Siobhan Byrne Learat

"We do stuff that is unique and not the usual, taking footfall away from over-visited sites to lesser-known gems, enabling smaller local communities and businesses to survive and thrive."

Regions of operation: Africa and the Middle East, Europe

Countries of expertise: Ireland, Britain, East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania)

Special categories: Castle Rentals, Country Pursuits, Tribal Experiences in Africa

What kind of traveler absolutely loves your trips?

What do you do that competing specialists can’t/won’t:

What is one of your all-time favorite experiences you've been able to pull off for guests?

We had a wealthy client on the Forbes List travelling to Ireland. She was obsessed with kissing the Blarney stone. However we knew she would be disappointed as it is quite a 'tick the box' experience. So we decided not only to arrange for her to visit Blarney Castle out of hours privately, so that the box was ticked without the hoards, but also to have a private champagne reception there at the home of the owner Sir Charles Colthurst and his wife. We knew it was a success when she invited Sir Charles and his wife to dinner the following night at Hayfield Manor in Cork, where she was staying. The one thing that I truly enjoy about being a travel designer is that so many of our clients form strong personal friendships with the people we introduce them to, whether they travel with us to Ireland, Scotland or Africa. This client also wanted to hire a private box at the famous Leopardstown Horse Races in Ireland. To me, being in a private box is like looking at the races on TV. So for a fifth of the price, I arranged for the Chairwoman of the Irish Horse Racing Authority to invite the family to the races as her guest. All the trainers, owners, and jockeys gravitated towards the Chairman and she was then able to introduce the client to them. This meant that our client was now part of the action. As I mentioned earlier, for us it is paramount that clients engage with real people when they travel. This experience was true engagement. She was in the thrust of Irish Society.

We also have a plethora of private gardens and houses: Ballywalter Park, Killyreagh Gardens, Baronscourt Estate, Crom Castle, Ashbrooke House, Colebrooke Estate, Grey Abbey House & Gardens, that we use for private visits for clients in Northern Ireland. The owners of these properties have been there for generations and they work with us together, to provide a seamless experience for clients. An experience that is unparalleled in enjoying the local flavor, natural beauty, and faded grandeur of Northern Ireland. No one does this but us.

Do you think the events of recent years have permanently changed the role of the specialist/agent? Any forever pivots that you've made?

Yes, but it is driven by the client. They want more than just a vacation. They want a learning experience of some sort. They are no longer passive as a traveler but an active participant and indeed architect in the design of their trip. I believe that the role of the travel specialist is to open up a realm of interesting, dispersed, cultural and natural heritage options for our clients. A lot of what we do has to be unique, ungoogleable and inaccessible. Otherwise we will be redundant. I also believe that we should all be 100% committed to ethical business and corporate social responsibility practices. It is our particular patronage and support which will allow many micro-endeavours and businesses, and thus communities and the environment, to survive and flourish. Conscientious travel is our duty. Responsible travel is our future.

How do you deal with unforeseen issues on the ground?

Firstly, I remain calm. I look at what I can control and at what I can't. I don't look to blame. I fix or solve it as best as I can, and only much later when I have time, look back, evaluate and learn from it. Our best clients have resulted from unforeseen issues. When things go wrong and you are there for the client, you have proven that no matter what happens, you will always put the client first. You are now a proven asset. I spring into action and bluntly tell the client the options so that they can make an informed decision.