Top Pet-Friendly Travel Experts 2025

Christina Gales is a luxury travel advisor and founder of Christina Gales Travel, a boutique travel consultancy specializing in European itineraries, Caribbean escapes, elevated family travel, milestone celebrations, and luxury ocean and river cruises. A Fora and Virtuoso-affiliated advisor based outside Chicago, Christina has planned hundreds of trips across 20+ countries and serves over 100 clients nationwide. With extensive destination training across Europe, the Caribbean, Iceland, Hawaii, and Mexico—plus specialist certifications in luxury travel, cruise planning, and ecotourism—she brings both breadth and depth to every journey. Her preferred status with 8,500+ hotels, resorts, and cruise lines globally allows her to secure exclusive perks and VIP experiences for clients. As both a travel professional and mother of five, Christina is frequently sought after for her expertise in family travel strategy, multi-generational trip design, and making luxury travel approachable for real families. She speaks regularly on European travel planning, destination trends, the psychology of travel, and the shift toward meaningful, purpose-driven travel experiences. Her itineraries favor local culture, boutique hospitality, and personalized experiences over mass-market tourism. Known for her warm, collaborative approach and concierge-level support, Christina helps travelers feel confident, connected, and inspired—from dream to departure to memories that last a lifetime

For the past six years, my family and I have lived and traveled continuously around the world, visiting every continent in a 13-month span and documenting the experience as full-time travel creators. Along the way, our YouTube channels have grown to more than 700,000 subscribers, drawn not to glossy brochure travel, but to the real version: the logistics, the decisions, the tradeoffs, and the moments that don’t fit neatly into an Instagram square. After decades spent running digital marketing agencies, I co-founded ABC Trips, a luxury and adventure travel agency focused on high-touch, experience-driven travel—polar expeditions, African safaris, expedition cruising, private yachts, and deeply cultural itineraries designed for solos, couples, groups, and families. The work sits at the intersection of brokerage, storytelling, and logistics, with a strong bias toward knowing what’s genuinely worth the splurge—and what’s just good marketing. Along the way, I’ve served as a quoted travel industry source for major publications, appeared on network news segments and podcasts, and collaborated closely with leading travel brands, lodges, and expedition operators worldwide. My commentary often focuses on luxury and expedition travel, family and multigenerational travel, travel trends, and what it actually takes to design a location-flexible life that works long-term. These days, my time is split between: - Advising clients on exceptional luxury and adventure travel through ABC Trips - Serving as a media source and collaborator for journalists and brands - Continuing to explore the world with my family—still learning, still curious I’m not especially interested in chasing trends or shouting into the void. I value thoughtful questions, smart conversations, and people who care about doing things well—and enjoying the ride while they’re at it. If our paths cross, there’s a good chance we’ll have something interesting to talk about.

Kayla is an American luxury travel designer based in Puglia, Italy, and the founder of Storia Travel Club. She relocated to southern Italy in 2024 and has built a travel business designing bespoke itineraries for discerning travelers with a particular focus on Italy and Europe. Her lived experience in Puglia gives her access to the kind of local detail that no guidebook captures: which masseria is worth the splurge and which is coasting on reputation, where to find the best bombette in the Valle d’Itria, and why the heel of Italy consistently surprises even seasoned travelers. She works with a select clientele, including ultra-high-net-worth individuals, people seeking relocation to Italy, and those who expect their travel to be entirely handled by a professional. Her work has been featured on The Puglia Guys podcast, and her knowledge of the region, including its food culture, lesser-known geography, and the properties worth staying in, makes her a go-to source for editorial coverage on authentic luxury and slow travel in Italy.

Sheila Hayes is a family travel expert and content creator behind SheMamaMaps, a platform dedicated to helping families travel smarter and stress-free. She specializes in real-world travel with teens, budget-friendly strategies, and maximizing points and miles. Sheila has created content across destinations including the Caribbean, Central America, Japan and the U.S., with videos reaching over 3.8 million views. Her insights focus on practical planning, family-friendly accommodations, and making travel accessible for everyday families.

