I hate this question. Everyone in the industry hates this question. We’ve all created our canned answer that we regurgitate every time a guest asks but it’s a bit of a hollow response.
Unfortunately, this attitude towards the question comes from traveling so much. It’s easy to forget that others don’t get to travel as much as we do and don’t get to have the same experiences. Most people get one, maybe two vacations each year, if that, so where you go is the most important decision in your travel planning. You think about climate, activities available, hotel options, who’s going with you, etc. As a travel host, you don’t get to choose ANY of that. You go where you’re assigned. Sure, I’ve done lots of traveling that I did get to choose and occasionally I have some say in which trips I host vs which ones my co-workers host but overall, I go where I am told.
When you don’t get to decide where you travel, the journey becomes the interesting part. I’d much rather tell a guest about my most interesting complaint, or my most difficult problem-solving situation, or my favorite country to work in. But no one ever asks me those questions because why would they? They ask where my favorite place is because they’re looking for advice on their next vacation from someone who’s been all over. It’s a fair question, it just gets very stale after answering it a million times and never giving an answer I can really get behind.
But, this is a travel blog, and I have an obligation to readers since I used a click-bait title so here it is, my canned answer to “What’s your favorite place to travel?”:
- I love Jamaica. Anywhere where the mountains run right into the sea is especially beautiful. There are lots of unique excursions, and everyone is welcoming and friendly.
- I prefer to work in Mexico. The people are always on time, everyone knows exactly what they’re supposed to do, and there’s a sarcastic sense of humor that manages to cross a language barrier like nowhere else I’ve traveled to.
- My biggest bucket list trip was Egypt, and it is still one of my favorite trips. Fortunately, I took that one as a vacation, so I was really able to enjoy every minute I was there.
- If I were going to pick a place to unwind, Ouray, Colorado. A tiny mountain town in the San Juan Mountains. It’s surrounded on all sides by stunning peaks and has no shortage of incredible camping and 4-wheeling.
There you have it, my favorite place(s) to travel from the perspective of a professional traveler.
But if you really want advice from a professional, don’t worry about the destination. Get on SkyScanner and find a cheap flight to… Anywhere! Let the world tell you where to go and discover something amazing while you’re there. You’ll never forget the experience, and you’ll be amazed by what’s out there that you never considered.
