Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Viggiano.
Hi Jamie , it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m the owner of Away With Me Travel, LLC, a luxury travel agency based in South Carolina. I’ve been in the travel industry for nearly three decades, and my love for travel really started when I was a child.
My mom used to take me to our local library and let me check out travel books and VHS tapes, which definitely ages me a bit! I became fascinated with the world long before I ever had the chance to see much of it myself. Then, in high school, I took a trip to Europe that completely changed my life. It opened my eyes to different cultures, pushed me to become more independent, taught me how to connect with new people, and gave me the confidence to take scary steps outside of my comfort zone. That experience shaped who I became personally and professionally.
I started my career working in different areas of the travel industry, including with international airlines and travel consortia, which gave me a deep understanding of both the operational and luxury sides of travel. Over time, I realized I wanted to create something more personal and relationship-driven, which eventually led me to build Away With Me Travel from the ground up.
What began as a passion for helping people create meaningful vacations grew into a full-service luxury travel agency specializing in customized experiences around the world. Today, I lead a team of independent travel advisors focused on high-touch concierge-style service for our clients.
One of the things that has always set my business apart is the personal relationships we build with clients. We’re not just booking trips. We’re helping people celebrate anniversaries, reunite with family, take once-in-a-lifetime vacations, and create memories they’ll carry forever. That personal connection is what has kept me passionate about this industry for so many years.
Like many small business owners, my journey hasn’t been without challenges. The travel industry changes constantly, and navigating the pandemic was one of the hardest periods imaginable for travel professionals. But it also reinforced how important trusted travel advisors are and strengthened my commitment to building a business centered around expertise, service, and genuine care for clients.
Today, Away With Me Travel, LLC specializes in luxury vacations, custom European itineraries, all-inclusive resorts, cruises, theme park escapes and concierge travel planning. I’m proud of the business and team I’ve built, and I’m excited about continuing to grow while helping clients experience the world in a meaningful way.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, and honestly, I think that’s true for most entrepreneurs. When I started my business in 2010, I had a four-year-old and a three-month-old baby at home. I wasn’t sitting in some corporate office with investors or a big business plan. I was a brand-new mom sitting at my kitchen table with a laptop, a dream, and a determination to make it work.
At the time, there really wasn’t the level of mentorship, online training, and support for small business owners that exists today. I didn’t have anyone to call to ask questions or guide me through building a travel business. A lot of it was trial and error, long nights, learning as I went, and figuring things out on my own while raising small children.
Over the last 16 years, we’ve been through a lot. Like the entire travel industry, the pandemic was devastating for us. Overnight, we lost essentially 100% of our revenue while simultaneously working around the clock helping clients navigate canceled vacations, border closures, and constant uncertainty. It was one of the hardest professional and emotional periods imaginable.
But rebuilding after that and coming back even stronger has been one of the accomplishments I’m most proud of. It’s a testament to hard work, determination, resilience, and the incredible loyalty of our clients who continued to support us through such a difficult time.
Another challenge over the years has been finding travel advisors who truly share the same vision, work ethic, and passion for client care that we value so deeply. Building the right team takes time. But our core group today is incredibly strong, supportive, and unstoppable. Watching the agency grow into what it is now after starting with just me at my kitchen table has been incredibly rewarding.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I own and lead Away With Me Travel, a luxury travel agency specializing in customized vacations and high-touch concierge travel planning. We work with clients all over the world planning everything from luxury European itineraries and river cruises to all-inclusive resorts, honeymoons, family vacations, destination weddings, cruises, and milestone celebrations.
What I really specialize in is creating deeply personalized travel experiences. I’ve always believed luxury isn’t just about five-star hotels. It’s about how a client feels throughout the entire experience. We focus heavily on service, details, relationships, and making sure our clients feel cared for from the very first conversation until they return home.
Over the years, I’ve become especially known for customized Europe travel. I love designing itineraries that combine luxury with authentic experiences, whether that’s private guides in Italy, boutique hotels in Greece, river cruises through Europe, or unique cultural experiences clients would never find on their own. We also provide concierge-level support before and during travel, which gives clients a huge sense of comfort and confidence.
