Overview
Vazquez is co-founder of Fora, a technology-powered travel advisor platform based in New York City [1][2]. Vazquez has held the position of co-founder at Fora since August 2021 [3]. Prior to founding Fora, Vazquez served as CEO and co-founder of Passported from April 2014 to August 2021 [4]. Vazquez's earlier career included roles as senior director at Indagare from January 2008 to November 2012 [6], web development and content consultant for Indagare and National Geographic from September 2012 to April 2014 [5], staff writer and beauty editor at Phoenix Media/Communications Group from 2005 to 2007 [7], and editorial assistant positions at Hearst Magazines and Caroline Pover, Inc. in 2003 [8][9]. Vazquez holds a BA in English and American Studies from Princeton University [10].
Career history
- Co-FounderAug 2021 to PresentFora
- CEO/Co-FounderApr 2014 to Aug 2021Passported
- Web Development and Content ConsultantSep 2012 to Apr 2014Indagare/National Geographic
- Senior DirectorJan 2008 to Nov 2012Indagare
- Staff Writer/Beauty Editor2005 to 2007Phoenix Media/Communications Group
- Editorial Assistant2003 to 2005Hearst Magazines
- Editorial Assistant2003 to 2003Caroline Pover, Inc.
Education
BA, English and American Studies1996 - 2001Princeton University
Insights & ideas
The through-line
Across every appearance, Henley Vazquez returns to a single core idea: the travel advisor industry has been reshaped by the pandemic into something with real, surging demand, and the old model of who gets to become an advisor and how they do it is broken and needs to be rebuilt with technology, training and community. She frames Fora less as a booking tool and more as an attempt to open a career path that used to require insider access, credentials, or full-time commitment, to a much wider group of people, including part-timers and side-hustlers turning a passion for travel into a business [1][2][8]. Over the course of her interviews the emphasis moves from the founding mission of bringing "new blood" into the industry [8] toward a broader account of how the entire travel landscape has changed for travelers themselves, with rising demand for guidance, more flexible booking behavior, and shifting destination trends [6].
On lowering the barrier to entry for travel advisors
Vazquez's most consistent talking point is that the traditional path into travel advising set the bar too high, and that this exclusivity was never necessary. She describes fielding pushback from people who believe the barrier to entry for the career should be higher, and pushes back on that assumption, positioning Fora's host agency model as intentionally built for newcomers, part-timers and side-hustlers rather than only full-time career agents [8]. Her mission, as she describes it, is to bring new people into the industry and support them at every career stage, not just at the top [8]. This same instinct appears in how she frames Fora more broadly, as a platform that empowers entrepreneurs to turn a personal passion for travel into an actual business [1].
On what Fora offers advisors: training, tools and community
She describes Fora's value proposition as three-part: technology, training, and community [2]. The training and community pieces are meant to help people who are new to the industry succeed without the years of relationship-building and apprenticeship the business traditionally required, while the technology, efficient booking tools in particular, is meant to make even seasoned advisors more productive [6]. She is explicit that this model is designed to serve both ends of the experience spectrum at once, supporting advisors who are already established while making it easier for newcomers to enter the field and succeed [6].
On the post-pandemic shift in demand for travel advisors
A recurring subject is why now: she attributes the surge in demand for travel advisors to travelers needing help navigating a travel landscape that became meaningfully more complex after the pandemic [6]. Alongside that complexity, she points to a behavioral shift toward flexibility, travelers are more wary of committing to plans far in advance and increasingly want the ability to plan last-minute, which she treats as a structural change in how people travel rather than a temporary quirk [6].
On travel trends she's tracking
Vazquez discusses specific shifts in where and how people want to go. She points to travelers moving away from the most touristy pockets of popular destinations, using Italy as an example, and toward far-flung, less conventional destinations like Bhutan [6]. At the same time, she notes the durability of domestic travel within the United States, citing the American West as a place offering distinct, sought-after experiences [6]. Related material touches on encouraging people not to sacrifice their PTO and considering domestic alternatives to classic overseas destinations, especially when travelers feel uneasy about global conditions or their own finances [5].
Takeaways
- Fora's host agency model is deliberately built for part-timers and side-hustlers, not just full-time career agents, as a direct response to critics who think the barrier to entry should be higher [8].
- She frames Fora's offering as training, technology and community together, aimed at helping both newcomers and seasoned advisors succeed [2][6].
- Post-pandemic complexity in travel planning is, in her account, the main driver behind the surge in demand for travel advisors [6].
- Travelers are increasingly unwilling to commit far in advance, pushing demand toward flexible, last-minute planning tools [6].
- She tracks a shift away from touristy hotspots (using Italy as an example) toward far-flung destinations like Bhutan, alongside sustained interest in domestic travel like the American West [6].
