TRAVELTUBE.COM PODCAST TRANSCRIPT
Featuring Linda Mitchell, Luxury Destination Travel (https://luxurydestinationtravel.com/)
HOST: MARK MURPHY
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MARK: Hi folks, Mark Murphy with Traveltube.com. As you probably know, or if you're listening for the first time, Traveltube.com is the travel expert channel. We bring on travel agents, also known as travel advisors, and share their insights with other travel advisors. We want to aggregate that core knowledge in a single place because travel agents can't be everywhere.
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Today I've got a luxury travel expert who's been at it for more than two decades. Her name is Linda Mitchell. Hey Linda, how are you?
LINDA: Hey Mark, thank you for having me on today.
MARK: Happy to have you. Just to be clear, your website is LuxuryDestinationTravel.com, correct?
LINDA: It is, yes.
MARK: Give us a 30-second explanation of how you got into this crazy business and how you started running your own travel agency.
LINDA: I started my career in travel in 1992. I actually went to travel school at Harvard Square—it was Thomas Cook Travel, which was later bought out by American Express. I worked in corporate travel for about nine years with American Express in on-site corporate travel offices. I worked with a lot of VIPs at Harvard University and Stride Rite Corporation.
Then in 2001, my daughter and son-in-law decided to plan their wedding in Bermuda. Back then, destination weddings weren't even heard of. We ended up having 85 guests, which was huge at the time, and I decided to start specializing in destination wedding travel and specialized travel experiences. Since 2001, Luxury Destination Travel has been helping travelers explore the world.
MARK: What's one of your favorite countries to visit?
LINDA: I'd be remiss not to say Italy—it's definitely one of my favorites. Portugal is another. But Italy is hot right now. It was hot last year due to the Jubilee, the 25-year celebration. There are so many hidden gems to discover, and I love bringing them to my clients.
MARK: Give me a couple of destinations you're hot on right now in Italy.
LINDA: First, I always love to suggest Rome. There are so many experiences there that normal travelers don't know about. For example, going to the Colosseum can be crazy if you just do a regular tour. But if you do a private underground tour with a private guide, you get to see where the gladiators and animals were kept. Archaeologists recently rebuilt the elevator that took them up to the Colosseum floor. And in 2026, they're opening the Imperial Passage—the area where all the emperors walked through. It's very unique and private, and not something the general public can just go online and book. This is when you really need a professional travel advisor.
MARK: What does something like that cost for a private tour?
LINDA: It depends on the length, how many people are involved, and how extensive the itinerary is. What I tell people is it's better to do less and do it privately than to do more with a group. If you're going to do a group tour, you shouldn't do anything more than six to eight people—otherwise you're really lost and not hearing what the guide has to say.
MARK: Give me a starting point. What would be the low end of a Colosseum tour, and how long does it typically take?
LINDA: It can take a couple of hours, or be more intensive at three or four hours. I like to combine it with other tours during the day. The way I work is with suppliers who negotiate pricing based on the entire experience itinerary versus à la carte. That way you're getting the best value because suppliers give better prices when clients are booking multiple experiences.
MARK: Who's your favorite supplier that you work with?
LINDA: I love Classic Vacations—the people there are so knowledgeable. I also use Boutique Traveler, located in Portugal. I love them because the owner, Patrick, personally vets every vendor, supplier, and hotel they work with. He does site visits and talks to these people directly, so the tour guides and drivers are locals with great experience who are well-trusted. I know I'm entrusting my clients to people someone else has vetted, not just someone off the internet.
MARK: That's a great point for all the DIYers out there. You know who the top suppliers are and find these niche suppliers. I've never heard of Boutique Traveler—that's new for me. But that's what most consumers don't realize. They try to do stuff on their own and book a personal guide, or they stand outside the Vatican and get accosted by 20 people wanting to give them a tour. There's a big difference.
LINDA: There's a huge difference. When you're getting into a vehicle in a foreign country with a driver or tour guide, and you're maybe going to be with them for 10 or 12 hours, you want to make sure that person has been vetted, is properly insured, and is going to be an amazing person to spend time with. Sadly, after the pandemic, a lot of things changed. People came in and decided to do tours when they weren't really licensed. It's very important to use someone who is trusted to book your experiences and hotels rather than relying on what you see on the internet, especially with AI now.
