Christina Klein Ellis
Christina Klein Ellis is a Leisure Travel Consultant with Gateway Destinations LLC, bringing a unique blend of academic insight, professional experience, and passion for meaningful travel experiences. Her unexpected journey into the travel industry was shaped by her advanced studies in Anthropology and Primatology from California State University, Fullerton and her time working and interning in zoological education programs. These experiences cultivated her deep appreciation for cultural curiosity, human behavior, and the importance of immersive, educational travel. Christina’s background allows her to approach travel planning with a research-driven, detail-oriented mindset, ensuring each itinerary is thoughtfully designed for her clients and their families.
As a travel advisor with Gateway Destinations, Christina focuses on creating fully customizable itineraries for discerning travelers seeking deluxe to luxury experiences. She specializes in European travel, with France and Italy among the most requested destinations, while also designing travel experiences throughout Europe. In addition, she works extensively with cruise itineraries, including pre and post cruise planning to create seamless, concierge-level travel experiences. Her philosophy is centered on providing high touch, personalized consulting services rather than simply booking travel. She invests heavily in her own destination education, traveling regularly to experience locations firsthand so she can offer informed, authentic recommendations. Her upcoming travel to the Netherlands to attend the American Society of Travel Advisors river cruise expo and tour with Kensington Tours reflects her commitment to staying at the forefront of industry knowledge and global travel trends.
Christina is deeply passionate about responsible and culturally conscious tourism. Her academic training in anthropology and primatology, combined with years of international research travel, provides her with a unique perspective on cultural immersion and meaningful destination experiences. She is committed to helping clients travel in ways that are both memorable and authentic while also supporting local communities and economies. As a member of Tourism Cares and through strategic travel partnerships, she promotes travel that creates positive impact for both travelers and destinations. Outside of her professional work, Christina remains energized by continuous learning, global exploration, and helping others discover the world in ways that are enriching, educational, and deeply personal.
• California State University, Fullerton - MA, Physical and Biological Anthropology
• Loyola University Chicago - BS, Physical and Biological Anthropology
• American Society of Travel Advisors
• Animal-Assisted Therapy with Miniature Horses for Hospice Patients
What do you attribute your success to?
Building strong, trust-based relationships with clients and destination partners; investing in ongoing education and market differentiation; and being a people person who follows through on commitments.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would definitely say get some type of formal education - minimum, like a 2-year program in hospitality or business or something like that. Best thing to do would be to get a 4-year degree. And I would say that for any young woman, is to get at least a 4-year degree, whether you stick within your field you studied or not. Then really find a good, solid mentor out there who can help shape you and give you that really nice, strong foundation, because like I said, there's not really any formal training or a lot of regulation in this industry. We can get certifications through our different associations, but it's not required. You also have to be prepared to spend money if you want to learn about destinations. If you really love Italy and just want to sell Italy, well, you've got to travel to Italy. You have to do that at the very minimum. You have to invest time in getting to know people, especially those in-destination company people, because those are your backbone. And be prepared that it takes a long time to build up a book of clients, and it also takes money too.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think the biggest challenge is really people's misconception of what the modern day travel advisor does. We're not just travel agents who book things - yes, we do book travel, but I wouldn't classify myself as a travel agent. That seems like you just call me up on the phone and say I need to go do this, book those things for me. We're not the ones that are out there really figuring out ways to get people out to see the world in really cool, unique ways and really honing down that curation. Every client is different in terms of what they want and need from their vacation or their trip. And then there's technology - we're like every industry, we're kind of battling technology, and not all technology is good. I've been diving really, really deep into AI and its effect on our industry, so I work really, really hard to figure out ways to make us relevant. As for opportunities, I really like the opportunity to get to go do unique things and meet really, really interesting people. I'm a people person, so I really love to meet people and develop relationships with our destination management companies. When I get to meet those people who help our clients, they're like travel-obsessed like me, so it's validating what I do isn't crazy.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I think building levels of trust and authenticity is really important. You have to say this is what I'm gonna do for you and follow through, and if you cannot, you have to be honest, because your clients have expectations about their travel. Travel's expensive, and people's time and money is valuable, and I think that's true of any way you go about life. And I don't mean that in this really business-type sense, but you want to be respectful of people's time and their energy and their money, and be authentic and accountable.