I’m the founder of Wander in Paradise, a travel platform focused on Bora Bora and the Pacific Islands. Living on Bora Bora since 2022, I share practical, real-world advice on transportation, tours, and what travelers actually need to know before they arrive. My work combines on-the-ground experience with over 15 years in content writing, helping visitors plan smarter and avoid common mistakes.

I'm a mom of 2, and travel often with my husband and kids. I've travelled to nearly 40 countries and lived in 7. My website, Tiny Footsteps Travel, reaches tens of thousands of readers each month. With almost 10 years of experience as a school teacher, I create thoughtful, eco-conscious travel guides on my site that are family-friendly and inclusive for kids of all ages. I create itineraries, videos, and resources that make meaningful travel accessible for parents and their children. I primarily cover the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Latin America, Scandinavia (especially Sweden, Denmark and Iceland) and the British Isles. I ensure that my readers have a true picture of what their trip entails through honest feedback based on real personal experiences.

Passionate traveller and co-founder of CheckinAway.com, where I share detailed reviews and guides for upscale hotels and unique destinations. Exploring the world one trip at a time—here to share insights and help you plan unforgettable adventures!

Sandals #1 US Travel Agency... Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Rivage Travel Consulting & www.BestCaribbeanResorts.com is a boutique travel consultant group owned by husband and wife duo, Jonathan and Angela Patton. As Sandals specialists with over 15 years of expertise, we have personally visited every resort and booked over 2,000 client trips to Sandals, earning recognition as the 2024 Top Sandals Travel Agency in the USA and ranking among the top seven travel advisors nationwide. Being in the top 1% of all US travel advisors, our Diamond Elite status with Sandals Chairman’s Royal Club means we have insider knowledge and experience when it comes Sandals & Beaches resorts. TRAVEL AWARDS & INDUSTRY RECOGNITION Sandals Resorts Awards 2026 Sandals Chairman’s Royal Club Diamond Elite 2025 Sandals Chairman’s Royal Club Diamond Elite 2024 Sandals Chairman’s Royal Club Diamond Elite 2024 Top Sandals Travel Agency – USA 2024 Top Sandals Travel Agency – South East 2024 Top Sandals Butler Elite Travel Agency 2024 Top Sandals Island Routes Agency - Worldwide 2024 Top 10 Independent Sandals Travel Agency – Worldwide 2024 Sandals Million Dollar Club 2023 Sandals Chairman’s Royal Club Diamond Elite 2023 Sandals Chairman’s Royal Club Platinum Elite 2023 Sandals Chairman’s Royal Club

Laurel is the founder of Monkeys and Mountains Adventure Travel, named after the two things she loves most. She started it as an adventure travel blog 10 years ago and for the past several years has focused on offering primate tours in Madagascar and hiking tours in Europe. In addition, Laurel has a marketing background and shares her passion for digital marketing by offering digital marketing consulting to tour operators and travel companies. She’s been featured in high profile publications including National Geographic, BBC Travel, The Guardian and The Telegraph. Laurel’s a sought after speaker having spoken at ITB Berlin (3 times), WTM London, WTM Dubai, NBE Finland, TBEX Athens, TBC Asia Colombo and the Romanian Digital Travel Conference. TravelMassive recently included her in their “100 Inspiring Women Travel Founders” list. When not hard at work, you’ll find her volunteering with monkeys or hiking in the Alps.

