Today, I sat down for a chat with Clint Bertucci, a travel addict who recently started his own travel company for young adults, Travr. After working in finance for ten years, Clint ended up going back to school and studying abroad in Florence, Italy. During his time abroad, he discovered his passion for travel, and he’s been jet-set ever since.
Between building his company from the ground up and guiding trips to Morocco, Spain, Prague, Oktoberfest, Italy and more, Clint found the time to sit down with me and discuss what it’s really like to travel the world for a living and how his experience studying abroad in Florence opened the door to a world of travel experiences and career opportunities.
Hi Clint! You currently run Travr, a travel company for young adults. How did you get started in the travel industry, and why did you decide to create your own company?
When I went back to school, it was to figure out my passion. When I got to Florence and started traveling, my love for it was apparent. The entire time I studied abroad, I traveled with student travel companies including Florenceforfun, and I ended up helping them out with guiding and shooting videos. I discovered that some people like to travel by themselves and others prefer to go with groups. I did both. I knew I was going to start a travel company when I went home, and I knew I wanted it to be a combination of solo and group travel. When I created Travr, I wanted to create an experience where you can travel with like-minded, cool, similar people.
How did living in Florence inspire you to continue traveling and to share your travel experience with other people?
I consider Florence my second home. The people in Florence are so welcoming and loving. The first trip that Travr did was an Italy trip. I couldn’t wait to take people to Florence because they’re literally welcomed like family. You’ll walk down the road and see at least five people you know at any given time. Also, Florence is so beautiful, and it seems like everywhere you go, you manage to find something new and exciting.
How is traveling with Travr different than traveling independently or with a group of friends?
With Travr you’re around people that are all like-minded. Our groups become like family throughout the trips. It really is a bonding experience. Also, our itinerary is full of exciting things; not just boring city tours. With Travr, the trips include the perfect blend of planned itinerary and free time.
Do you keep track of how many countries you’ve visited? If so, how many have you been to?
If I had to guess, I’d say 37. I keep a list, but I need to add a few more! Definitely right around 40, though.
To a lot of people, your job sounds like the ultimate dream job. What is it like to travel for a living, and what advice would you give to someone who wants to do the same?
A lot of people think that it just happens, and that it’s really easy. I’ve done a lot of different things in my life, and I’ll tell you that to get this company up and started was the hardest thing I’ve done in my life. I would have never been able to do it without support from other people- mainly people in Florence. My advice would be to learn. Read books, watch tutorials and do whatever it is you need to do. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice. Reach out and use those friends and relationships that you made while studying or traveling abroad. I can’t tell you how many people from student travel agencies such as Florenceforfun, that I still to this day talk to on a weekly basis, and that’s been really helpful. Bottom line would be don’t ever give up. There will be pitfalls and ups and downs, but 100 percent don’t give up and always keep going.
Right now on the Travr site you’re offering Italy, Spain/Morocco, Thailand, Praguetoberfest and Greece. Can you talk about why you chose those destinations and if you’re planning on adding any others?
Yes, so basically I started with the ones I was most familiar with. I chose destinations where I knew I could show people the best time. Then I did a social media post asking where people really want to go. I just went to Cuba, so I’m planning on starting a Cuba trip by 2018 . Also, I’ll be bringing along tour guides which will allow me to start adding more trips.
What has been your most memorable travel experience thus far?
Creating relationships with the people who come on these trips is the most memorable and most special for me. Meeting people who are at first hesitant to travel and those who are coming solo and then see the relationships develop during the trip has been amazing. I love developing and guiding the trips for Travr, it really is my personal goal to bring an exclusive group of people together into a culturally rich environment and fill it with mind blowing experiences and friendships that will last a lifetime.
To find out more about Travr and to get in touch with Clint, check out the Travr Facebook page. Also, make sure to check out the Travr monthly newsletter featured on the company’s site.
And when booking use the promo code FORFUN to get a special Travr gift with your tour.
If you want to see more, check out these youtube videos of Travr Tours:
Thailand – https://youtu.be/7qSVNaQ1GcA
Greece – https://youtu.be/NrUqCU8oZME
