Why I’d Travel with an Agency (Even After Years Working in Tourism)
It might sound contradictory, but after so many years working in tourism and designing itineraries for others, I had never considered taking a personal trip through an agency. I always thought traveling was something I knew how to do on my own — that I could plan everything: routes, restaurants, transport, experiences. And honestly, I could. But over time I realized that this way of traveling, while enriching, can also be exhausting.
Traveling without an agency gives you freedom, but it also means carrying all the decisions. A huge part of my energy used to go into finding the perfect place to eat, calculating times, figuring out transportation systems. Of course, there’s beauty in getting lost on the subway or stumbling upon a hidden corner — but there also comes a point when you simply want to let go of control, to allow someone else to handle the logistics so you can just arrive, breathe, and be.
That, to me, is what traveling with an agency means: it’s like having local friends in every destination — people who have already done the research, made the mistakes, and found the gems. They take you straight to the essence, saving you time and energy, and offering something we rarely experience in daily life: mental rest. The luxury of being fully present, of not having to think about what’s next — just receiving and enjoying.
Especially when visiting countries where I’m completely foreign to the culture — where I don’t speak the language, and where geography, traditions, and infrastructure aren’t necessarily intuitive. I’m Colombian, and I always say the best way to truly know Colombia is with a Colombian. Otherwise, you might only scratch the surface. Colombia contains a thousand countries within itself — its diversity of landscapes, climates, accents, music, and food is endless — and it’s not easy to access that depth as a foreigner, especially when you have limited time.
I realize now that the way I see Colombia — with such intimacy and understanding — is exactly what locals in other countries must feel about their own lands. And I can’t help but wonder how many things I might have missed by not traveling with someone local.
Today, I’m sure of it: even though I love traveling alone, even though I know how to plan, I would absolutely gift myself a trip with a conscious agency. To feel once again like a child on vacation — when my parents made all the decisions and all I had to do was enjoy, play, and make friends.
Of course, it’s not about just any agency; it’s about finding one that resonates with your values. For me, that means traveling with intention and respect for local culture. In the end, travel isn’t just about where you go—it’s about how you choose to experience it.
