About Katie
Who is Katie?
I’ve been selling travel since 2022, and honestly, becoming a travel advisor felt like a pretty natural next step for me.
Katie Hannah Travel is an independent travel agency based in East Tennessee, serving clients locally and throughout the United States.
Travel was already a big part of my life. I’ve traveled throughout Europe, taken family adventures to Walt Disney World, and enjoyed plenty of romantic Caribbean getaways with my husband. I already had firsthand travel experience, and I was excited to build on it.
At the time, I had already spent 12 years building my photography business, Katie Hannah Photo. My original plan for Katie Hannah Travel was actually pretty simple: I wanted to expand the services I could offer my photography clients, particularly couples who needed help planning honeymoons and anniversary trips.
What I never anticipated was how quickly my photography clients would become travel clients, too.
Families who had trusted me to photograph their most important memories began trusting me to plan their vacations. Couples I had photographed wanted me to help with their honeymoons. Families wanted me to help create their next family adventure.
It was completely unexpected—and honestly, one of the greatest compliments my business could have received.
I expected Katie Hannah Travel to have a slow start. Instead, it quickly caught up with my established photography business, and I had to learn how to grow both businesses at the same time.
Thankfully, I’m pretty comfortable going with the flow. 😂
Can I successfully run both businesses? Absolutely. Do they overlap? All the time.
Photography and travel actually have more in common than you might think. Both are about people, experiences, memories, and helping someone create something they’ll remember for years.
My husband, Cole, and our two kids and I call East Tennessee home. You’ll probably see some of us sprinkled throughout this website because, as you might imagine, our family vacations have become a pretty important part of our lives.
My daughter, Maggie, is a high schooler whose favorite vacation destination is Jamaica. My son, Luke, is in elementary school and has given his whole heart to Disney. And then there’s my husband, Cole—the definition of a passenger princess. 😂 He’s genuinely down for just about anything, anytime. He’d probably tell you one of his favorite trips was Turks and Caicos, where he had some incredible diving experiences.
So yes, travel is both my business and a big part of my life.
And I think that’s one of the reasons I love what I do.
I don’t just want to sell you a vacation.
I want to help you find the right one.
Katie's Expertise & Experience
Since becoming a travel advisor in 2022, I’ve made it a priority to continue learning, traveling, and experiencing the destinations and resorts I recommend to my clients.
I am a Certified Sandals Specialist and have completed extensive Sandals and Beaches Resorts training. I’ve also graduated from the College of Disney, adding specialized Disney knowledge to my travel expertise. Throughout my time as a travel advisor, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in Sandals FAM (familiarization) experiences, allowing me to experience their resorts firsthand and learn what makes each property different.
I’ve also completed advanced training with Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection, including its highest level of advisor training. The Inclusive Collection encompasses a wide range of all-inclusive brands, including Secrets, Dreams, Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara, Breathless, Zoëtry, Hyatt Vivid, Alua, Sunscape and Bahia Principe.
But certifications and training are only part of what I bring to the table.
I’ve traveled a lot—and I’ve traveled a lot of different ways.
I’ve explored the Caribbean, the western United States, the southeastern United States, the northeastern United States, and about half of the countries in Europe. I’ve experienced everything from cruise ships and all-inclusive resorts to theme parks and traditional vacations.
I’ve traveled alone. I’ve traveled with my husband. I’ve traveled with my family. And I’ve traveled with groups.
That variety matters because the best vacation for a solo traveler isn’t necessarily the best vacation for a family, a couple, or a large group. Understanding the differences between those experiences helps me ask better questions and make more personalized recommendations for my clients.
I’m also proud to have been the #1 travel advisor in my agency for the past three years. I’m continually learning, traveling, and building my knowledge because the travel industry never stops changing—and honestly, I don’t think I’d want it to.
Some of my favorite travel experiences have come through opportunities to experience resorts firsthand, including invited FAM and VIP experiences with leading names in the all-inclusive travel industry. These opportunities allow me to see properties beyond what you can find in a brochure or online listing and bring that firsthand knowledge back to my clients.
And I’m certainly not done traveling.
There are still plenty of places on my personal bucket list. Spain is somewhere I’d happily return to, while Croatia and Brazil are currently high on my list of places I want to experience next.
