Jaclyn Sienna India knows how the mega-rich like to vacation — she’s the founder of Sienna Charles, a members-only travel agency that caters to wealthy clients who take million-dollar trips around the world.
India’s clients include Wall Street titans, tech VIPs and Hollywood tycoons with high standards and endless resources.
But even billionaires make a common misstep in their vacation planning that everyday travelers are guilty of: choosing vacations based on what’s trendy and will look great on social media.
“I think people need to stop following trends, and they need to follow their heart more,” India tells CNBC Make It. “If everybody rushes to the same place, then it gets destroyed by over-tourism. There’s a whole world out there.”
Many of her clients end up “highly disappointed” when they follow what she calls the “billionaire’s calendar” (think: Europe in the summer, Aspen in the winter) and end up going to the same places as everyone else. When a client says they want to visit a major European city in the summer, India wonders: “Why would you go then? You see more Americans than you do locals.”
People of more typical means should avoid falling into the “celebritization of travel,” India adds. Vacationers “see what Beyonce is doing, or see Jeff Bezos on a yacht” and want to recreate those trips “so you can share it on your Instagram that you did the same thing as celebrities. That’s soulless.”
She finds that “a lot of people are taking the pictures for other people, but they’re not capturing the place for themselves.”
Instead, India recommends choosing travel spots based on your own passions and what you want to learn more about. “Go to places that interest you, that help build and shape your mindset [and] your world.”
Consider: “What do I want to learn more about? And then how can you connect with the locals in order to help teach you that?” India says.
For example, India says one of her main goals of traveling is to learn how other cultures approach longevity, and so she’ll visit places well-known for their wellness practices and lifestyles.
Think about what you’re reading, watching, listening to and talking about to guide your travel decisions. “Maybe you’re watching something on Netflix that’s really deep into history, or maybe you’re reading a book about Egyptology,” India says. “Then, go deeper onto that topic, and learn more by going [to Egypt].”
You don’t have to spend like a billionaire to have a meaningful trip, she adds: “France and Italy are great, but it’s really based on luxury. Where is a place that you can eat at a food cart for 50 cents and have mind-blowing food? Where is a place that you can go, try the massages daily, or really go deeper into the culture?”
Don’t count out destinations across South America, Africa and Southeast Asia, India says, which are often overlooked but can provide enriching cultural experiences for not that much money.
Ultimately, she says, “I think it’s important to look for places that allow you to connect deeper with the locals.”
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