“I believe it’s this close, personal relationship with our clients that really sets us apart from other larger travel companies.”
If you’ve traveled with us, you may have some understanding of the level of detail and organization involved in designing, planning, and successfully executing a five-star itinerary. But do you really know what it takes? We sat down with Spain Savvy’s Founder and Principal Travel Designer, Sarah Gemba, to get a behind-the-scenes look into how she found herself in this profession, and what it takes to plan dozens of unique, personalized trips to Spain and Portugal every year.
Tell us a little bit about your origin story. Where are you from? What brought you to Spain?
I am from suburban, small-town Massachusetts, born and raised until I got to college, and ended up studying abroad in Seville, Spain during my junior year. I felt immediately at home in Seville almost the second I got here and became obsessed with making it my home! In 2004 I finally ended up moving here permanently and haven’t looked back since.
What do you love about living in Seville?
I love the warmth of the people, their love for life, and the strong sense of family and community. As an outsider, I felt accepted immediately and continue to make new friends all the time! The climate is pleasant (I don’t even mind the summer heat) and the beauty of the city and its outskirts is unbeatable. It is easy for us to explore new places and we’ve got both beach and mountains within easy driving distance.
How did you go from living in Seville as a student to running your own travel agency?
When I moved here a couple years after college (after a few years in the HR field stateside), I first began working for a travel agency that organized weekend trips for college study abroad students. This led me to then work in educational travel at a study abroad company (the same one where I was a student!). I was there for almost a decade and was able to further develop my career as a travel manager, curating and executing special itineraries for students and other special interest groups. From there, I was recruited to an external travel agency to develop their American market, where I learned the ins and outs of agency operations. I was only there for a short while, as it became obvious to me that my real calling was to make the leap into entrepreneurship, and that’s when I decided to launch Spain Savvy (in 2017).
What sets Spain Savvy apart from other travel agencies that are designing Spain and Portugal itineraries?
We have decided to focus solely on our niche client – couples, families, and small groups coming from the U.S. to experience the best of Spain and Portugal. Everything we do is completely customized and designed exclusively for our client. We walk them through every step of the process and they have us in their back pocket while they are traveling. Because of this dedicated service, we have made the conscious decision to stay small. The people we work with on the ground who service our clients (from drivers to guides to restaurant servers!) are all top-notch humans and we are so grateful to count on them to make the magic happen. I believe it’s this close, personal relationship with our clients that really sets us apart from other larger travel companies.
What do you most enjoy about being a travel designer?
“Hitting a home run” so to speak – when you know you’ve designed the perfect trip for your client and you get to see it all come together. Knowing we are changing lives by providing our clients with experiences they will cherish for the rest of their days. The fact that our clients regularly refer their friends and family to us is the highest compliment they can give us!
What does a day in the life of Sarah Gemba look like during peak travel season?
A high season day is usually non-stop but luckily I am disciplined, organized, and energetic enough to make it through. I try to take a few conscious moments throughout the day for myself, starting the day with exercise and a refreshing walk in the hills around my town. I always take a break mid-day for family lunch and to supervise my kids’ homework sessions or soccer practices. In the evenings, I admittedly unwind by watching an episode or two of a favorite streaming show, or reading (autobiographies and historical novels are my favorite genres!). I’ve also recently rediscovered my childhood love for classical ballet and take classes at a local studio twice a week.
If I’m awake, I’ve always got one eye on my clients’ itineraries: checking in on their activities, re-confirming events for their next days, and following up with our partners to make sure everything is going according to plan. I touch base with my clients to ensure they are happy and have everything they need. Besides managing current client travel, I also dedicate a couple hours a day to designing future itineraries (we usually work 6-9 months ahead) and communicating with clients in the design phase, as well as executing and supervising other business tasks like accounting, marketing, and spreadsheet maintenance – Excel is my best friend!
What are your hopes for the future of Spain Savvy?
We hope to continue to offer the stellar service we have provided to our clients in our last 9 years of operation (which included the challenging Covid years!) and to continue to support our clients in their travel adventures. To that end, we hope to continue to nurture our partnerships with travel design companies like ours in other destinations so that clients who want to explore beyond Spain and Portugal will also come to us first.
We know you have a special affinity for a great hotel. What’s one of your favorite hotels in Spain or Portugal right now?
Oh, there are so many! Belmond La Residencia in Deià (Mallorca), the Bela Vista in the Algarve, and the São Lourenço do Barrocal in the Alentejo are high up on the list, as are the Casa Mimosa in Barcelona and the Palacio de los Duques in Madrid. In Seville, we adore the Casa Palacio Don Ramón and the Época Suites touristic apartment options for families and groups.
Is there a destination in Spain or Portugal you’re especially excited to show people this year?
We hope to get some clients to choose Menorca as their Balearics destination, as we were there on a site visit this past summer and absolutely adored its more intimate feel and the gorgeous coastlines so easily explored either by foot or by sea. Getting folks off the beaten path in under-visited spots in both Spain and Portugal is always high up on our list – to delight and surprise!
Where are you personally excited to travel to this year?
We will hopefully visit the island of Madeira soon and are pretty excited to explore all this destination has to offer – with its gorgeous natural beauty, unique culture, and traditions.
Describe your perfect travel day.
I am a sucker for a good hotel breakfast buffet so the day definitely starts there – fueling up to spend a long morning exploring a city or hiking a new destination, meeting local people and popping in to markets, and basically racking up the steps to cover ground and get the feel for an exciting new place. This will usually include some kind of small group or private tour. Lunch is a longer pause followed by a rest, and then a fabulous night out at a local hotspot for dinner followed by a cocktail and some more strolling.
To get in contact with Sarah about a personalized itinerary to Spain or Portugal, send her an email at sarah@spainsavvy.com with info about your intended destination, travel dates, and number of travelers.