Meet Claire Stier: Turning a Passion for Adventure into a Thriving Travel Business

Every Travel Counsellor has a unique journey, and Claire Stier’s story is one of passion, purpose, and perfect timing. With nearly two decades in experiential tourism, Claire recently took the leap into the next exciting chapter - launching her own travel business as a Travel Counsellor.

From a career that started with a gap year in Scotland to running her own tourism business in South Africa, Claire has always followed her sense of adventure. Now, with Travel Counsellors by her side, she’s combining her industry know-how with world-class support and systems to offer unforgettable, tailor-made travel experiences.

Let’s get to know Claire a little better, from her career journey and family life to her travel dreams and what excites her most about this next chapter.

What is your background and where did you work before becoming a Travel Counsellor?

I've spent close on 17 years in the experiential tourism sector putting together activity-based and short adventure travel packages for mainly the domestic market. I got into that during a gap year in Scotland after studying a couple of law degrees. I was never certain about becoming an attorney and the opportunity to run and manage my own adventure tourism business and work with the excitement in people's lives had so much more appeal than dealing with contracts and general misery. I'm passionate about travel and discovering everything that is new, exciting, adventurous, and truly memorable, and sharing that experience with as many people as possible. This passion has underpinned my career from the start. Becoming a Travel Counsellor has been a natural segue from the work I did in my own business, putting together memorable packages for proposals, anniversaries, and lifetime bucket-list activities.

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I've been married for over a decade to a wonderful Namibian-German man and we have a daughter in primary school. Our house has a menagerie of great pets, all rescued - two old and whiffy mixed breed dogs named Milner and Casey, and 3 young, exuberant and highly entertaining cats named Lily, Eberhardt and Floyd. I've been horse mad since I was a toddler and in 2016, I finally bought my own horse named Vivo. He's very much a part of the family and I compete with him in lower-level events (3 disciplines) and showjumping.

I've grown up travelling and planning trips and travel is where I'm happiest. My husband moans that I'm already planning the next trip before the current one is done - a girl's got to dream though! I've lived and worked in Scotland (Edinburgh and the Highlands) and in Italy. I've travelled the UK, France, some of the Netherlands, Germany (extensively - mainly in the north), been to Luxembourg, and Prague. But my love for Africa burns strong!

What does becoming a Travel Counsellor mean for you?

I see Travel Counsellors as the next step in my career. Like being able to take what I love to the next level. But with greater freedom. The support structures and systems excite me because it will allow me to focus on my main passion, which is engaging with people and planning great itineraries. It offers me a tremendous sense of freedom and I think it will reduce my stress dramatically (my husband will be so grateful).

I already feel that I maintain a good work-life balance having had my own business and managed to automate so much of it over the years. I belief running my TC business will be easier as some of the distractions and responsibilities that I had as a solo business owner, competing in a very technology-driven world will be removed. I can't wait to see what focused work and effort from my side can deliver for my clients.

What motivated you to start your own travel business?

It all started when I bought out a major competitor and the previous owner suggested I upskill as a travel agent as a valuable add on to the service. I didn't have the time then but as life would have it, the market started changing and started moving into a bookings state which meant bespoke concierge style packages were in demand.

I started referring clients to a TC that I knew from my business network to help with flight bookings etc. and the idea just sort of niggled. It was after further conversations with that TC that I was introduced to the recruitment team and taken through the structures. The appeal for me really lay with the systems, tech and support and how incredibly simple and low risk the Travel Counsellors model is. I've been yearning for a change for years, but it was literally a coming together of several factors - the conversations mentioned, an intense and life-changing personal development journey and a host of other factors that just slipped so nicely into place and all pointed me in the right direction. Dare I say the universe was shouting at me to make the change. So, I listened!

What are you looking forward to most about being a Travel Counsellor?

Learning new systems, and discovering all the packages and options on offer. I can focus on my clients and truly build lasting relationships with them. I’m also looking forward to working with larger value packages, expanding into the international market, and having unlimited potential for financial growth and of course, discovering new places to visit! I'm also really, really excited about the incredible systems that will enable me to manage my clients and bookings (the Recruitment demo swayed me) and partner with a company whose values align with mine. I was so impressed with the sense of community, camaraderie and drive at the TC Conference and the openness of communication by everyone, regardless of status or standing in the company. I am super excited about this journey with Travel Counsellors.

Have you set yourself any goals or milestones for what you want to achieve in your first year?

Month 1: Get those first bookings over the line - I’ve already got a few leads in the pipeline. Month 6: Be consistently earning a solid income from my TC business. Month 7: Keep learning - I'll dive back into training to sharpen my skills and grow my corporate business. Month 12: Be in a strong, steady place with my business and look at joining more networking groups to grow even further.

Have you started planning how you will grow your business/find new customers, and if so, how?

Since my TC business is a natural next step from my previous business, I’m planning to offer it as an added-value service to my existing clients, many of whom I’ve built strong, long-term relationships with.

I’m also considering rejoining BNI, because I’ve seen first-hand how powerful referral marketing can be. On top of that, I’ve got a solid handle on social media, and I’m excited to tap into the great content TC provides to boost my online presence and attract new leads.

__What do you love most about working in the travel industry? __

Armchair travelling! I love all the fresh new ideas, and knowledge of new places that can serve as inspiration for my clients. It inspires me and when I get creative, I find I can really add tremendous value to my customer's lives.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

I would love to visit the Shetland Islands - it's so wild and unspoilt, go to New York because it's been on my bucket list for years, visit my family in Alaska, and take one of those iconic train rides through Canada. I'd love to see New Zealand (my brother lives there, and it looks incredible), and I want to experience the Danish Christmas markets because there's a high chance of snow and Denmark is not the usual European destination for holiday makers. My curiosity has also been piqued by the thought of a tropical beach holiday (Maldives, Mauritius etc.) even though it's never been high on my list to do something all inclusive. I’d also love to try cattle ranching in Argentina - someone I met recently did it, and their photos were incredible.

Claire’s journey is a wonderful reminder that when passion meets purpose anything is possible. With her adventurous spirit, deep industry experience, and a genuine love for helping people create unforgettable memories, she’s already off to a strong start.

We’re so excited to have her in the Travel Counsellors community and can’t wait to see her business grow as she continues to dream big, explore more, and inspire her clients to do the same.