I haven’t been everywhere—and I don’t pretend to have.
But I believe being a great travel advisor means staying curious, continuing to learn, and experiencing as much of the world as possible so I can help my clients find the right experience for them.
Why choose Katie as your Travel Advisor?
You can book a vacation online in just a few clicks. So why use a travel advisor?
For me, the answer is simple: you shouldn’t have to figure everything out by yourself.
When you work with Katie Hannah Travel, you’re not just getting someone to make a reservation. You’re getting someone who takes the time to understand what you actually want from your vacation, uses firsthand experience and industry knowledge to help you make decisions, and is involved throughout the planning process—from choosing the right trip to making sure you know what to expect before you travel.
Is There an Extra Fee to Use a Travel Advisor?
This is one of the questions I’m asked most often!
For the vast majority of the suppliers I work with, there is no additional booking or agency fee for my clients. My agency is a preferred partner with many of the travel brands I book, and our compensation is built into the supplier’s existing pricing structure.
For suppliers such as Sandals and Walt Disney World, you generally pay the same price whether you book directly with the supplier or have me arrange the trip for you.
So if the price is often the same, why wouldn’t you have someone help you?
Customer Service Comes First
Before I ever became a travel advisor, I had already spent 12 years building Katie Hannah Photo and serving clients throughout East Tennessee. I had established a reputation for taking care of people, communicating clearly, and providing a high level of customer service.
When I started Katie Hannah Travel in 2022, I expected to slowly build a second business alongside my established photography business.
What I never anticipated was how quickly my photography clients would become travel clients, too.
Families who trusted me to photograph their most important memories began trusting me with their vacations. Couples asked me to plan their honeymoons and anniversaries. Families asked me to help create their next adventure.
That trust is something I never take for granted.
I believe customer service isn’t something you simply promise on a website. It’s something your clients should be able to tell other people about.
What My Clients Are Saying
My Google reviews are one of the things I’m most proud of because they’re written by people who have actually experienced my service.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Katie was great, from the very beginning when we started thinking of planning a trip to the last minute details right before vacation started, and checking on us during and after our trip as well. Katie consistently provided great ideas and advice.”
— Keith E.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“She made the entire experience incredibly seamless and easy. She was quick to respond, and gave great advice about everything from types of rooms to attire to immigrations and customs forms to safety.”
— Dava A.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Everything was taken care of. There was follow-up leading up to the trip and after we returned. Katie was, as always, fantastic, fun and professional.”
— Brad B.
Don’t just take my word for it. Read my reviews for yourself.
Firsthand Knowledge Makes a Difference
One of the things I value most about being a travel advisor is the opportunity to experience destinations and resorts firsthand.
I’ve had the opportunity to participate in FAM and VIP experiences with leading names in the all-inclusive travel industry. These experiences allow me to learn properties from an advisor’s perspective, understand what makes each resort different, and bring that firsthand knowledge back to my clients.
Because when you’re looking at dozens of beautiful resorts online, they can start to look remarkably similar.
I can help you look beyond the brochure and ask the questions that actually matter.
Is this resort really right for you?
Is the beach what you’re looking for? Is the atmosphere right? Is it better suited for a honeymoon, anniversary, family vacation, solo traveler, or group? Are you looking for quiet and romantic or active and social?
Those details can make the difference between booking a beautiful vacation and booking the right vacation.
A Travel Advisor Who Knows You
Ultimately, that’s what I want Katie Hannah Travel to be.
Personal. Knowledgeable. Responsive.
I don’t believe there is one perfect resort, destination, cruise, or vacation for everyone. There is only the vacation that is right for you.
Whether you’re planning a honeymoon, celebrating an anniversary, taking your family to Disney, sailing on a cruise, relaxing at an all-inclusive resort, or simply trying to figure out where you should go next, I’m here to help you sort through the options and make a plan.
And because so many of my travel clients originally came to me through my photography business, I know how meaningful it is when someone trusts you with something important.
Your vacation is important. I’ll treat it that way.
You don’t have to know exactly where you want to go. You don’t have to know which resort you want. You don’t even have to have the whole trip figured out.
That’s what I’m here for.
Tell me what you’re dreaming about, and let’s find the right vacation for you.