Belgian family travel experts and motorhome specialists. After a 18-month road trip across Europe by motorhome with our 3 children — 20 countries in Europe, over 75,000 km behind the wheel — we built one of the leading French-language motorhome travel blogs: lespoipoines.com, which attracts over 200,000 visitors per year. We spent 2.5 months exploring Norway alone, and have since covered Portugal, Croatia, Spain, Switzerland, Denmark, Albanie, Greece, Montenegro, Slovenia, the French coastline and Belgium in depth. We sell hundreds of motorhome travel ebooks every year and organise "Mon Premier Camping-Car / My first camper" conferences to help people prepare before buying their first motorhome. Our expertise goes beyond motorhome travel. We also backpacked Southeast Asia with our 3 kids during 6 months (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines) and explored Japan by motorhome — giving us a rare dual perspective on both adventure family travel and slow road-tripping. This experience led us to a full professional pivot: we left our careers in marketing and sales to launch Woopla, a digital marketing agency, and to dedicate ourselves full-time to content creation, SEO and the motorhome travel community. Expertise: motorhome travel Europe, vanlife, family adventure travel, road trip itineraries, wild camping regulations, travel content creation, SEO, digital marketing.

Maurice Smith, CTIE, is a hospitality strategist, luxury travel expert, regenerative tourism advocate, and founder of Eugene Toriko, a luxury travel agency built around purposeful, responsible, and highly personalized travel experiences. His work sits at the intersection of elevated guest experience, sustainability, cultural storytelling, and place-based hospitality. Through Eugene Toriko, Maurice has focused on boutique hotels, culturally rooted itineraries, sustainability-minded partners, and experiences that connect travelers more thoughtfully to people, place, and environment. Maurice was recognized on the Travel + Leisure A-List in 2022 and 2023 and has been featured by Robb Report among top Black travel specialists. His expertise has been sought by publications including Bloomberg, The Washington Post, USA Today, Business Insider, and Money.com, where he has contributed perspective on travel trends, destination value, and evolving traveler expectations. His industry recognition includes a 2023 Gold Magellan Award for Eugene Toriko’s giving-back initiative, a 2024 Silver Magellan Award for ATL & Co On the Go with Eugene Toriko, and recognition from TravelAge West for marketing efforts connected to the same media platform. Maurice was also selected for Tripadvisor’s RECO program and is a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism. Today, Maurice’s work spans hospitality strategy, media, public speaking, regenerative tourism, environmental stewardship, and the future of more intentional guest experiences. He is also connected to Amka Terra, a stewardship, ecological learning, and regenerative tourism platform focused on environmental education, biodiversity, youth learning, community partnership, and place-based restoration.

Featured by CNN, I'm a Travel Agent, Photographer & Writer en route to ALL 330 Countries, Colonies, Territories & Exclaves. Only 25 humans have done it. I may be only the 4th, and youngest, woman. 172, so far. 158 to go.

Jennifer Spatz is the Founder of Global Family Travels and a leader in regenerative, community-based tourism. A cultural anthropologist at heart, she designs immersive travel experiences grounded in her company’s mission to Learn, Serve, and Immerse—connecting travelers meaningfully with local communities, cultures, and natural environments. Through partnerships with global and local nonprofits, Jennifer integrates regenerative tourism principles and aligns programs with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Her journeys combine cultural exchange, educational experiences, homestays, and community-driven projects that strengthen social and environmental systems in the destinations visited. Her insights on regenerative travel have been featured in TravelAge West (“Regenerative Meets Family Fun”) and on the podcast Regenerative Tourism: When Sustainability Isn’t Enough. (see all news links here: https://www.globalfamilytravels.com/news)

Amanda Lima is the visionary Founder and CEO of Sereni Journeys. a wellness retreat company renowned for crafting transformational experiences for global travelers. With a passion for mind, body, and spiritual alignment, Amanda has dedicated her career to designing and hosting exclusive retreats at premier resorts delivering immersive programs that fuse spa therapies, mindfulness, cultural exploration, and luxury hospitality. Amanda specializes in curating five to seven night retreats that blend yoga, meditation, state of the art wellness technologies, and adventure for coaches, groups, and corporate teams. She is the architect behind Sereni Journeys' signature retreats such as Soul Mapping and Wild Serenity, programs recognized for their sophistication and unique approach to transformative travel. Amanda is also proud to introduce the "Pups and Presence" retreat, a heart centered initiative within the Sereni Journeys portfolio. This unique experience invites guests to nurture wellness alongside their canine companions, blending mindful practices with adventure in a luxurious, pet-friendly setting. Demonstrating her commitment to social impact, Amanda donates 100% of the retreats proceeds to a leading animal charity, ensuring each retreat not only transforms guests' lives but also supports vital animal welfare causes. Notable achievements include designing bespoke retreats for corporate teams, pioneering experiences that integrate aura imaging and spiritual discovery, and being recognized for creative retreat programs. Amanda's industry perspective has made her a sought-after voice on the future of wellness travel and a leader in setting new hospitality standards that prioritize transformative and restorative escapes.