MARK: AI can make anything look great. I had a friend's son who planned his whole honeymoon with AI, and I was like, "Hit the brakes." Getting a nice itinerary put together is not the experience—that's the easy part. The hard part is choosing the right products, making sure you're showing up at the right time, and ensuring everything's buttoned up. Would your clients have access to someone at Boutique Traveler if things go awry while they're there?
LINDA: Yes, 100%. This past September, I had eight different trips going for clients to Italy, Portugal, Spain, and France. I had a WhatsApp chat open for each one with my associates at Boutique Traveler. Whenever there was a question—very rarely was there a problem—they could jump right on the app. If it was during the day when I was here, I was answering them and checking with Boutique Traveler, or they were jumping in. There's 24/7 support for clients, just a text away.
MARK: And because of the time difference, if you're sleeping in the middle of the night, there's somebody there to answer.
LINDA: A hundred percent. My clients know that. I'm always focused on making sure my clients have information before they travel, even before they book. When I first get a client, I make sure they're aware their passports need to be valid for six or more months past their travel date. I inform them about ETIAS coming up, though it's been pushed to the fourth quarter of 2026. Most importantly, I let clients know that when they go to Europe now, they'll have to do facial recognition and fingerprints rather than just passport stamping.
MARK: Before we jump to some new properties, I want to mention two destinations in Italy that tend to be overlooked.
LINDA: Yes! Puglia, on the east coast of Italy, is such a beautiful area. The airport is Bari (B-R-I), and it's really easy to travel to. Puglia is a gem with dramatic cliffs and seacoast. It's a short drive to Alberobello, a fantasy village with round houses and thatched huts—you've probably seen it on TV. You could spend four, five, or six days there.
The other is Ischia, an island in the Bay of Naples. It's very overlooked because everyone thinks they need to go to Capri. Capri is beautiful but very busy. Ischia is a real hidden gem with hot springs. You can take a ferry from Sorrento or Naples. It has a very unique culture for Italy and is much less crowded than Capri.
MARK: Would you recommend those for first-time travelers to Italy?
LINDA: Absolutely, in combination with other destinations. I had a client in September who was in Italy for about three weeks. We combined well-known places like Venice and Milan, all the way down to Sicily, but I made sure to put them through Puglia. They're foodies, and they said the restaurant built into the cliffs in Puglia was the best meal they had during their entire trip. They'd been to Italy several times before and had never even heard of going there.
MARK: I've been to Italy numerous times and haven't done any of those things you're talking about.
LINDA: We'll have to get you there! The world is vast. Puglia is also a great destination for destination weddings, which I specialize in. The tourism board and wedding vendors have really focused on this. They just had an event in New York a couple of weeks ago. It's a wonderful place where couples want somewhere no one's been.
MARK: And when people go for the wedding, they'll often build a vacation around it.
LINDA: Exactly! If it's 30 guests, now you have potentially 30 new clients. Each guest you're talking to—you can suggest they add a couple of days before or after to see the area. It becomes a real joy because they're not just spending money to go to the wedding; they're also seeing the country.
MARK: I think that's a great marketing aspect—it generates the equivalent of referral leads. In many cases, the older people may have used travel agents, but younger people often never thought of it. The first time most young people think about using a travel agent is when planning a destination wedding or honeymoon.
LINDA: Exactly. It's kind of ironic because the higher the risk or value of the trip, the more likely you want to use a pro. In our lives now, we trust almost everything to someone else—groceries delivered, house cleaning, dog walking. How much more do you want to do yourself?
I have clients who've had me book trips in the United States. They want to know the best restaurants, experiences, whether Uber is the right choice from the airport or if they should book a car service. A hotel that was good six months ago may have changed management or gone downhill, and that update won't be on the internet.
MARK: You bring up leverage. You're not one person thinking of going to Italy next year—you're talking to people about Italy weekly. You've been there, experienced it, and come back sharing those experiences. How many times have you visited Italy, and when was the last time?
LINDA: I've visited three times. The last time was in May 2024. That was a very important trip—a multi-generational trip with my husband, who's soon to be 80, to a granddaughter who was just a year old, and everything in between. There were so many considerations when planning that trip.
