Today we’d like to introduce you to Ronda Wright.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Ronda. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in small-town America with a country twist to it (think dirt roads and cow pastures). Needless to say, my parents were not the kind of people that were able to take yearly vacations to the beach. When I was 16, I was invited to play in an international softball competition in Holland. This was my first experience traveling abroad and being exposed to other cultures. I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE EXPERIENCE! I did all the usual things like visiting the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House. But I also had some experiences that were not on the traditional tourist list at the time: grocery shopping at local markets for snacks, bicycle riding throughout Amsterdam, and of course, playing softball against local teams in the region representing the USA. My entire trip was filled with interactions with the locals and I learned so much about their daily life. This travel experience really helped me to develop a passion for learning about other parts of the world and an interest in experiencing destinations in an authentic way.
After college, when I could actually afford to travel, traveling to new destinations every year (domestic and international) became a regular part of my annual routine. Many friends and family members began reaching out to me and they’d ask questions like, “how did you decide to go there?”, “How did you know what to do when you got there?” and “I wish I could do that.” The answer in my head eventually formulated into “you can do this too,” as I realized that many people just don’t know where to begin when it comes to having an amazing experience outside of their area code. At this point, I realized that, based on the opportunities that I have been afforded in life, I now had a unique opportunity to help others experience the world for themselves. This thought inspired me to start my travel business, where I really focus on helping my clients experience their destination. I put an emphasis on interaction with the locals and cultural experiences so they can walk away with a flavor of what the world looks like from someone else’s perspective.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Actually, when I started my business this past fall, the business was booming! I was actually a little concerned about if I’d be able to keep up! I think it took off right away because so many people know that I’m an avid traveler and that I can guide them well when it comes to planning their vacations – no matter where they wanted to go. I’m also very meticulous and everyone knows that (that’s the engineering side of me). My first year of business was projected to be very strong and then…COVID 19 became a regular part of our vernacular. Obviously, as the coronavirus spread, most vacations and traveling were put on the backburner. So that has been a major roadblock for my company over the last two months. At this point, I actually have some planned brainstorming sessions to consider how my company may need to evolve based on permanent changes that could likely occur within the travel industry.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My company specializes in designing customized vacation experiences, surprising clients with tailored vacations that they learn about the week of their travel, and curating group getaways that are led by me. With the customized vacation experiences (Travel Designed Wright), I cover a range of questions with potential clients to learn where they’d like to visit and about their travel preferences. I then do the research – I pull from my own experiences in that destination, research, and reviews and put together package options that will appeal to that client. I also add in several experiences that will give them an opportunity to experience the local culture and take something away that’s differential from your typical tourist must-do’s.
The second leg of my business is called Anywhere Now which is all about surprise travel – YES, surprise travel! In this scenario, clients complete a survey that gives me details on when they’d like to travel and the types of things that are important to them when they travel – mountains or beaches? Foodie or music lover? Budget travel or luxury? Museum lover or club hopper? I take the information from this survey along with your budget and plan a vacation experience that you’re sure to love based on the preferences provided and it’ll be to a destination that you likely never considered visiting. I book your vacation and you find out where you’re headed the week of travel… don’t worry, I send you the weather details in advance so you can have proper time to pack! Surprise travel is the perfect solution for someone who has done lots of traveling and wants a new experience without doing all the research to find it for themselves.
The Getaway Group is my third leg of the business, where I actually curate trips and personally lead the group experience at the destination. The first trip was for a long weekend in Austin, Texas but it was canceled due to COVID-19. Currently, there is a group trip scheduled for mid-September (pending travel restrictions) to Morocco. I traveled to Morocco in 2014 and curated the trip based on some of my favorite cities and experiences there. I’m really hoping that conditions are safe enough that I can share this amazing country with the ten people that are registered to go! Assuming everything is safe, I’d like to take a group to Greece in April 2021.
As you can see, I’m not a traditional travel agent. Not only do I give my clients multiple ways to create their journey, but I am actually a traveler! I travel a lot! Last year, I was in the top 10% of business travelers out of Atlanta Hartsfield and I take 2-3 personal vacations per year with at least two of those being to new destinations. I love helping others and I love traveling, so starting my travel business has become the perfect intersection of two of my passions.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in a small-town America. Even in that environment, I always had my sights set on something much larger. I’ve always been very inquisitive and interested in history and the sciences. Interest in the sciences eventually fueled my career as an engineer, and I think my love of history grew my desire to see the world for myself. As I grew up, I also knew that I would do BIG things – I just didn’t know what they were!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thewrightgetaway.com
- Phone: 404-381-1103
- Email: hello@thewrightgetaway.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thewrightgetaway
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thewrightgetaway
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/wrightgetaway
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
