Carrier’s agent retreats are being hailed as “life-changing” experiences that are reshaping how travel professionals approach client relationships, self-worth and business growth. 

Speaking at a recent gathering, agents shared how the retreats have helped them move away from trying to “do everything” and instead focus on high-value clients. 

Hot Chilli’s Kate Hales said the biggest shift was recognising the importance of retention over constant acquisition. “It’s about attracting, nurturing and retaining the right clients,” she said. 

“Once you’ve got them, it’s about keeping them and building for the future. I realised I was being a bit of a ‘busy fool’, trying to do too much, trying to satisfy too many different clients.” She added that understanding personal value was key to long-term success: “It’s about becoming invaluable, so your clients feel they can’t travel without you.” 

Agents also stressed that the impact of the retreats is gradual rather than immediate. Emma Frearson, founder of Luxury Travel By Emma, described the experience as a series of “building blocks” for development. 

“It doesn’t happen overnight,” she said. “You absorb what you learn, set goals and implement them over time.” 

A recurring theme was the power of community in an industry where many agents can feel isolated. 

Attending her first retreat, founder of The Departure Lounge Jo Robinson said this already felt like a vital support network: “It can be lonely out there, but being part of this community gives you support throughout the journey. That’s something really special.” 

She added that while social media often highlights the energy of the retreats, the deeper impact is less visible. “You see how energised and inspired people feel, but until you experience it, you don’t realise how transformative it is.”

'Every conversation is something new'

For many, the retreats offer a rare opportunity to step back from the day-to-day and focus on personal and professional growth. 

Also at her first retreat, Personal Travel Concierge’s joint managing director Charlotte Welborn said the experience creates space for reflection and development – something many agents struggle to find in their day-to-day business. 

“It’s about understanding your strengths and weaknesses, taking time out and thinking about how you grow,” she said. “Every conversation teaches you something new, and you take that back into your business.”

Carrier said its aim is to bring the “right people into the right room” to foster collaboration and long-term growth across its agent community. 

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Managing director Natasha Towey said: “This is not just another overseas conference; it’s one of the most impactful things we do for the agent community.

"We believe deeply that human connections and longevity in relationships are key – you need to assess how strong you want bonds to go; whether with colleagues, clients or supplier partners. Relationships are not a ‘nice to have’, they are a strategic advantage.

“Advisors are moving from being useful to indispensable: when the client finds that with you, they stop shopping around because they have found ‘their person’,” she added.

'Emotional intelligence will cut through in the world of AI'

As has become a regular element of the Carrier Retreat, Sinead Healy – a business coach and founder of Marmalade – joined the four-day gathering to guide agents through ways to improve their sales, relationships, business and personal developments. 

This year, the focus was on Emotional Intelligence (EQ), with all agents completing an EQ test in advance, and urged to understand the implications and positives they could glean from this. 

Healy also guided agents how to gain an even deeper way of identifying these kinds of traits in clients as well, and what this might mean to the customer journey. 

Carrier’s sales and commercial director Rick Milne said luxury travel today goes way beyond transactions, with the advisor’s ability to show empathy “a crucial skill that will be mean even more – not less – in a tech-driven world”. 

“All the signs show there will be even more demand for Emotional Intelligence in a world of AI – which is why we wanted to steer the Retreat in this way – people who show-up effectively and relational intelligence will be key in the coming years,” he said.