I’m the founder of Limitless Morocco Tours and a Morocco travel expert with hands-on experience designing private tours, desert adventures, and cultural journeys across Morocco. I specialize in helping travelers experience authentic Morocco through customized itineraries, local guides, and immersive desert experiences in places like Marrakech and Merzouga. I regularly share expert insights on Morocco travel, safety, itineraries, and best practices for first-time visitors.

"I didn't set out to become an entrepreneur. I set out to solve problems nobody else wanted to touch." For 45 years, I ran E-Con Solutions — not because it was glamorous, but because I believed business could be a force for good. Energy management. Air quality. The unglamorous, behind-the-scenes work that keeps buildings breathing and people healthy. One project still stands out. A beef plant. A broken water system. A challenge most people would walk away from. We didn't. We rebuilt it from the ground up — and watching something that broken become something that worked? That never gets old. That same obsession followed me into my next chapter. Today, as Co-Owner of PetHabitats, LLC, I'm still asking the same question I've always asked: how do we do this better, cleaner, and smarter? Sustainability isn't a buzzword in our world — it's the blueprint. Every decision we make has to answer to both the business and the planet. Forty-five years of entrepreneurship teaches you one thing above all else: resourcefulness is everything. You don't always have the perfect tools, the perfect team, or the perfect conditions. But if you care deeply enough about the problem, you find a way. That's been my story. And honestly? I'm just getting started.

Augustin Ndikuriyo has 20+ years in premium travel, helping luxury brands—cruises, safari lodges, boutique resorts, and hotels—turn stories into content that inspires, engages, and converts. Founder of The Digital Travel Expert Hub, he’s worked with Celebrity Cruises, Dream Yacht Worldwide, Orlando Vacations, SentientJet, TEFL Org, and Mardi Gras New Orleans, combining storytelling, AI SEO, and digital growth to build trust, authority, and high-value bookings.

With a passion for travel that transcends physical barriers, I have been a dedicated force in the travel industry since 2007. As a seasoned travel agent and agency owner, I specialize in accessible travel, bringing a unique perspective to the world of exploration. Born without arms and shortened legs, I navigate the globe from the vantage point of a powered wheelchair, proving that wanderlust knows no bounds. My journey into the travel industry was fueled by a desire to make the world more accessible to individuals with diverse abilities. I travel with my wife and three daughters. Making family memories while we are out and about is our passion. Whether it is cruising the Caribbean or rolling through the streets of London, I've been all over this world in my powered wheelchair. And, there's still so much to see!

Car-free & Scotland outdoor travel expert Founder of Little Lost Travel, a go-to resource for car-free and sustainable outdoor travel in Scotland with 20,000+ monthly readers. With over a decade exploring Scotland’s outdoors, I share practical advice on train journeys, accessible walks, and ethical wildlife experiences. My goal is to inspire deeper connections with nature and encourage responsible travel that safeguards Scotland’s landscapes and wildlife.

A second-generation breeder and the founder of Executive Order Kennel, dedicated to elevating the European Doberman through responsible, ethical breeding. Raised among Dobermans, I’ve built Executive Order on championship bloodlines, rigorous health screening, and a philosophy that balances working capabilities with show-quality excellence. Under my leadership, our dogs undergo advanced health testing (beyond CHIC standards), and litters are developed via early neurological stimulation and comprehensive socialization. With our five-year warranties against DCM and cancer, unique among European Doberman breeders, and our Executive Program that supports owners in training, health, and breed improvement, I strive not just to meet the breed standard but to define it.