Finding “Destination Next” | Travel Research Online

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Finding “Destination Next”

The Girl Scouts have been out in force with their cookies this month, and if you haven’t stocked up on Thin-Mints, Samoas and Tagalongs, keep an eye out for them in front of coffee shops and grocery stores. In fact, one Girl Scout is making headlines for thinking outside the cookie box by selling in front of a San Francisco medical marijuana dispensary. According to CBS News, she sold 117 boxes in two hours. I’m not surprised – but I am impressed.

Seeing this kind of up-and-coming opportunity, and being first in line to profit from it, is a gift great entrepreneurs possess. It’s how I’ve made my travel agency succeed despite terrorists, crashing economies and natural disasters. My first insight came at the beginning of the recession when I asked myself this question: “What will people always do, no matter what?” My answers were: Get married and go on honeymoons.

I launched HoneymoonGiveaway.com the next week and promoted destination weddings as the new economical way for couples to have everything they wanted in a wedding for prices they could afford. This isn’t to say that I became a budget-travel agency – I brought in plenty of high-end clients using the same tactics, because in the middle of the recession, everyone felt poor!

Over the years I’ve been tapping into niche markets as they’re about to emerge. Some work out, some don’t. The day after California legalized same-sex marriage (the first time), I pitched the Ellen Degeneres Show an idea to host an I-Do, Re-Do wedding for Ellen and Portia at my favorite resort in St. Lucia – or at least offer a giveaway to one of her guests. Sadly, California went back and forth on that ruling a few times and nothing came of it, but I was ready.

Right now, I’m preparing for another emerging trend: Weed Tours. Just like that Girl Scout in California, I see the potential in the weed market, and with Colorado having legalized recreational pot sales on January 1st, 2014, I believe that organized Weed Tours aren’t far away. I’ve already bought several website domain names in anticipation. Currently, however, it’s a Federal crime for anyone to promote weed tours across state lines. Even the burgeoning Colorado weed tour business won’t book out-of-state visitors until they’re on Colorado soil.

But I believe that Girl Scout in San Francisco is onto something. I’ve already had a tremendous response to my Weed Tours idea from both potential clients and investors. I think that someday it will be like wine tours in Sonoma. Love it or hate it, legalized weed is an emerging trend in this country, and while the novelty is… high – we could all stand to make a profit in the coming years. Just as soon as it’s legal in the eyes of the Federal Government.

In the 1990’s, Tammy Levent’s family experienced a series of traumatic losses, beginning with a robbery that forced their jewelry business to close, and ending with Tammy’s two children recovering in the ICU after a fatal car accident. Tammy Levent’s future changed when an ICU nurse asked her, “If it had nothing to do with money, what would you do?” Tammy said, “I would travel the world.”

With a family to feed, no assets, mounting medical bills, and a deficit of $180 thousand dollars, Tammy Levent leveraged strategic partnerships to build Elite Travel, which has become one of the fastest growing, most trusted travel groups in the nation.

In 2013, Levent partnered with several top entrepreneurs, including Kevin Harrington (Shark Tank and As Seen on TV), and the multi-billion dollar company, Gogo Worldwide Vacations to develop The Travel Agent’s Success Kit ™ to help struggling travel agencies successfully adapt to this new age of travel. 

  3 thoughts on “Finding “Destination Next”

  1. Richard Earls says:

    Tammy, this is truly great “brainstorming.” Congratulations and well done! ~ Richard

  2. what says:

    I’m not understanding that why would we applaud a child being near marijuana? If a Girl Scout goes to a smoking factory or drinking brewery they might get hundreds or thousands of cookies bought too. No matter if the purpose of marijuana and what side of the fence, I just challenge the assumption to applaud a child for getting more interest in marijuana. Sales for Girl Scouts cookies don’t take a front seat to values taught to girls and boys, and drug usage should not be something for children to be involved in in my opinion. Just a respectful different viewpoint since Richard and this article both support Girl Scouts selling products near controversial things.

  3. Richard Earls says:

    What I applaud is ingenuity.

    Richard

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