Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthea Gilchrist.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Anthea. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in Australia and spent my childhood in the outback, was educated in Perth, Australia, and worked in Sydney before moving to Dallas 20 years ago. With an Italian mother, Australia father and South African husband, travel has always been a huge part of my life. After college, I spent a year backpacking through Europe, a right of passage for all young Australian’s. You could say that I was born to travel.
When I moved to the US, I changed careers from University professor to full-time mom. With family around the world, I traveled extensively with my young family. On a corporate rewards retreat in DC, a luxury tour guide told me, “I should really start a family travel business as I had so much personal experience.”The seed was planted and SEAMLESS TRAVEL was born. (SEAMless is an acronym for my children – Sarah, Emily, Andrew and Matthew).
I have spent the last seven years in the luxury travel and concierge world. SEAMLESS TRAVEL was created out of a demand from families who wanted to travel seamlessly and totally immerse themselves in the destination. “I really have a desire to assist families and couples travel WELL, ensuring they get VIP treatment and experience WOW moments. Travel should be purposeful, immersive and real. With a sophisticated and deeply research approach to travel, each client’s vacation is personalized and always offers authentic and unique experiences. My goal is for travel to be purposeful and to ensure that the world is left a better place for our children.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road to success has definitely not been smooth in the last few months. The current health pandemic has been devastating to the travel industry. Trips that I have been working on for a year have had to be canceled. When the pandemic it and the US went to a Level 4 travel warning, my first job was to get all of my travelers home and quickly. I actually had clients in the center of Australia. I don’t think there is a more remote place on earth 🙂 Three flights schedule laters, My clients were back on US soil. They did not get charged extra for flights and receive a 100% cash refund for the portion of the trip that we had to cancel.
In the last few months, I have been working on getting all my clients 100% refunds. It has been extremely long days and nights but worth it for my clients. In the travel industry, we do not get paid unless our clients travel. Trips that I have been working on for the last year canceled and few bookings during the pandemic has resulted in over 18 months lost revenue to date. A have shed a tear for my business that I have poured my heart and soul into. But I have shed more tears for the weddings and honeymoons canceled or postponed, milestone anniversary trips, graduating senior trips and multi-generational vacations. It breaks my heart for my clients but we will get them away again when it is safe to do so.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Seamless Travel – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
SEAMLESS TRAVEL is a full-service luxury travel agency catering to the leisure traveler worldwide. We specialize in exceptional vacation experiences for families, couples and honeymoons. My specialty? It is crafting custom-designed, seamless trips for travelers that are sophisticated and non-touristy. And you can be assured that if you book with me, your trip will be meticulously planned out. I am known for my great attention to detail and for listening carefully to my clients so that I can create adventures that are unique to each individual.
I am also an expert at traveling with children. As the mother of six children who has had passports since the day they were born, I understand the tricks of globetrotting with multiple children and will share them with you. Because as you know, when your children are happy on vacation, that means you can also be happy. And while I love booking travel to all destinations, I do specialize in designing custom itineraries to: Australia/New Zealand. I specialize in Europe with an emphasis on Italy, Greece, France and Great Britain. Costa Rica, Mexico and the Caribbean Africa.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I have to admit that moving from Sydney to Dallas was a little bit of a shock. From Sydney Harbor and its beaches to landlocked Dallas. I thought I would be here for three years (our original assignment length).
Well. Twenty years later, I am still here. We fell in love with the ease of living in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Our children went to school in Southlake Carroll, Jesuit Prep School and Plano. We bought into the big Texas house, enrolled the kids into very sport possible and got thoroughly involved in the community. I always joked that each of my kids had a professional athlete coach them at some point of their rec career. Great education, great sports and fabulous shopping. All while never having to parallel park or pay for parking. I must admit I do miss the beach. However, even them, a quick flight from DFW can have me on the gorgeous beaches in Mexico or, better yet, our second home in Costa Rica.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.seamlesstravelagency.com
- Phone: +1 817-690-8023
- Email: anthea@seamlesstravelagency.com
Image Credit:
First photo of me sitting in chair – Gracynapplegatephotgraphy
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