Conversations with Amber Mercure of Wanderlust Years Travel

Today we’d like to introduce to you Amber Mercure, owner of Wanderlust Years Travel LLC.

Hi Amber, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always had a zeal for travel since I began traveling domestically within the USA and via cruises to idyllic island destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean with my own family. I knew from our first experience that we needed to prioritize vacationing yearly after seeing how travel improved our quality of life bringing a restored energy to my family. Travel became the only way we wanted to enjoy birthdays and holidays, furthermore providing our children with the gift of lasting memories, exposure to cultural differences which gave them far more appreciation beyond material things. A reset from daily stressors and the burnout from work and school is absolutely necessary for the children as well. I became a travel advisor for many reasons primarily to travel as frequently as possible with hopes to influence our community to the possibilities of where they can go, there are no limits. I made the best decision in 2018 to make travel my business, soon becoming a leading travel advisor which led me to become a respected travel mentor coach leading other families to achieve their travel dreams by making travel their business as well.

Realizing there was a disconnect in travel literacy amongst communities especially with minorities when I’d provide consultation calls asking clients where have they traveled to, what type of travel have they experienced internationally or domestic and what were their travel goals. Ultimately, I came to find that so many have never traveled outside their home state, some had never been on a plane which was often generational! This didn’t sit well with me. I wanted to empower others to make their travel dreams a reality by demonstrating that no matter your socioeconomic status that travel is attainable. Being able to personally experience the world isn’t a measure of wealth, all it takes is proper support with careful planning. I love sharing that all this is possible with no financial strain, majority of my personalized vacation packages provide generous payment flexibility options with no requirement of financing or prepayment beyond minimal deposits to secure .

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It started off challenging building clientele because I’m not very social media savvy with all the algorithms and much has changed with how to market your business now being dependent on your social media presence. Loving what I do naturally has led to me to see immense growth in just being genuine and staying knowledgeable. Your business is what you pour into it, no business is successful on its own, you have to work it every day.

It took a lot of me being my brand while traveling often, learning by doing which as a result a community of followers were inspired to inquire through my personal impactful testimonials and photos which led to even more referrals. The covid- 19 pandemic really hit hard with a lot of cancellations from accounts I had been working on over the prior year(s) so that stretched into two years of hard work on some accounts that were pre-booked much in advance with little to no pay since travel agents aren’t paid commissions until after their clients return from their trips.

Nevertheless, I pushed through it all and continued to restore faith in travelers. A new wave of clients during this global pandemic came forth because of all the travel requirements that were constantly evolving and people’s past experiences with third-party websites where they had no real support, no one to vouch for them when things went downhill, to make calls and absorb all that added stress. So many hadn’t purchased travel protection and lost hard-earned monies which really led them to understand just how much a travel agent does to truly service their clients.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I provide vacation planning support with personalized itineraries based on my client’s needs from age group, budget range to destination, thus matching them to the perfect home away from home. There’s a vacation for everyone, it doesn’t have to be expensive.

Currently, I’m curating group travel experiences for couples, families traveling with children, LGBT, solo travelers who want to meet other solo travelers, and wellness retreats where I am partnering with a few brands as co-host.

I’m not limited in expertise of a specific niche, I specialize in many areas however supporting families, couples, and groups often with domestic travel needs and international destination request which include Europe, UAE, Asia, multi-destination itineraries, etc. all are areas of specialty.

Destination weddings, girls/bro trips, couples retreats, honeymoons/anniversary, special celebrations and family reunions.

The enormous strides I’ve made in this industry , even with all the online competition, to have so many strangers supporting my business and referring me over the years to their peers makes all the difference when you’re seen and appreciated for the work you do, this is what I’m most proud of.

I’m a travel advisor who doesn’t just talk travel and book travel. I travel often, even solo even with my small children never limiting myself in experiences with or without my family in toe.

Anyone that has experienced Wanderlust Years Travel will tell you each request is treated with the utmost care, everything is personalized to the client’s needs and style.

What makes you happy?
My family makes me most happy, and exposing them to the diversity of this beautiful world. There’s so much to learn, see and enjoy in life. I don’t believe in limiting oneself or taking anything for granted, I hope to instill these same values in my children. To see is to truly live. I enjoy sharing the appreciation of exploration, of our time and how much balance venturing out can bring. Encouraging others to travel the road less traveled really brings me immense joy. Ultimately, I would like individuals to realize travel is a form of self care and start making it a real priority to invest in themselves more starting with a yearly mental reset whether it be in total tranquility and solitude or with companions.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wanderlustyearstravel.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wanderlustyears_travel/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wanderlustvacations.AmberMercure/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@travelbossn_amber

Image Credits
Rodcliffe Hume – Jamaica https://instagram.com/rodcliffehume Client photos: Britnie Harris Thompson & Isaac Thompson Harris Family Natacha Mercure & Moira Martelus Ivan Cardenas & Amilia Espinoza w/kids