Following Her Heart to Travel

WWhile Lori Visser, VTA knew she wanted to work as a travel advisor after high school, she initially followed a different path—one that led her into accounting and later as a corporate controller for a construction, manufacturing and commercial real estate business. She was used to often being the only woman in the room. Eventually, Visser returned to what she calls her first love: travel.

“My mom was an immigrant and my dad a railroad engineer, so I think travel is in my blood,” said Visser, who now works as a travel advisor and is owner and operator of a Cruise Planners travel agency franchise. “Back in the day, it was much harder to break into the field, needing experience and connections—of which I had none back in the 1970’s.”

In 2014, Visser decided she’d had enough of the corporate world and decided to jump right into the world of travel, despite not having any industry experience at the time. She did, however, possess plenty of business experience that she knew would serve her well. While she began with no clients or leads, she’s now able to support her family doing something she loves.

“I do a lot of training, including conferences and conventions, and since I work with over 40 cruise lines and dozens of land-based travel suppliers, there’s a plethora of training resources,” Visser explained, noting satisfaction in her choice to opt for the franchise route. “I don’t need to spend my time on systems, websites and software, and we have a great