BOWRAL man Patrick O’Shea has travelled much of the world and he is eager to share the excitement and adventure of travel with others.
Mr O’Shea is also a travel consultant with a difference.
He is a travel counsellor, he conducts his business from home and makes himself available to meet and make plans with his clients at times and places that best suit their needs.
Mr O’Shea said it was not uncommon for him to visit a client’s home at night or on the weekend to chat about their travel plans.
“Sitting back, relaxing and considering ideas over a social cup of coffee is another great way to make plans for a dream holiday.
“My intention when helping people make holiday plans is to find out what it is they truly want from their holidays.
“While some people travel frequently, others are planning a once-in-a-lifetime adventure - it’s my job to make sure they are not disappointed.
“I think planning for your holiday should be almost as much fun as the journey.”
Mr O’Shea said that meeting clients in a comfortable, laidback environment helped them to relax and him to better gauge what clients wanted from their trip.
“It enables me to help them plan holidays on a more personal level, it’s about tailor making holiday plans in an informal environment.
“My availability at all hours also means that clients already on holidays can contact me immediately if they need to make alterations to their schedule.
“If someone is stuck in an airport in London they can call me directly and I can help them.
“If a problem such as a natural disaster occurs at a location on my clients’ itinerary I can step in to help them alter their travel plans at any time of the day or night.”
Mr O’Shea draws on his own extensive travel experience and more than 15 years in the travel industry to help others achieve their dream holiday.
And if he is not familiar with a particular holiday destination he busies himself with “plenty of research”.
In fact Mr O’Shea’s number one travel tip for everyone is “do your homework”.
He said he had strong connections with good travel suppliers who guided him through plans for places he had not personally experienced.
“I never send someone on a holiday without thoroughly researching it first,” he said.
“I love inspiring people about travel and my own experiences help me bring out what my clients want from their holidays.
“I tend to closely follow each client’s journey and I always love to hear their travel stories when they return home.”
As far as Mr O’Shea is concerned his preferred holiday is in Europe and his favourite city is Florence.
“I spent three years living in London and worked as a Contac tour guide throughout Europe for two of those years,” he said.
“I have visited Florence 14 times - it is a beautiful city.”
Mr O’Shea said travel plans needed to vary depending on the destination.
“Some places should be enjoyed in comfort or luxury while you need to rough it in other places to achieve the true experience,” he said.
“I spent two months on a truck safari in Africa. It was rough riding but I felt it was the best way to see the country.”
And there is always a personal travel adventure on the horizon for Mr O’Shea.
“I am taking my family to Egypt so my children can also experience the excitement that travelling gives you,” he said.
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