KINGSTON, Jamaica — For 29-year-old Soumoya Mattis, who has been to 26 countries and counting, exploring new places is a passion and one of her favourite pass times.

Therefore, starting her travel concierge company, HappiStart Travel, was only natural for her to do.

Mattis, who has been in the travel planning industry for seven years, said before she started her company she had considered becoming a full-fledged travel agent. However, she soon decided it was not for her.

“The thing about being a travel agent is you sell packages, you don’t sell experiences and I’m really big on selling an experience that suits the traveller and not just providing you like a pre-packaged meal,” Mattis shared with OBSERVER ONLINE.

“I’m here to give you something like ‘have it your way’ or ‘have it suited for you’, and that’s why one of my branding strategies is ‘Experience as You’ve Imagined’. So when somebody goes on a trip and come back, they’re supposed to be saying ‘Oh my God’”, she continued.

Noting that travel can be very tedious, Mattis said her job is to bridge the gap between information and travellers.

“I tell them which visa to get, how to get it, where to apply. I tell them how to travel to a country they want to go to, the best way to travel there, the fastest way, the best airlines to take. I tell them the best areas to stay in the countries they visit, which cities are better, which street,” she explained.

HappiStart Travel also offers services in visa application, accommodation booking, transportation and activity organisation, and trip consultations to help travellers avoid travel setbacks.

Having planned trips for people all over the Caribbean, in North America, the United Kingdom and even Europe, Mattis said her services extend to and covers destinations across the world.

Noting her favourite destination to plan vacations to, the travel planner said Mexico stands out mostly because of the diverse activities and experiences that travellers can get there.

“Mexico is visa-free for like 80 per cent of travellers…Mexico has a rich culture and there’s so much there to do. From activities in the city,  to just relaxing on the beach, to mountain hiking . You can experience snow in Mexico, you can even experience the desert in Mexico,” she told OBSERVER ONLINE.

According to Mattis, first-time travellers should not stay at all-inclusive hotels. She believes this will deter them from truly experiencing the culture and attractions of that country.

“Stay in a really nice hotel that is in the city and then go out and walk the streets. Go and see the culture of the people, see what’s different about this culture as opposed to the culture you grew up in. It will help them to become more comfortable exploring a new environment,” she shared.

And, for first-time travellers, her advice is to keep it light.

“I’d recommend a shorter trip. I wouldn’t advise a first-time traveller to six weeks or four weeks. I’d say a week so you pace yourself and I’d suggest a flight that is two to five hours, so you go somewhere that is close to home,” she explained.

She added that her recommended minimum stay is four days.

“I don’t feel like people will have a good time below four days. I always tell travellers you have to account for the time you’re going to spend getting to the destination and the time you’re going to spend coming back. You also have to allocate time to settle into where you are so you’re able to really remember your trip.”

Starting her business in 2019, months before COVID reached the shores of Jamaica, Mattis said the impact of the pandemic came as a shock to her.

“When March 2020 rolled around and everything locked down and there was no travel, in my mind mi a seh, ‘a wah dis? Maybe this nah go work out after all cause mi just start one travel business and then travel just take one entire world hit’…I didn’t know where I was gonna go from there.”

But it wasn’t long before the travel planner realised the pandemic had only changed the travel industry rather than completely shut it down.

“I started travelling during COVID and I realised that travel wasn’t dead. People were still going about their business. So, I realised that I could still facilitate travel for people, it was just going to be a little bit different,” Mattis shared.