“Travel leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”
Travel Advisors Dispute Consumer Media Claims that Travel Boom Has Peaked
by Dori Saltzman, Briana Bonfiglio, and Dan McCarthy / August 07, 2023
Booking slowdown?
Tesa Totengco, founder and CEO of Travels with Tesa, also a Virtuoso member agency, agreed. "I don't think it's peaked or waning. People are still very much investing in their travel and even future travel."
Shift to 2024 bookings
It's something that Totengco is seeing as well. "All of the travel now, clients are booking way in advance because summer is a peak season and availability is going to be limited, so they are preferring to book way in advance so they have the best hotels and best experiences."
As a member of the board, Totengco will lend her expertise and insights to help shape the future of travel, share her perspectives on emerging travel trends, and provide valuable guidance to Travel + Leisure's editorial team. She will join a team of travel industry leaders who are dedicated to providing expert advice and guidance to the brand's audience of passionate travelers.
podcasting from india
Join us on our latest episode as we sit down with Tesa Totengco, Owner and CEO of Travels with Tesa. Tesa shares valuable insights on the importance of immersing yourself in travel in order to better cater to your clients’ needs and preferences. She also delves into the crucial role of finding quality suppliers, how you can plan your own FAM trips, and shares how she markets and inspires her clients to travel.
Travel insights from Elisa Parhad, contributor to The Compass, Feb. 27, 2023
5 Ways to Leverage Email Marketing to Grow Your Audience
When Tesa Totengco started her travel advisor career, she regularly emailed clients — with little expectation that it would drive results. "It was my first host agency that encouraged this,” she said. "I didn't see the value at first, but after doing it with regularity and seeing responses and inquiries from my subscribers, I realized it was another way of communicating with clients and prospects.”
Those first few email deployments were over four years ago. Today, Totengco's emails to her subscribers are simply another facet of her work week, integrated into a larger marketing strategy she oversees.
"It's a great way to inspire and connect with your subscribers and for them to think about booking travel through you,” she said. “The traction I get from email is a testament to the fact that not everyone is on social media. I find it really effective, and that’s why I pursue it."
Where We Want to Travel in 2023
Amy Cassell and Emma Franke, January 5, 2023, Virtuoso, The Magazine
BuySide FROM WSJ: Best Fanny Packs, Picked by Style and Travel Pros - Dec 31, 2002
Travel + Leisure: 9 Best International Road Trips, According to Travel + Leisure’s A-List Advisors - July 10, 2022
A-LIST 2022 and
t+L travel advisory board
For the 2nd year in a row, I’ve been named by Travel + Leisure as an A-List Travel Advisor. The A-list is T+L's collection of the world's top travel advisors. It’s a real honor to be on this list.
I’m also honored to be continuing my role in Travel + Leisure’s Travel Advisory Board. The Travel + Leisure Travel Advisory Board is a select group of owners and operators of the country’s most important agencies. They share with T+L their expert opinions on the latest developments in the travel industry and their read on ever-evolving consumer trends.
T+L’s A-List advisors share their favorite places to grab a drink, from Lima to London.
by Liz Cantrell June 18, 2021
McSorley's Old Ale House, New York
Established in 1854, this East Village watering hole is the oldest saloon in New York, and the interiors remain untouched by time. It's basically a time capsule. - Tesa Totengco, Travels With Tesa
Landmarks, Grit & Decay, Urban Legends & Celebrity Homes – from the 19th century to the present day.
Tesa Totengco offers an insider peek at NoHo district in Manhattan. She’s lived in Manhattan for over 30 years and in NoHo for most of it. She’s witnessed first hand its changes through the years from the gritty to its current trendy and luxury resurgence.
Travel + Leisure’s Evolution of Travel Forum Exploring the New Landscape of Travel
Women in travel leadership roles will discuss the future of the industry in the first panel, The Changemakers. Jacqueline Gifford will host the conversation between Audrey Hendley, president of American Express Travel; Shannon Knapp, president and chief executive officer of The Leading Hotels of the World; Joanna Geraghty, president and chief operating officer of JetBlue; Tesa Totengco, owner of Travels with Tesa; and Kemi Wells, founder and president of Wells Luxury Travel.
WATCH T+L EVOLUTION OF TRAVEL
Register to watch the recording from the link below. If you’ve previously registered, use your email to login.
Inspiration panel speaker
This award-winning 3-day event will educate, excite, energize, and prepare you for a year of new opportunities in the travel industry. You will leave the workshop feeling clear on your own path forward, empowered with new ideas, and connected with a community of like-minded professionals cheering you on.
TRAVEL AS AN EMOTION The travel industry is preparing for surge in demand for travel, particularly for boutique travel, once borders reopen, quarantine restrictions have been eased, and many travelers have been vaccinated. Our three boutique travel specialists said that vaccine passports, or certification of the presence of antibodies, may likely become a requirement as early as May 14, when Europe is expected to begin welcoming tourists for the summer season, although considering the volatile nature of the coronavirus, that may be subject to change. What will never change is the lure of travel and adventure. And the next time you travel, consider a woman travel specialist for help in planning your dream vacation
advisor keeps putting herself out there
Advisor keeps putting herself out there
Travel Weekly - Jamie Biesiada, January 25, 2021
Tesa Totengco, owner of Travels with Tesa, is proving that pandemic travel is possible - and clients are along for the ride.
Ask the Experts: Can I Go On Safari Right Now?
Virtuoso.com - The Editors, December 8, 2020
Short answer: Yes. Here’s some insight from just-back Virtuoso insiders.
“Now is a great time to go to Africa,” says Tesa Totengco, a Virtuoso travel advisor who recently spent five weeks in Tanzania and Uganda. “Parks are uncrowded, and a safari is a safe outdoor activity with natural social distancing. Lodges and tour operators know and are abiding by all the standard protocols. And your trip can really go a long way in supporting wildlife conservation.”
TRAVEL + LEISURE Travel Advisory Board
October 14, 2020
This group, which shares its industry knowledge with the editors of T+L, oversees tens of thousands of individual trips annually. While not all of these experts personally look after clients, many do — and the rest have teams who excel at orchestrating memorable adventures.
TRAVEL + LEISURE: Tesa Totengco
TRAVEL ADVISORY BOARD | WESTERN EUROPE SPECIALIST
October 09, 2020
Totengco's expertise is in designing thoughtful journeys that lead to transformative experiences. She focuses on independent travel, boutique hotels, history, art, and particularly enjoys seeking out fantastic local restaurants and artisans whose skills have been passed down through generations. Some of her past itineraries have taken travelers to make pottery on a windswept isle in the Aegean; to climb to the top of Mt. Batur to watch the sun rise over Bali; and to ride horseback through the Viñales Valley in Cuba.
GTN Member, Tesa Totengco of Travels with Tesa, Joins the Travel + Leisure Travel Advisory Board
August 26, 2020, HostAgencyReviews.com
(MOORESVILLE, NC – August 6, 2020) Gifted Travel Network is excited to announce that Travel MBA graduate, Tesa Totengco of Travels with Tesa, was invited to join the prestigious Travel Advisory Board (TAB) for Travel + Leisure magazine. Learn More
GTN Member, Tesa Totengco of Travels with Tesa, Joins the Travel + Leisure Travel Advisory Board
(MOORESVILLE, NC – August 12, 2020) Gifted Travel Network is excited to announce that Travel MBA graduate, Tesa Totengco of Travels with Tesa, was invited to join the prestigious Travel Advisory Board (TAB) for Travel + Leisure magazine. Learn More