You've got more booking tools than ever — so why would you hire a travel advisor? In this episode, Afar editorial director Billie Cohen sits down with travel journalist and matchmaker Wendy Perrin, founder of wendyperrin.com, to answer the questions travelers actually have: What can an advisor do that you can't do yourself? When does it make sense — and when doesn't it? How do you find a good one, interview them, and understand what you're paying for? From crowd-skipping at Venice to landing the perfect Egyptologist, Wendy makes the case for what truly expert trip planning looks like.In this episode Why connections (not booking tools or AI) are the real currency of great travel The difference between advisors who specialize in you vs. those who specialize in a place How to interview a travel advisor (and what their answers reveal) What travel actually costs — and why it often isn't itemized Why multi-gen trips and post-pandemic travel are driving a new wave of advisor useChaptersLinks & resources Wendyperrin.com and Wendy's Wow List of top trip designers Listen to our Unpacked episode about cruise travel advisors Explore the Afar Travel Advisory Council Follow Afar at @afarmedia on Instagram and TikTok More travel planning resources at afar.comBe sure to subscribe to the show and sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠Behind the Mic⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠View From Afar⁠⁠⁠⁠, where we spotlight the people and ideas shaping the future of travel. Unpacked by Afar is part of ⁠Airwave Media⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices