Your Travel and Expedition Specialist

Giraffe Manor, Kenya

Angela Hughes is one of the most respected voices in the global travel industry, known for her four decades of experience shaping how travel is sold, scaled, and experienced. As the CEO of Trips and Ships Travel, a high-performing host agency with more than 150 advisors, Angela leads with clarity, strategy, and innovation. Her work centers on elevating the advisor profession, strengthening travel businesses, and designing exceptional journeys for travelers around the world. She has built a reputation for guiding advisors to become confident, high-earning business owners who understand both the art and science of travel.

She was named to the  2026 Travel Pulse Magazine Most Influential Women in Travel list and was the 2024 Travel Leaders Luxury Travel Influencer of the Year.

A Certified Travel Consultant since 1993, Angela brings a deep understanding of sales strategy, destination development, consumer travel behavior, and marketing psychology. Through her global education platform, Luxury Travel University, she trains travel advisors, agencies, suppliers, tourism boards, and DMC partners in modern branding, audience growth, digital marketing, and high-conversion sales frameworks. Her teaching style combines real-world practicality with advanced business strategy, giving her students the tools to grow sustainable, competitive travel businesses in an evolving marketplace.

Angela is a trusted industry thought leader whose insights appear regularly across major media publications. She has been featured on Fox35 TV, in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Travel Weekly, Travel Market Report, Luxury Travel Advisor, Insider Travel Report, AARP, Travel Agent Central, Travel Age West, and a wide range of industry podcasts and video interviews. Her expertise is frequently cited by journalists seeking authoritative commentary on travel trends, traveler behavior, market shifts, advisor success strategies, and global destination development.

As a sought-after speaker, Angela presents at consortia events, national conferences, tourism board academies, global symposiums, and advisor training programs. Her sessions cover business growth, digital influence, social media strategy, destination specialization, global travel trends, advisor leadership, and the changing landscape of the travel industry. She has spoken on stages across the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the South Pacific. Angela is known for her ability to break down complex strategies into clear, actionable steps while inspiring advisors to elevate their businesses with intention and innovation.

Angela has also served as an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University, where she taught Geography and Travel and Tourism. Her academic experience strengthens her approach to training, blending research-based learning with practical industry application. Many of her students have gone on to pursue careers in travel, tourism development, hospitality, destination marketing, and global experiences.

Her personal travel history influences every aspect of her work. Angela has traveled to more than 120 countries and has lived abroad in Japan, giving her a global perspective shaped by cultural intelligence and first-hand destination experience. She explores destinations in depth, from Europe and Asia to the Middle East, Africa, Australia, South America, and polar regions. Her global insight allows her to advise both travelers and industry partners with accuracy, context, and understanding of international markets.

In addition to leading her agency and educational platform, Angela consults privately with tourism boards, cruise lines, hotel groups, and DMCs who seek guidance on advisor engagement, North American market expansion, product positioning, and brand development. She helps companies evaluate trends, strengthen trade relationships, improve advisor-facing education, and understand the needs of the modern traveler. Her strategic consulting is valued by organizations seeking growth and relevance in the competitive global travel environment.

Angela is widely recognized for her expertise in advisor training, travel business coaching, destination specialization, and global travel leadership. She partners with cruise lines, DMCs, tourism boards, and hotel groups to strengthen trade relationships and develop advisor engagement strategies. Her mission is to elevate the travel profession and guide both advisors and travelers with clarity, authenticity, and deep global insight.

At the core of Angela’s work is a belief in transformation. She believes travel has the power to shape lives, strengthen families, and deepen cultural connection. Her mission is to elevate the advisor profession, deliver exceptional experiences to clients, and create pathways for travel professionals to build thriving, meaningful careers. Her leadership continues to influence the direction of the travel industry, the growth of emerging advisors, and the success of global travel partners.