I'll tell you a quick story. I'm working on an itinerary now where my client is a very light sleeper. I'm working with Boutique Traveler, and they sent me an email this morning. The hotel in Milan said the only rooms available were facing the courtyard, which can be noisy at night. They specifically said we should not put them in this hotel or put them in a room facing the street instead. Those are important factors. When she gets there, that appreciation is going to go a long way.
MARK: If folks think they're getting the best rate at hotels, there's something called best rate guarantee. With 97% of hotels, especially branded ones, you're not saving money doing it yourself. But if you book through a third-party OTA like Expedia, you're not getting the best room.
LINDA: Exactly. When you book on those sites, it doesn't get sent right over to the hotel immediately. You have last-minute availability where they slot you in. I was on a site visit at a hotel in the Caribbean, and there was a renovated section and one that wasn't as nice. I asked what guarantee I had that my clients would get the renovated rooms. They said the non-renovated rooms in the not-nicest section were kept for online bookings from Expedia and similar sites.
I try to establish relationships not only through my supplier but also with the hotel directly. Once they book through my supplier and before my clients go, I'm contacting the hotel, and they recognize me as the travel agent. Those relationships are absolutely key.
MARK: They understand you're the seller bringing them new people. One customer booking on their own is probably one and done. With you, if they don't take care of your customer, you're not sending more there.
LINDA: The luxury hotels are almost mind readers. I've had clients where there's actually a picture of them in the room—hotels in Dubai will do that. But good service is across the board, whether at a three-star or five-plus-star hotel. If I have a client booking just a couple of nights or three weeks, they all get great service from me. If you value yourself in this industry, you value every single client the same way.
MARK: Beautiful. Let's talk about the Belize property you mentioned.
LINDA: The Naia Resort is absolutely beautiful. It's in a different area than where a lot of higher luxury hotels are, but it's very unique with an all-Belizean staff. They have 200 acres with nature trails and beautiful floral areas. They've been recognized twice by the World Wildlife Fund for conservation of their mangroves.
I love this hotel. It's great for honeymoons and girlfriend trips. They have regular rooms, rooms with pools, and multiple-bedroom villas with kitchen facilities. You're only a golf cart ride away from the village, which is very authentic. You can snorkel the longest barrier reef in the hemisphere. It's a beautiful hidden gem in Belize with impeccable service.
MARK: Let's switch to the Cayman Islands. It looks like you've got a few things going on there.
LINDA: The Cayman Islands is very dear to my heart. We spent a lot of family vacations there. One new property is the Vida, located far on the west end of the island past Seven Mile Beach. It's a very quiet hotel with maybe 8 to 10 suites—from one-bedroom junior suites to three-bedroom penthouse suites. It's on Barkers Beach, a very hidden beach with hardly anyone there.
The restaurant, Nourished, is run by Chef Maureen Cuban. They do cooking classes—nowhere else on the island does this. Every class lasts about three hours where you cook, eat, cook, and eat, focusing on different cultures. They have yoga and exercise classes daily. It's the place to go if you want to be away from the hustle and bustle of Seven Mile Beach—somewhere really quiet for a getaway with girlfriends.
My absolute favorite on Grand Cayman is the Caribbean Club, located right on Seven Mile Beach. It's very centrally located with a deep stretch of beach. It's not a huge hotel like the Ritz or Westin. The buildings in front have first-floor levels that walk three steps down onto the beach. The infinity pool drops right onto the beach.
One of the best restaurants on the island, Luca, is located there with the best Sunday brunch. They have three- and four-bedroom villas. Depending on the time of year, they'll price it as a one-bedroom and lock off the other bedrooms. You have a kitchen, can have groceries delivered by Foster's, and have liquor delivered so everything's there when you arrive. Luca will deliver dinner to your suite if you want it on the balcony. The sunsets are glorious.
MARK: What kind of price points are we talking about for both properties?
LINDA: It varies by time of year. The Caribbean Club might be somewhere around $1,500 to—I'm always reluctant to give prices unless I'm looking them up because I don't like to generalize. But when you compare doing three rooms at hotels like the Westin or Ritz versus a three-bedroom villa with a kitchen and washer/dryer, you're pretty much in the same price range.
