(SOUTH BRUNSWICK, N.J)— Shenika Baisley Woodley is an independent travel agent from Valrico Florida. Woodley owns Divine Dreams Destinations, a platform she uses to bring her clients’ dream vacations to life. This determined entrepreneur always envisioned owning her own travel business but one of the barriers she faced were the onslaught of costly expenses needed to license her business, she said. It wasn’t until a friend of Woodley’s approached her and pushed her to pursue the formation of an independent businesses that she finally sought her dream out. She remembered thinking, “Sign me up tonight because I will not plan another trip without getting paid for it.”
After Woodley got her license, her bookings started to include family trips, reunions, and weddings. The travel plans didn’t stop during the Covid-19 pandemic, as people were still voyaging for weddings, she explained. Woodley , who is also a wedding destinations planner, has a few weddings creeping up on her calendar. “I have some Vegas weddings coming up and I have a wedding that’s in Cabo.”
Years ago, most travel agencies were easily found in shopping malls but now almost all services in the industry are done virtually. “My office is wherever I’m sitting,” Woodley said. “Most of the time I’m booking travel from my cell phone. On my website, if you want to do a flight, hotel, or rental car. You can go directly to my website and book it.”
Since the start of the pandemic, Americans’ travel plans have been shaped by changing state and federal requirements surrounding the public health crisis. Currently, Covid-19 testing is done for free at certain hotels. “Most of the Royalton properties and the RIU properties there all over the Caribbean and they offer the free Covid testing.” Woodley’s main concern is making sure her customers are safe and educated on all the new regulations as they come and go. She doesn’t care about money, Woodley explained, she cares about customer safety first. “It’s not all about the money. I want [clients] to be comfortable as well.”