Jamie Biesiada
Have clients who are sober, sober-curious or just taking a break from drinking?
They're not alone, and the industry is taking notice.
So, too, has a travel advisor Darci Murray, who last fall launched Hooked -- Alcohol Free Travel Adventure.
Murray is an advisor and the travel community manager at Personal Travel Management, a Canadian host agency. She ended up back in the business after taking a break teaching in Hong Kong. But Murray said she was essentially born into the industry - her mother was a travel agent, too.
Hooked was born during the pandemic, when Murray, herself a non-drinker, was having coffee with a friend April Angelini, another non-drinker and certified alcohol-free lifestyle coach.
During that cup of coffee, they agreed to take a trip together because their mindsets are so similar. That turned into a girls trip. Then, they wondered, why limit the travel opportunity to just women?
Darci Murray
Right now, Hooked is offering a trip to Iceland in September. The trip was inspired by the Netflix show "Down to Earth" and includes components like cold water plunges and hot stone massages. Murray is in the process of planning a Costa Rica trip and also wants to offer a cruise option.
Murray has identified a number of markets that would be interested in alcohol-free travel: those in recovery, those who don't drink for health purposes, those interested in a healthy reset, the sober-curious community and even corporate retreats.
"What we do is just saturate you with healthy habits," she said.
Hooked is a wholesale venture under Personal Travel Management, and her alcohol-free-travel itineraries are available for other advisors to sell and earn commission. For more information, visit Hooked's website or email [email protected].