Justin Timberlake, staring with red-rimmed eyes into the distance past a camera taking his mug shot after being arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. Below him, superimposed on the photo: "'You got us travel insurance, right?'"
Swipe right, and the iterations include "When the hurricanes circle back to A, and it's only September," "Sliding into the tracks at [Virtuoso Travel Week] after a 'sales' lunch" and "agency owners when their top producer leaves."
The captions were courtesy of Luxury Travel Anonymous (LTA), an Instagram account whose satirical posts, based on their comments, have luxury-focused advisors in stitches -- and pondering just who is providing the content for the more than 3,000 followers of this mysterious page.
"We are all dying to know who the author is behind the account," said Kerry Dyer, Brownell's chief development officer, who called LTA both fun and funny. "It provides much-needed levity and helps you realize that all advisors/agencies have similar struggles with clients."
The LTA account is often topical, whether pouncing on the widely circulated Timberlake mug shot or something related to a luxury-focused industry event like L.E/Miami -- LTA last month posted some memes about flooding in the city, with one likening attendees to Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio floating in the Atlantic Ocean in "Titanic."
LTA also shares absurd stories from weary advisors, like one whose clients tried to cancel a trip to Ireland because "they thought their guide's name didn't sound Irish enough and therefore couldn't possibly be an Ireland expert."
But who's behind the account? LTA won't say but did consent to an email Q&A with Travel Weekly. The exchange follows:
Q: How many people are behind LTA?
A: We can all fit into a tiny European elevator.
Q: Who are you, within the bounds that you're willing to share?
A: We have years of experience working in the luxury travel industry and are able to draw on multiple perspectives, including advisor, hotelier and tour operator.
Q: How did it start?
A: For years we wished there was a satirical outlet where the travel industry community could share funny stories along with grievances. We all share them when we're together on fam trips or at industry events, but there wasn't a place where the everyday moments of hilarity could be shared real-time. Initially we envisioned the account would focus on crazy client stories ("clients" being both travelers and advisors), but it has evolved to include lighthearted moments from industry events, fam trip stories, etc.
Q: How has it been received?
A: The content has really resonated with people, and their reaction has exceeded our hopes for the account. We get messages from people that say things like 'I really needed this today' or 'You must be a fly on the wall in my office!' and we're happy to provide some levity to stressful days. With so many people in travel working remotely, the industry can definitely feel lonely at times, so we're proud of the fun little community we've built.
Q: One advisor described LTA as the Lady Whistledown of luxury travel. What do you think of the characterization as the anonymous gossip columnist from the Netflix series "Bridgerton"?
A: "Dearest Reader …" That feels fairly accurate and made us laugh.
Q: Where do your ideas come from?
A: Sometimes we play off major events, like the Grammys or Super Bowl, and there are always tons of funny memes that come from those. Of course, funny client stories, trade show recaps or fam trip tales also make for good content. We also draw from personal experiences in the travel industry. When you have combined decades of experience, it's not hard to come up with amusing things.
The account has evolved over time from sharing crazy stories to also sharing noteworthy industry intel. Occasionally we'll get a juicy scoop, and we use our discretion on what to share. We block out names, locations, agency/supplier names, etc. where appropriate. We try to balance the two. The spirit of the account is to be a lighthearted place where industry people can laugh at things together, and we don't want that to change.
Q: Do you post from events?
A: We have eyes and ears all over. We love the anonymous submissions from event attendees, but we attend a lot of events, as well.
Q: Can you share any upcoming events you'll be attending?
A: Who can resist Vegas in August? ;)
Q: Does anyone know who you are? How do you maintain the mystery?
A: In the words of Lady Whistledown: "You do not know me, and rest assured, you never shall."
But honestly, no one does. This account is built on anonymity on all sides. We've built a strong trust with our followers/sources, who in turn feel comfortable sharing their stories. Also, it's more fun to maintain the mystery!