- She advises against sacrificing PTO and suggests domestic alternatives to classic destinations for travelers wary of global conditions or cost [5].
Media & appearances
- WIN/WINApple Podcasts#136 Henley Vazquez | Co-Founder @ ForaWomen in Innovation: In this episode of Win/Win: Women in Innovation, Zoia Kozakov sits down with Henley Vazquez, co-founder of Fora, to unpack how she’s reimagining the travel advisor industry through technology, training, and community. Henley shares how Fora is lowerin
- Everyone Talks To Liz ClamanApple PodcastsGo 'Fora' It! Uber-izing Travel Agents is Henley Vazquez's Winning BetWho says your dream vacation is just for summer? As the seasons change, Liz encourages listeners to grab their passports, duffel bags and listen to today's episode with Co-Founder and CEO of Fora Travel, Henley Vazquez. Henley shares how she took her
- Transform With TravelApple Podcasts091. Don’t Sacrifice Your PTO, Domestic Alternatives to Classic Destinations | Henley Vazquez, FORATrip Planning Made Easy For Busy Professionals Craving Bucket List Adventures: Are you craving an overseas adventure or a little wellness escape, but maybe you're feeling a little uneasy about the world, your PTO or even your finances? This week, we share an excerpt from one of our top episodes of all time with Henley Vazqu
- WorkPartyApple PodcastsTurning Your Love of Travel Into a Legit Business with Fora’s CEO Henley VazquezIn this episode of WorkParty, Jaclyn Johnson and Marina Middleton chat with Henley Vazquez, the co-founder and CEO of Fora, a modern travel platform reinventing the role of the travel advisor. With a background in luxury travel and a mission to create m
- Humans of TravelApple PodcastsEncore: Fora Travel’s Co-Founder, Henley Vazquez, on Bringing More Advisors Into the IndustryNote to listeners: We're currently on hiatus until Spring 2025, but we're replaying some of our favorite episodes each week until we return. And you're listening to one of those "encore" presentations right now. Three years ago, Henley Vazquez created Fora Travel, a host agency that caters to a select group of new travel agents: part-timers, side-hustlers or even those who are just looking to dip their toes into a career in travel, but don’t know where to start. As a travel advisor herself — and a former staff member at Town and Country Magazine and Indagare — Vazquez says her mission is to bring new blood into the travel industry and support people at every stage of their career. In this episode of Humans of Travel, Vazquez shares the ins and outs of Fora — what she looks for in potential new advisors, why the model is appealing to non-full-time workers and what she says to people who think the barrier to entry for this career should be higher. This episode is sponsored by Collette. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Fora Travel Special Code for Humans of Travel Listeners: Foratravel.com/joinus Application Code: HumansofTravel Follow Fora on Instagram: @helloFora Vazquez’s Speedtalking with Fora Podcast, on YouTube: From TravelAge West Why Do Travel Agents Have to Chase Their Commissions? Part-Time Travel Agent?
- Travel With MeaningApple PodcastsFrom Travel Agent to Fora CEO, Henley Vazquez's Unexpected Travel JourneyIn this episode of the Travel with Meaning podcast, we sit down with Henley Vazquez, co-founder of Fora Travel and a self-proclaimed hotel junkie. Henley’s journey into the travel industry was anything but conventional—from growing up on a farm in..
- Transform With TravelApple Podcasts047: What is the Future of Travel? | A Conversation with Henley Vazquez, CEO of FORATrip Planning Made Easy For Busy Professionals Craving Bucket List Adventures: Are you ready to transform your travel experiences and maybe even your career through the world of travel? In this episode of the Transform with Travel podcast, I sit down with Henley Vazquez, the CEO and co-founder of Fora. This conversation illuminated the evolving landscape of the travel industry, the rise of travel advisors, and the growing interest in wellness travel. We got into the changes in the travel industry, particularly post-pandemic. The demand for travel advisors has surged as travelers seek guidance through the more complex travel landscape. The conversation highlighted the growing need for flexibility and the ability for last-minute planning, as people are still wary of committing to travel plans far in advance. Fora aims to revolutionize the travel advising industry by offering a modern platform that supports advisors with training, efficient booking tools, and community connection. This approach not only helps seasoned advisors but also makes it easier for newcomers to enter the field and succeed. Henley shared some exciting travel trends, including a move towards exploring less touristy areas in popular destinations like Italy and the rise of far-flung destinations such as Bhutan. She also noted the continued popularity of domestic travel within the United States, with destinations like the American West offering unique experiences.
- TravelpreneurApple PodcastsTech Solutions for Travel Advisors: Henley Vazquez of Fora's Recipe for SuccessThe Travel Business Podcast: Episode Topic: In this episode of , we engage in an insightful conversation with , co-founder of , who shares insights into revolutionizing the travel experience by empowering entrepreneurs to turn their passion for travel into a thriving business....
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