MARK: This would be great for family gatherings or groups of couples traveling together. You have the convenience of a place to gather, can have wine and cheese before going out, or have a private chef come in.
LINDA: Exactly. You can order dinner from the restaurant on property, and they bring it on plates with covers, setting it up on your table. You can watch the sunset, then get ready and walk to dinner. There are so many great restaurants within walking distance.
Grand Cayman is a wonderful island—very easy and accessible. Cayman Airways just started nonstop service from Austin, Texas, so there are connections for people from the Midwest or West Coast. From the East Coast, there are nonstop flights up and down the corridor.
MARK: From South Florida, we can go anywhere in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean nonstop.
LINDA: It's literally an hour from Miami. I love flying airlines that carry the flag of the country you're traveling to. Cayman Airways is like going on Hawaiian Airlines—you feel like you're there already. They serve rum swizzle, have Caymanian music playing, and all Caymanian flight attendants.
MARK: For our last property, let's talk about Curaçao—an island I've never visited except maybe on a cruise ship 20 years ago.
LINDA: Curaçao is a great destination that gets overlooked. It's in the southern Caribbean, just north of Aruba, and outside the hurricane belt, so you never worry about when to go. Baoase is a beautiful property, very Balinese-inspired. You get a cultural feeling with romantic dinners in gazebos under the stars on the beach. They cater to romantic experiences—perfect for honeymoons or romance trips. It's barefoot elegance at its very best.
It's not far from Willemstad, the capital of Curaçao, which has a very European elegance and is very cultural. They have guides and a catamaran. You can rent a golf cart and drive to local villages with wonderful restaurants and shopping. Going to Baoase—sorry, I meant Naia in Belize has that village experience.
MARK: Let's clarify—can you rent a golf cart at Baoase in Curaçao?
LINDA: They will take you by golf cart into Willemstad. I'd have to check if you can rent them yourself, but they have people who will take you to shop and visit restaurants there. It's a very European, elegant city.
MARK: What's the price point for this property?
LINDA: This is definitely for your luxury client at a higher price point. Though in shoulder season or lower season, you'll get a lower price. I'm always reluctant to give prices unless I'm actually looking them up because I don't like to generalize.
MARK: Because you tell them a number based on one time of year, and then they want to book peak season and it's twice as much.
LINDA: Exactly. I always ask clients about budget and preface it by saying, "You don't know what the pricing is, so how do you give me a budget? Give me where you're comfortable and we'll work from there." When I build an itinerary, I make it full of experiences, then clients pick and choose based on price. If you're not comfortable with the price, we start whittling down—maybe taking out a winery tour or doing a group cooking class versus a private one. It's always a work in progress, like building a house little by little.
MARK: This has been wonderful. You have great insights. You got me thinking about going to Grand Cayman.
LINDA: Well, I've lived in New England my whole life north of Boston, and that's a great destination. I moved to Jupiter, Florida a couple of years ago, and it's like being on vacation. But you travel the world like pages in a book, right? Even though we live in beautiful destinations, there are so many more pages to explore. Life's too short not to. And introducing your children and grandchildren to travel broadens their experiences and their way of looking at life.
MARK: That's a great way to put it. I've always loved to travel, and I look forward to checking out some of these products firsthand. Thank you, Linda. LuxuryDestinationTravel.com. You're doing it right, and you're a wealth of knowledge. I really appreciate you coming on Traveltube.com today.
LINDA: Thank you, Mark. I appreciate you very much. I'll talk to you soon.
MARK: Sounds good. Talk soon. Bye now.
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CLOSING
MARK: Linda Mitchell—doesn't that make you want to go to some of these places? They sound and look amazing. Curaçao—I think I just saw it on a cruise ship probably 20 or 25 years ago.
The luxury travel market is booming. The other interesting thing Linda mentioned is she doesn't care if you're a three-star client or a six-star-plus client—she's going to give you the same level of service.
Appreciate her coming on. Appreciate you signing up and following us on your favorite podcast apps and social media. Until next time, I'm Mark Murphy, Traveltube.com, the Travel Expert Channel. Thanks!
