Now three years at Travel Beyond, Jennifer Gillmore focuses on designing travel to Latin America, especially South America, with ecotourism, adventure travel and natural history as her niches.
Travel Beyond, based in Wayzata, MN, is a family-owned, boutique consultancy that has been in business for 42 years. With an annual revenue of $16 million, the agency specializes in designing unique travel experiences throughout Southern Africa, as well as East Africa, South America, Australia, Southeast Asia, India and expedition cruising.
For her part, Gillmore delivers $1 million in annual sales and attributes her success to Travel Beyond’s team of highly experienced consultants who work together to create trips for high-end clientele with an interest in nature, adventure and culture.
“I don’t try to be an expert in all destinations. I pride myself on knowing the areas I sell in extensive detail,” says Gillmore. “I have visited South America nearly 40 times, not only for work, but also for pleasure because I genuinely love it. It’s important to me to keep my knowledge up to date, and maintain my personal connections on the ground.”
Gillmore, who works remotely for Travel Beyond, was born and raised in Omaha, NE and made her way to her current home in Denver, CO almost 20 years ago, where she lives with husband, Paul, and their two dogs, Meli and Takeo. Along the way, she worked as a corporate travel coordinator at a pharmaceutical company for about a year before starting at Natural Habitat Adventures, where she spent 14 years as the senior adventure director in charge of all South America, Alaska and Hawaii products, as well as Canada and Mexico.
This trendsetter believes the expertise she’s garnered in travel to South America will prove valuable in the future as trips to the region are becoming increasingly popular.
“South America continues to be an up-and-coming destination,” she tells Luxury Travel Advisor. “I have a deep wealth of knowledge that comes from 17 years of experience in this area, and am well connected within the industry and on the ground,” says Gillmore.“I have immense passion for the destinations I sell, and this influences each trip I create. I take pride in staying on top of new product and emerging trends, and am thrilled to be able to share these finds with my clients.”
Gillmore also serves as a board member for the International Galapagos Tour Operators Association (IGTOA), noting that her particular connections enable her to design quality itineraries with unique experiences for discerning clientele.
Apart from designing experiences for her clients, Gillmore is an avid traveler in her personal life. Her last adventure was a fam trip with Journey Mexico to explore some of the country’s central highlands, including Mexico City, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato and Tequila, as well as the Baja Peninsula. Next on her list? She’ll be taking her 12-year-old niece to the Galapagos, where they will join a group of Travel Beyond clients for a cruise aboard the Evolution.