I’m also incredibly proud of the advisor team we’ve built. Our advisors specialize in destinations all over the world and bring a wide variety of expertise and travel experience to our clients. Whether someone is looking for a luxury Caribbean escape, an African safari, a European cultural journey, an Alaska cruise, Disney vacation, group travel experience, or an overwater bungalow in the Maldives, we have advisors who are passionate and knowledgeable about those destinations. One of the things I value most is making sure our clients are paired with someone who truly understands the type of experience they’re looking for.
What sets us apart most is the level of personal care we provide. We intentionally keep our business relationship-driven. Our clients are never just booking numbers to us. We truly get to know them, their travel style, their families, and what matters most to them. Many of our clients have become like extended family over the years.
I’m also proud that Away With Me Travel started with just me at my kitchen table, and today we’ve grown into a respected luxury travel agency with an amazing team behind it. Building a successful female-owned business while raising a family, surviving the challenges of the travel industry, and continuing to grow after difficult periods like the pandemic is something I’m deeply proud of.
Most of all, I’m proud that after all these years, I still genuinely love what I do. Helping people see the world, celebrate important moments, and create lifelong memories never stops being rewarding.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My biggest piece of advice for anyone starting out in the travel industry is to truly understand what this career really is before jumping in. Right now, our industry is being flooded with heavily marketed MLM-style “travel agencies” promoting the idea that being a travel advisor is easy money, free travel, flexible hours, and glamorous vacations. In my opinion, that’s one of the biggest misconceptions about this business, and it can be incredibly misleading to people entering the industry.
This career can absolutely be rewarding, but it is also extremely demanding. Most people don’t see the behind-the-scenes reality. We are often working 24/7, 365 days a year. When clients experience flight cancellations, weather disruptions, lost luggage, wrong accommodations, medical emergencies, or travel delays, we are the ones answering the calls and solving the problems. Those calls don’t just happen during business hours. They happen during our children’s recitals, at sporting events, out to dinner, late at night, and even while we’re on our own vacations.
It’s also a purely commission-based industry for many advisors, especially in the beginning. You can spend dozens of hours planning a trip and still not earn a dollar if a client cancels or decides not to book. Success in this business takes patience, consistency, professionalism, relationship-building, and a genuine passion for helping people. It’s not a quick path to easy money.
That’s also why so many professional travel advisors now charge planning and research fees. We are being compensated not only for our time, but also for years of expertise, industry knowledge, supplier relationships, destination experience, and the personalized service we provide. Clients are investing in professional guidance and support, especially when things go wrong during travel. I think more people are beginning to understand the true value a skilled travel advisor brings to the table.
That said, it can also be an incredibly fulfilling career if you approach it the right way. My biggest recommendation is to find strong mentorship and proper training. I truly wish I’d had more guidance when I started. Sixteen years ago, I was figuring everything out on my own, and it would have saved me a lot of stress and mistakes to have experienced professionals helping guide me.
Training matters tremendously in this industry because travel advisors are handling significant investments and important life experiences for clients. You need to understand destinations, supplier relationships, contracts, customer service, problem-solving, crisis management, and sales and marketing. The advisors who succeed long term are the ones who treat this like a real profession and continuously educate themselves.
I would also tell new advisors not to compare their beginning to someone else’s middle. Building a successful business takes time. Focus on relationships, reputation, and taking care of people genuinely. Those things matter far more than flashy social media posts or promises of “free travel.”
And finally, we are always looking to connect with aligned, professional, and service-driven individuals who share our values and want to grow within a supportive team environment. The right people matter in this industry, and building with the right team makes all the difference. Reach out anytime!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.awaywithmetravel.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awaywithmetravel/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awaywithmetravel
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-viggiano-96335447/
- Other: https://linktr.ee/awaywithmetravel?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=0db3aaf9-770b-47a3-8ed9-6a165c334a52
