I opened my computer this morning and saw it.

Hi, Nicole Damiano, VTA.

I smiled. Really big. By myself. At my kitchen table in Arendal, Norway with Poppy on my feet and the fjord, or really just the views, sitting outside the window.

I sat with it for a minute.

Then I screenshotted it.

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Where this started

I was hired as a travel advisor in July 2024.

And if I am being completely honest with you, I did not take it that seriously at first. I traveled. I loved travel. I had been to over 50 countries. I knew how to plan a trip. It felt like a natural fit and a perfectly nice thing to do on the side.

Sure I can do this, I thought. I travel. Of course I can help others.

Part time. Low stakes. Let’s see how this goes.

Then came May 2025. Our company convention.

Something shifted. I walked in one person and walked out someone who finally understood what this actually was.

People were entrusting me with thousands of dollars. Sometimes tens of thousands. Their vacation. Their honeymoon. Their first time leaving the country. Their anniversary trip they had been saving for. Their memory in the making.

This was not a side gig.

This was a career. My career. The thing I wanted to build and pour myself into and be known for.

I went full time. I started treating it that way. And I started asking myself a harder question: do I actually have the credentials to match the responsibility?

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The credentials I chased

I did the work.

CLIA training. Certifications through Sandals, Marriott, Royal Caribbean, AmaWaterways, Universal. Tourism training for destinations all over the world. Business education. Hours and hours of coursework.

And I still did not feel like a professional.

Not the way I wanted to. Not the way that made me feel like I could look a client in the eye and say I am the real thing, trust me with this.

People had watched me travel for years. They knew I loved it. But loving travel and being a trusted professional advisor are two very different things. I needed them to believe in me. And I needed to believe in me.

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The moment everything clicked

In March 2026 I attended the ASTA River Cruise Expo in Amsterdam.

And I got hit like walking into a glass door I did not see coming.

They talked about the VTA. Verified Travel Advisor. What it meant. What ASTA stood for. That there are lawyers and lobbyists in Washington DC actively fighting for the rights of travel advisors and this industry. That since 1931 ASTA has been the world’s leading advocate for travel professionals, championing ethical practices and pushing for policies that protect both advisors and the traveling public. That they have taken on airlines. Pushed through legislation. Fought state by state for this industry’s right to exist and thrive.

I sat there and thought: this is where I want to be.

And then something happened that I will not forget.

I sat down with Zane Kerby, the President and CEO of ASTA. I told him about our family. About moving to a life on the road in Europe. About what this career was doing for us and what I believed it could become. He listened. Really listened. And when I told him about my dream of planning a family group river cruise education adventure, he looked at me and said that when I get that planned, he wants to sign up with his own family.

Zane Kerby. President of ASTA. Wants to travel with me someday.

I also had the privilege of sitting with Wayne Spector, Senior Vice President of NEST and Travelsavers, a few times over the last year. A network of more than 25,000 travel advisors. He took the time. He listened. He offered his support.

These are the people who lead this industry. And they spoke with me. They made me feel empowered. Heard. Like I belonged in the room.

Not every advisor pursues the VTA. But I knew immediately that I did.

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What the VTA actually is

The ASTA Verified Travel Advisor certification is not a participation trophy.

It is a four-course program covering legal insights, ethical excellence, agency relationships, and federal regulatory compliance — the kind of foundational professional knowledge that makes an advisor not just capable but trustworthy.

ASTA’s president Zane Kerby has noted that since the program launched, they have never fielded a single complaint against an ASTA Verified Travel Advisor. Not one. That tells you everything about what earning those letters actually means.

It is a badge of honor that signals your commitment to being a conscientious and ethical travel advisor — a powerful statement to clients that you understand duty of care and your legal obligations when serving them.

I completed all four courses. I passed. And this morning I opened my laptop and my name had three new letters after it.

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What it feels like

I think about the doctor who passes their boards. The lawyer who passes the bar. The CPA who finally gets those letters after their name and thinks: okay. I did it. I am the real thing.

That is what today feels like.

Not luck. Not a happy accident. My actions. My heart. My decision to stop treating this like something I was doing on the side and start treating it like the career it is.

I did not get here alone.

Michelle, Nikki, and Kirsten, my mentors. The kind of people who make you better just by being in your orbit.

My colleagues who show up every single day and make this industry worth being in.

My clients who trusted me long before I had the letters to back it up. You are why I do this.

Adam. My kids. My friends. The people who cheered for me through every late night study session while Poppy sat on my feet in Norway.

I am Nicole Damiano, VTA.

And I am just getting started. ❤️

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If you are looking for a travel advisor who takes this profession as seriously as you take your trip — I would love to work with you.

Nicole Damiano, VTA | Travel Advisor, FG Luxury Travel
Nicole@FGLuxuryTravel.com
AdventuresWeSeek.com

What is an ASTA Verified Travel Advisor?
An ASTA Verified Travel Advisor, or VTA, is a travel professional who has completed a rigorous four-course certification program through the American Society of Travel Advisors. The program covers legal knowledge, ethical standards, agency relationships, and federal regulatory compliance. It is one of the most respected designations in the travel industry.

What is ASTA and why does it matter?
ASTA — the American Society of Travel Advisors — has been the world’s leading advocate for travel professionals since 1931. They have lawyers and lobbyists in Washington DC actively fighting for the rights of travel advisors and the traveling public. They push for legislation, fight unfair airline policies, and set the ethical standards that define what a trustworthy travel advisor looks like.

Why should I care if my travel advisor is a VTA?
Because it means your advisor has done more than collect supplier certificates. They have been trained in the legal and ethical responsibilities that come with handling your money, your documents, and your trip. Since the VTA program launched, ASTA has never received a single complaint against a Verified Travel Advisor. That track record matters.

Is a travel advisor the same as a booking agent?
No. A travel advisor is closer to a consultant than a transaction processor. I am not clicking buttons on your behalf. I am building something — a trip designed specifically around your family, your pace, your budget, and what you actually want from the experience. That is a fundamentally different service.

How do I work with Nicole?
Reach out at Nicole@FGLuxuryTravel.com or through AdventuresWeSeek.com. We start with a conversation. You tell me what you are dreaming about and I take it from there.