Jaclyn Sienna India knows how the super rich like to vacation — she’s its founder Sienna Charlesa members-only travel agency that caters to wealthy clients who take million-dollar trips around the world.
India’s clients include Wall Street titans, tech VIPs and Hollywood moguls with high standards and vast resources.
But even billionaires make a common vacation planning mistake that everyday travelers are guilty of: choosing vacations based on what’s trendy and will look great on social media.
“I think people should stop following trends and should follow their hearts more,” India tells CNBC Make It. “If everyone rushes to the same place, then it’s ruined by over-tourism. There’s a whole world out there.”
Many of her clients end up “very disappointed” when they follow what she calls “the billionaire calendar” (think: Europe in the summer, Aspen in the winter) and end up going to the same places as everyone else. When a client says he wants to visit a big European city in the summer, India wonders, “Then why would you go? You see more Americans than locals.”
People of more modest means should avoid falling into the “celebrization of travel,” India adds. Vacationers “see what Beyonce is doing or see Jeff Bezos on a yacht” and want to recreate those trips “so you can share on Instagram that you did the same thing with celebrities. That’s lifeless.”
He finds that “a lot of people take the pictures for other people, but they don’t capture the place for themselves.”
Instead, India recommends choosing travel spots based on your own passions and what you want to learn more about. “Go to places that interest you, that help you build and shape your mindset [and] your world.”
Think, “What do I want to learn more about? And then how can you connect with locals to help you learn it?” says India.
For example, India says one of its main travel goals is to learn how other cultures approach longevity, so it will visit places known for their wellness practices and lifestyles.
Think about what you read, watch, listen and talk about to guide your travel decisions. “Maybe you’re watching something on Netflix that’s really deep in history, or maybe you’re reading a book on Egyptology,” India says. “Then go deeper into that topic and learn more as you go [to Egypt].”
You don’t have to spend like a billionaire to have a meaningful trip, she adds: “France and Italy are great, but they’re really based on luxury. Where’s a place where you can eat on a cart for 50 cents and Where’s a place where can you go, try daily massages or really immerse yourself in the culture?
Don’t count out destinations across South America, Africa and Southeast Asia, says India, which are often overlooked but can offer rich cultural experiences for not much money.
Ultimately, he says, “I think it’s important to look for places that allow you to connect more deeply with the locals.”
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