When it comes to travel, Sean Hornbeck said the key to a successful and relaxing vacation is ensuring you have peace of mind.
“It is knowing, in the back of your head, that you are safe and secure, and everything has been arranged and taken care of by people who knew what you wanted and knew what they were doing,” he said. “If you can sit back, and know you are safe and secure, and you can be your authentic self when you are travelling, there is nothing better.”
Hornbeck is the CEO of The Connected Traveler. Started more than 20 years ago, it specializes in connecting members of the LGBTQ+ community to the world by organizing custom vacations, group trips, luxury escapes, destination weddings and other travel experiences to help celebrate important life events.
“Our community is traditionally underserved, and surveys that look at what LGBTQ+ travellers want usually find that we want to be safe, we want to be seen and we want to relax,” he said. “Our job is to send you to a destination where you will be comfortable and will really enjoy the experience because you can let your guard down.”
And being able to do that, Hornbeck said, starts by asking the right questions to ensure the team at The Connected Traveler understands what type of experience—a river cruise through Europe or island hopping in the Caribbean—is right for you.
“Sometimes people will call us, and they don’t know what they want for a vacation. Or, they have an idea in their head of what they want that we then get to flush out,” he said. “The first thing we do is ask them where they have been on vacation and what they liked about it. And we also want to find out where they have been that they disliked. Because if you tell me what you don’t like, it is going to also tell me about the things you do like, so I can match up your interests one way or the other.”
From there, the team at The Connected Traveler works with its vendors and suppliers to ensure you get the experience you want—and at the best possible price. It takes care of all the important details, from knowing what time your flight is to getting you the best seats at a performance—things you can’t get booking a vacation on your own or through a third party.
It also considers any special concerns or diverse needs you might have. This includes ensuring your comfort during your trip, providing insider tips on what to see and do, making sure any supports you might need in an emergency are available and you know how to access them, and highlighting things in each destination that might be a concern to the LGBTQ+ community.
“We look out for you. If you tell me, ‘I have an allergy to a specific food,’ we are going to plan for that. We are going to advise you and make recommendations on where to go, but also have it planned out, so you are covered and know to do in advance if you do need medical attention,” Hornbeck said.
“We are able to help overcome the hiccups that happen along the way and during the journey. We recently had something happen where one of our clients was walking down a set of stairs in Santorini in Greece and twisted their ankle. We were able to get them the medical attention they needed so they could continue with their vacation.”
And, to ensure your journey is extra special, Hornbeck said his team always looks for a way to make it memorable and unique—a personal touch you may not find with other travel specialists.
“We try to find each person something they can’t get anywhere else,” he said. “We usually include an off-the-beaten-path or once-in-a-lifetime experience. For example, we had people go to Paris and we were able to organize a private Champagne tasting for them while they were at the Eiffel Tower.
“Every so often you need to get away from day-to-day life, and travel changes our lives and changes our perspective. It expands our horizons, and because of that, it is something I am really passionate about. I want to provide a level of comfort for our clients. I want you going somewhere you will like, while saving money, and without surprises or worries.”
To learn about more about the benefits of booking your next vacation through The Connected Traveler, visit https://theconnectedtraveler.com
