Ikigai for Travel Entrepreneurs: Find Purpose in Your Travel Business

When “More Bookings” Isn’t the Whole Story

Let’s be honest: “more bookings” is not the full dream.

Yes, you want revenue. You want profit. You want clients. But if you’ve been in this industry for a while, you’ve probably had at least one moment where you thought:

“If I have to plan one more trip like this, I might scream.”

Maybe it’s the bargain hunters who treat you like a search engine.
Maybe it’s the trips that are technically fine but leave you feeling…nothing.
Maybe it’s the constant feeling that your business looks successful from the outside, but you’re quietly wondering, “Is this really it?”

That’s an Ikigai problem.

What Is Ikigai?

Ikigai (生き甲斐) loosely translates to “reason for being.”

It’s often shown as four overlapping circles:

• What you love
• What you’re good at
• What the world (or your clients) need
• What you can be paid well for

Your Ikigai lives where those four intersect.

For travel entrepreneurs, Ikigai is the difference between:

• Being a generic “I book all the things for all the people” advisor, and
• Being the advisor who wakes up excited because your work, your skills, your clients, and your income actually make sense together.

Ikigai doesn’t mean every day is easy. It means your business is pointed in a direction that feels worth the effort.

Why Travel Entrepreneurs Drift Away from Ikigai

Most advisors don’t start out misaligned. You usually begin with:

• A love of travel
• A desire to help people
• A belief that this industry can give you freedom

Then reality shows up:

• Bills
• Pressure to say yes to every inquiry
• Fear of turning away business
• Advice that says, “Niche down!” without telling you how

So you say yes. And yes. And yes.

Suddenly, you’re:

• Planning trips you don’t enjoy
• Serving clients who drain you
• Charging fees that don’t reflect the energy you’re giving

You’re busy, but not fulfilled. Productive, but not purposeful.

That’s what happens when you build a business around “What people will pay me for” and “What I can technically do,” but forget to honor “What I love” and “What I’m uniquely good at.”

Ikigai brings those pieces back together.

Signs You’re Out of Alignment with Your Ikigai

Let’s do a quick gut check. See if any of these sound familiar:

• You secretly dread certain types of inquiries but say yes anyway.
• You feel guilty taking time off because everything feels fragile.
• You can’t clearly describe who your best-fit client is without saying “anyone who wants to travel.”
• You’re making money, but you’re also thinking, “I can’t do it like this forever.”

If that’s you, nothing is “wrong” with you. It just means your business has drifted away from your Ikigai.

The good news? You can steer it back.

Ikigai in a Travel Business: Real-World Examples

Let’s look at how Ikigai can show up for different types of travel entrepreneurs.

Example 1: The Burned-Out Generalist

Sara started as a generalist: cruises, all-inclusives, Europe, Disney, groups—you name it. She was good at all of it. But she was exhausted.

When she mapped her Ikigai, she realized:

• She loved multi-generational travel and deeper cultural experiences.
• She was good at handling complex family dynamics and logistics.
• Her clients needed someone to mediate expectations and design trips that worked for all ages.
• She could be paid well for that level of planning and emotional labor.

She didn’t quit everything else overnight. But she started:

• Highlighting multi-gen and “big life moment” trips on her site.
• Asking better questions about family dynamics in her consults.
• Charging planning fees that reflected the complexity of that work.

Over time, her inquiries shifted. Her energy did too.

Example 2: The “I Love Travel, But…” Advisor

Marcus loved travel but was secretly more obsessed with systems and numbers. He felt guilty about that—like he wasn’t “passionate enough” about destinations.

His Ikigai work showed him:

• He loved designing efficient, profitable itineraries.
• He was good at budgeting, pricing, and value engineering.
• His clients needed someone who could stretch their budget without sacrificing experience.
• He could be paid well for that skill set if he framed it correctly.

He started positioning himself as the advisor who could help clients “travel better on purpose”—not cheap, but smart. His Ikigai wasn’t “I love beaches.” It was “I love designing trips that make financial and emotional sense.”

That counts.

