TORONTO — Sheila Gnish joined Nexion Travel Group-Canada as a new travel advisor, just barely before the pandemic, and as she was relocating halfway across the country.

The rest, as they say, is history.

The Flowers Cove, NB-based travel advisor, who runs Indulge Yourself Vacations, was recently named Nexion Travel Group-Canada’s Rising Star for 2023.

Gnish received her award at Nexion’s conference CoNexion. The Rising Star honour recognizes an exceptional new Nexion member whose sales and engagement set the individual’s career off to a promising start.

Mike Foster, President of Nexion Travel Group-Canada, says Gnish embraced every inquiry as an opportunity, every person as a prospect, and she consistently went above and beyond to deliver incredible travel experiences. He added that her outstanding sales results reflect her tireless efforts.

“Sheila’s dedication and passion for her work are truly inspiring,” said Foster. “She has shown remarkable resilience and determination, and her commitment to building and serving her clients is exemplary. I am incredibly proud of Sheila’s accomplishments and her willingness to continuously improve her skills. She represents the spirit of our Rising Star award, and I have no doubt that her star will continue to ascend in this industry.”

Travelweek wanted to know more about Gnish and her award-winning rise in the travel industry. We caught up with Gnish to ask about her start in the industry, her best-sellers and her most successful habits.

Robbi Hamida, Senior VP, Nexion Travel Group; Mike Foster, President, Nexion Travel Group-Canada; Sheila Gnish; Jackie Friedman, President, Nexion Travel Group; Heather Kindred, VP, Nexion Travel Group

Travelweek: How did you get interested in working as a travel advisor?

 Gnish: “Fun fact about me, I would not be here if it were not for the wonderful island of Jamaica. My mother was from the U.S. and my father from Toronto and they were both on vacation where they met and fell in love at Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios. So I owe a lot to Jamaica.

“The second reason was, my father, he wanted to explore the world with my mother after he retired, and he passed away six months after his retirement. So my husband and I decided that we would do as many family vacations with our then-four-year old as we could. You just never know what path life has laid out before you. It was a real eye-opener for us to enjoy every moment to the fullest.”

Travelweek: Why did the home-based model appeal to you? 

Gnish: “When I was starting Indulge Yourself Vacations, my husband and I still had another business so I started out part-time in 2019. Since I was working at both businesses it just made sense for me to work from home at nights and on weekends. Then we had COVID that changed everyone’s lives. It just made good sense to work from home.”

Travelweek: To be named Nexion Travel Group-Canada’s Rising Star, after getting your start just prior to the industry’s most difficult time, is nothing short of amazing. How did you build your business and clientele during the pandemic, when travel was the last thing on people’s minds?

Gnish: “With all the travel restrictions, we had to learn very quickly to pivot from international travel, to then within Canada, and finally within our own province. In August 2020 we moved to New Brunswick as we had always enjoyed vacationing in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It just made perfect sense as our daughter was moving to University of Ottawa at the same time.

“During the pandemic, travel did not stop for me. I signed up for webinars so I could be kept up to date with COVID protocols at different all-inclusive resorts and cruise lines. All of my time went into learning and becoming certified in many countries and cruise lines. To date I am a specialist with 38 countries and cruise lines and all-inclusive resorts.

“One very important point for any travel specialist is that you are constantly learning and keeping up to date as everything can change very quickly, which also keeps it exciting to continue to learn and grow with the travel industry.

“Moving from Ontario to New Brunswick, I had to adapt to new clientele, pivot my marketing strategies and learn very quickly that we do not have all the flight options as we did when we lived near Toronto.

“Some of my first clients were first responders who needed to get away for a much-deserved relaxing vacation. We would find the best countries that followed great COVID protocols, to give them the most peace of mind that we could under the circumstances.

“Since travel opened up, the demand has been extremely high. Currently I have clients who have booked cruises for January 2025. Demand is extremely strong.”

Travelweek: Do you have any specialties? What are your clients booking most these days?  

Gnish: “All-inclusive resorts for families or couples, along with ocean cruising and river cruising, are my main specialties. Having great customer service is one of my most important specialties too!

“My clients know that I am here to help them, from the start of finding the perfect destination, booking the resort or cruise, then working with them to plan out all the details, like excursions or pre- or post travel.

“I am constantly watching connecting flights to make sure my clients don’t miss a flight. They know that if I see a connection might be missed there will be a text from me when their flight lands on the runway and we usually have a Plan B in place before they travel so we all know what will happen if part of the trip has a deviation.

“There has been a huge demand for Europe tour packages, especially Italy, Greece and Portugal. Alaska cruising has seen a surge this season along with the Mediterranean.  For all-inclusive resorts, we are seeing a big demand for Jamaica and Punta Cana along with Aruba, Saint Lucia and the Bahamas.”

Travelweek: What are some successful habits you developed in your first year as a travel agent that have really paid off?

Gnish: “Listen to your clients’ needs. Not everyone fits the same cruise ship or all-inclusive resort, and we all have budgets, so my specialty is trying to find the best resorts at the best prices, and the same with cruise ships.

“Customer service and follow up are key to securing repeat clientele. I have an extremely high number of repeat clients. I have absolutely amazing clients that I work with, from Newfoundland all the way to Edmonton.

“Since I am a specialist for many countries I receive calls from many provinces across Canada. For me, Indulge Yourself Vacations is a labour of love. I am blessed to have a business that creates so many wonderful memories for families. And I love working with my clients to create the best possible vacation for everyone.”