Subscribe now using your favorite service:
Antoine Wilson works six days per week as an air traffic controller at Miami International Airport, where he spends his eight-hour shifts scanning radar and monitoring the South Florida airspace from Miami down to the Florida Keys.
And during his day off, he turns his attention to his second — and third — businesses: advising travel clients with A.D. Elite Travels, and working on the launch of his newest venture, Melanated Safaris.
In this episode of Humans of Travel, Wilson shares the ins and outs his three careers, which he embarked on after declining a conditional offer to work with the CIA. Listeners will hear about the formation of A.D. Elite Travels, where Wilson has made it his mission to get passports in the hands of as many youth and minority communities as possible (starting with his younger brother).
They’ll also hear the story of how Wilson decided to dip his toes into the supplier arena. He recently partnered with a Tanzanian-based guide he met on social media to create Melanated Safaris, which he says will offer “the next generation of African safaris,” beginning with this month’s inaugural tour.
Travel advisor Antoine Wilson
Credit: 2022 TravelAge WestInside This Episode
0:50: Meet Antoine Wilson, a travel advisor who has been named a “Future Leader to Watch Out For” at last year’s Future Leaders in Travel Retreat (powered by TravelAge West).
1:50: Wilson has three careers – how does he do it all?
2:00 Wilson shares what it was like to start a career as a travel advisor in 2018, and how his business evolved with the challenges of the pandemic.
6:00: Wilson reflects on his early life and his decision to pursue a joint degree in Transportation/Supply Chain Management and Business Administration.
7:40: Wilson details his decision to decline a conditional offer for employment from the CIA.
11:40: Wilson discusses what it’s like to be a full-time air traffic controller.
21:15: Wilson chats about his business, A.D. Elite Travels, and why he’s made it his mission to help young Americans and People of Color acquire their first passports.
27:30: Weissmann and Wilson chat about representation within the travel industry.
29:40: Wilson shares more details about his latest venture, Melanated Safaris, and how fellow travel advisors can work with him.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
A.D. Elite Travels
Wilson’s Instagram
Melanated Safaris
The Future Leaders in Travel Retreat
About Your Host
Emma Weissmann is the Digital Managing Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the co-host of Trade Secrets, a podcast created with sister publication Travel Weekly.
TravelAge West also produces national trade publications Explorer and Family Getaways, as well as events including the Future Leaders in Travel Retreat, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum.
About the Show
TravelAge West’s podcast, “Humans of Travel,” features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the experiences — the highs and the lows — that make them human.
