Kristin Luz has been traveling her entire adult life, so it only made sense to help others do the same.
From trekking the Inca Trail to sailing on a 50-foot yacht in Greece and visiting village markets in Morocco, Luz and her family have done and seen more than enough to be considered travel experts. She launched Family Travels and Adventures just a few years ago, and the business was very quickly faced with the pandemic—but it survived and is thriving and growing now. Luz works with clients to travel all over the world, using her own personal experiences to provide unique offerings and a highly personalized trip.
We asked Luz to tell us about how the business began, what she has to offer and what’s ahead.
How did Family Travels and Adventures come about?
I started Family Travels and Adventures in January of 2019 when I took a year to live with my family in Valencia, Spain. I had always had a passion for travel and wanted to convert that passion into a business that served people with a similar interest and perspective. About a year in, work was just becoming consistent when COVID hit. Although that put a damper on things for a while, it definitely taught me a lot about supporting the entire travel process and advocating for clients. Over the last few years, things have really picked up and I’ve planned travel for people all over the world, from Borneo to Italy to Morocco to Antarctica! Things are so busy that I’m in the process of hiring an assistant to support the logistical parts of our work while I focus on planning incredible vacations for people.
Tell us about what Family Travels and Adventures does and your mission there.
Our mission is to provide high-quality, personalized vacations and travel experiences for families. One core belief we hold is that there is no one “right way” to travel. The right way is the travel experience each individual family wants and needs. This may mean more traditional vacations like a week at a beach resort, a theme park vacation, or cruise, but our true specialty is building custom, multi-stop (sometimes multi-country) itineraries of 2-5 weeks.
Something that really sets Family Travels and Adventures apart in trip planning is that I’m able to utilize my extensive travel history as a foundation for most of the trips I plan; I’ve been to 90% of the places that my clients travel, and have traveled to 30 countries with our 10-year-old, so I have a lot of on-the-ground travel experience!
Why is family travel something you are passionate about?
I am passionate about family travel because it provides a unique opportunity to create lasting memories, strengthen bonds, and nurture personal growth. Traveling together allows us to escape the daily routine, explore new cultures, and experience new adventures as a team. Through travel, we share in the wonder of discovering new places, cuisines, and traditions, all while learning about the world and each other. Travel benefits the family and the individual members by fostering a sense of togetherness, encouraging open communication, and instilling values like tolerance, adaptability, and curiosity.
Do you have anything new you’d like people to know about?
The last couple years, I’ve been doing a lot more group travel and I’m finding that really fun and rewarding! Last summer, I planned travel for a wedding in Cabo, a 50th anniversary trip to Italy for an extended family, and a heritage trip to Ireland for a group of family and friends. This summer, I’ll have a group of about 60 people doing a cruise in the Mediterranean. It’s great to be a part of helping people celebrate these special milestones!
What’s one common travel myth you’d like to dispel?
I hear a lot of folks say that parents should wait to travel until their kids can remember the experience, but they couldn’t be more wrong! We do things with little ones from the time they are babies that they won’t remember: read, celebrate birthdays and holidays, and take them on local adventures. These things, like travel, have inherent value despite the child’s ability to remember and provide life skills, bonding opportunities and can help children develop qualities that will serve them later in life.
To learn more, head to familytravelsandadventures.com.
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