relationships, and my ability to transform a trip into something unforgettable.

What sets my agency apart is the level of personalization and care woven into every itinerary. I take the time to truly understand each client—their travel style, their passions, their comfort level, and the kinds of memories they want to create. From there, I curate custom experiences and work closely with a trusted network of preferred partners through Virtuoso and other luxury affiliations, ensuring clients receive exclusive amenities, VIP treatment, and insider access they wouldn’t find on their own.

I’m especially proud of my brand’s commitment to authenticity. I don’t believe in “one-size-fits-all” travel. Instead, I design journeys that feel handcrafted, thoughtful, and often transformative. Whether it’s a family milestone trip, a small-group adventure, a honeymoon, an expedition cruise, or a once-in-a-lifetime cultural immersion, my goal is always the same: to make travel effortless, enriching, and truly memorable.

What I want readers to know most is that working with a luxury travel advisor isn’t about booking hotels—it’s about elevating the entire experience. It’s having a trusted advocate, a creative collaborator, and a logistical expert all in one. My clients gain peace of mind, precious time back, and the confidence of knowing every detail has been handled by someone who cares as much about their journey as they do.

At Genger Travel, we create extraordinary trips—designed with purpose, delivered with care, and remembered for a lifetime.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can work with me in a few meaningful ways. First and foremost, I welcome travelers who are looking for a highly personalized, thoughtfully curated travel experience. Whether they’re planning a milestone celebration, a luxury honeymoon, an expedition cruise, or a dream trip they’ve been imagining for years, I’m here to guide them through every step—from inspiration to itinerary design to on-the-ground support.

Collaboration is also a big part of my world. I love partnering with fellow professionals—hoteliers, tourism boards, destination specialists, small businesses, and other travel-adjacent brands—to create unique experiences and bring added value to my clients. I’m always open to connecting with industry colleagues who share a commitment to quality, authenticity, and exceptional service.

For those who want to support my work more broadly, the simplest way is through referrals. My business has grown largely through word of mouth, and I’m incredibly grateful when clients and community members share my name with friends, family, or colleagues who are planning a trip. Following and engaging with my travel content on social media is also a wonderful way to stay connected and help spread the word.

Ultimately, my goal is to continue building a community of travelers and partners who are passionate about meaningful, well-crafted journeys. Whether you’re dreaming of your next adventure or looking to collaborate in the world of luxury travel, I’m always excited to connect.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gengertravel.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gengertravelservices/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GengerTravelServices/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessagenger
• Other: https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/vanessagenger/travel

Image Credits
These photos are all my own from my travels. Credit Vanessa Genger, Genger Travel Services