Hidden Gems: Meet Meredith Zehnder of Birch Road Travel Company

Today we’d like to introduce you to Meredith Zehnder

Hi Meredith, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have had a lifelong love affair with the planet. It’s literally my favorite thing to talk about, environmentally, culturally, geographically, I could go on for days. I’ve always traveled as often as time (and budget) allowed, introducing my family and friends to different parts of the world.

I am also an innovator – a change agent. It is my natural instinct to look at something and see what it could become rather than what it is today. The worst thing you can tell me is that something is working perfectly and I just need to keep it that way. I’ll break things just so I have something to fix!

Take those personality traits and pair them with a pandemic. Nowhere to travel. The fear of never going farther than a car or RV could take me. It was a wake-up call

Covid set a new course for me. I organized my passion for the planet and got my masters in sustainability, learning about eco-tourism and sustainable travel practices. I married my degree with my professional history in project and program management, and voila: a travel advisor was born.

It didn’t take long for me to realize some of the gaps between this industry and what travelers want today. Most agencies are still operating on marketing principles that today’s travelers, especially in this post-pandemic era, aren’t impressed by: growing trends of exclusivity, the word “luxury” getting attached to every form of marketing, and adherence to old practices that don’t work in a 21st century world.

After spending a few years working for a different agency, I formed my ideas of what an agency should look like and how it should operate. When I announced my departure from that agency, another agent, Kelly Hiett, reached out to ask what I was doing. We had several conversations and figured out we’re both on the same page: the world doesn’t need another travel agency. It needs a different one. And that’s what we’ve built at Birch Road Travel Company.

Luxury isn’t exciting anymore – it’s become commonplace and in some cases, it’s almost a turn-off. Experience, however, is thrilling. Our clients don’t prioritize plush bathrobes. They’re impressed by boot dryers in hotel rooms. They text me photos of themselves falling out of rafts in Costa Rica and video of their kids trying saying “mind the gap” with a British accent. People are ready to meet the world and we’re obsessed with introducing them.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Building something new is rarely a smooth road. We’re creating some paradigm shifts in our industry, asking partners and suppliers to operate in new ways and working with our software providers to develop new features that haven’t been thought of before. It gets messy, but that’s where the excitement is – when we feel the industry move in our direction, we know we’re doing it right.

The biggest challenge we face is overcoming the belief that travel agents cost more, when, in fact, the opposite is true. It should never cost MORE to use an agent In many cases, we have access to pricing the public doesn’t see and it might cost you less. We do, like most agents, charge a planning fee, which covers the time we spend researching and creating itineraries along with concierge services while traveling. When problems arise, our clients call US instead of dealing with it themselves.

Another challenge is that most agencies put their suppliers first, promoting certain resorts and cruise lines. We will never promote a specific brand. We promote destinations and prioritize our clients’ preferences, selecting hotels, curise lines, and tour operators based on what works best for our clients (although we do have standards and only use suppliers who pass our test on safety and quality of service).

We’ve been impressed with Birch Road Travel Company, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Birch Road Travel Company is an experiential travel design firm.

We’re not just another agency: we’re built on modern technology, ensuring our software tools provide a seamless experience for our clients and ensures their data is safe. We house some valuable information (credit cards and passport details) and it’s critical that our clients’ trust that their data is secure. Where appropriate, we use AI to help keep us organized and collect data quickly. Example: my most recent AI driven search was “assemble a list of providers who will provide travel insurance that covers scuba diving with penguins in Antarctica.”

We’re most proud of our ability to deliver exceptional experiences for our clients and we want our future clients to understand that working with us isn’t just about getting a trip booked. We’re here to support our clients before, during, and after travel. We’re exceptionally skilled at using our global network to find our clients experiences they just couldn’t find themselves.

We’re also very proud of our membership with Sustainable Travel International, and I personally am a member of Adventure Travel Trade Association, an organization dedicated to connecting adventure travel experts to the highest quality, sustainable adventure tour operators around the world.

As for our services, we can do it all. We can book an all-inclusive resort in Mexico, but we really shine when we’re booking experiences. In the past year, we’ve surprised a client with dinner in their ancestors’ castle in Scotland, sent a family through the Christmas markets in Vienna, and created bucket list itineraries with tours through Normandy, food tours through the streets of Paris, and a live aboard small yacht that sailed Greek Isles.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
In a word, Nashville is exciting. It’s growing, it’s vibrant, and the whole metro area emanates unmistakable friendliness. On any given day one could hike to a waterfall, stop in at an antique shop, experience world class dining, and take in a concert. The list of activities never ends.

My least favorite character trait of Nashville is the growing traffic problem. The lack of public transportation is a bummer. Hopefully our growth will eventually lead to a mature system!

Pricing:

• We do charge a planning fee which also covers concierge services before, during, and after travel: $250; but that’s it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://birchroadtravel.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birch_road_travel/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/birchroadtravel