How to Start Finding Your Ikigai as a Travel Entrepreneur

You don’t need a retreat in the mountains to do this. You can start right where you are.

Grab a notebook and answer these questions honestly.

1. What Do You Love?

Not what you’re supposed to love. What actually lights you up?

• Types of trips (honeymoons, river cruises, solo adventures, wellness, etc.)
• Types of clients (busy professionals, retirees, families, creatives, etc.)
• Parts of the work (research, planning, consulting, content, speaking, etc.)

Look for patterns. Where do you feel most alive?

2. What Are You Genuinely Good At?

This is where you drop the false humility.

• Are you great at calming anxious travelers?
• Brilliant at logistics?
• A natural storyteller?
• A connector who builds relationships easily?

Ask a few trusted clients or peers:

“When you think of me and my work, what’s the first strength that comes to mind?”

Sometimes other people see your Ikigai more clearly than you do.

3. What Do Your Clients Truly Need?

Not what the industry says they need. What your people actually need.

• Do they need someone to simplify choices?
• To advocate for them when things go wrong?
• To design trips that honor their values (sustainability, accessibility, faith, etc.)?
• To help them travel despite fear, grief, or big life transitions?

Where do you see real transformation in your clients’ lives?

4. What Will People Happily Pay You For?

This is where purpose meets profit.

• Which offers or trip types are consistently profitable and sustainable for you?
• Where do clients say, “That was worth every penny”?
• Where do you feel good about your pricing—not resentful or apologetic?

Ikigai isn’t “do what you love and ignore money.” It’s “find the overlap between joy, skill, need, and value.”

Common Fears That Show Up When You Move Toward Ikigai

As you start to clarify your Ikigai, don’t be surprised if some fears show up:

• “If I lean into this, will I lose clients?”
• “What if I’m not actually that good at the thing I love?”
• “What if my Ikigai changes?”

Let me say this clearly:

• You are allowed to evolve.
• You are allowed to refine who you serve and how.
• You are allowed to outgrow an old version of your business.

Ikigai is not a prison. It’s a direction.

You don’t have to get it perfect to start walking toward it.

Small, Brave Moves Toward Ikigai

Here are a few low-risk ways to start moving your business closer to your Ikigai:

1. Change Your Language Before You Change Your Offers

   • Update a few lines on your website or social profiles to better reflect who you really love serving and how.
   • Notice who responds.

2. Ask Better Questions in Your Consults

   • Add one question that helps you see if this client fits your Ikigai.
   • For example: “Why this trip, and why now?” or “What would make this feel truly meaningful for you?”

3. Say One Brave “No”

   • The next time an inquiry clearly doesn’t fit, practice referring them out instead of saying yes from fear.
   • Pay attention to how your body feels when you do.

4. Design One Offer Around Your Ikigai

   • Create or refine one service that sits closer to the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what clients need, and what they’ll pay for.
   • You don’t have to overhaul everything—just start with one.

You’re Not Behind. You’re Becoming.

If you’re reading this thinking, “I should have figured this out years ago,” take a breath.

You are not behind. You are becoming.

Every “wrong” client, every misaligned trip, every season of “What am I even doing?” has given you data. Ikigai is how you finally listen to it.

You are not just a travel advisor.
You are a builder of experiences, a steward of stories, and a leader in motion.

Your work deserves to be rooted in something deeper than “Whoever inquires next.”

Your Next Step with Ikigai

Before you move on with your day, take a moment and ask yourself:

1. Which circle feels the weakest right now?

   • What I love
   • What I’m good at
   • What my clients need
   • What I’m paid well for

2. What is one small shift I could make in the next month to move closer to the overlap?

Write it down. Say it out loud. Let it be real.

You don’t have to blow up your business to honor your Ikigai.
You just have to start steering—one honest decision at a time.

You are a Phenomenal Force.
Build a business that treats you like one.

I’d love to hear from you:

Which part of Ikigai is tugging at you the most right now—what you love, what you’re good at, what your clients need, or what you’re paid for?

Drop your answer in the comments below, and, if you’re willing, share one small shift you’re considering. Naming it is the first step toward building a business that actually fits you.