A personal travel planner, like myself, is someone who does all the research and planning of a vacation for you. How cool is that? You get a personally designed itinerary based completely on where you want to go and what you want to do.

A Personal Travel Planner (or Travel Consultant) differs from a traditional travel agent by focusing on the holistic design and research of your trip rather than just the booking of tickets. In 2026, many planners are "boutique" consultants who charge a professional service fee to craft hyper-personalized, "experiential" itineraries based on deep research into local trends, hidden gems, and your specific interests. While a travel agent is often a salesperson for specific suppliers (earning commissions from airlines or hotels), a planner acts as your personal advocate and researcher. In 2026, this role has evolved to include AI-augmented planners who use data to scale personalization, but the "human" travel planner remains valued for their high-touch expertise, ability to navigate complex visas, and "on-call" support during emergencies that automated systems might miss.