Interview and Day-in-the-Life: Luigi Guerrera, Operations and Vendor Relations
As a Cinque Terre native and with Sicilian and Ligurian heritage, Luigi, Operations and Vendor Relations, truly knows Italy. Not only does that ensure he keeps the whole operation running as smoothly as possible by managing the Italian side of the business, but it also means that he and Megan (and the whole BVT team!) have unparalleled insight when it comes to the most incredible places in Italy.
For Luigi, his passion for travel started very young because his parents “loved to travel” with him. After meeting Megan, he says “this passion for travel became even stronger and this was before she had even started the business.”
“Megan and I met in a 2000 year old tower bar overlooking the Mediterranean,” Luigi says. For Megan, who had had Italy in her sights since the age of 13, moving to Italy was a ‘done deal,’ when she met Luigi. The pair were married in 2006 in an intimate ceremony, and Luigi has been an integral part of the Bella Vita Travels team for the past five years.
We spoke to Luigi about his daily life and some of his favorite things — see what he has to say below!
Favorites:
- What’s your favorite part of the job? “Making dream vacations become a reality.”
- Where’s your favorite place to travel? “I love to travel everywhere to discover new places, new cultures, and new food, but I think my favorite place will always be Sicily.”
- Other than home, where is your favorite place to be? “I live by the sea, and I love to be by the sea, so I think it’s kind of the same as home. I also really like the Alps and Dolomites too.”
- What’s your favorite thing to do in your spare time? “I love to be with my family.”
- What’s your favorite memory working with BVT?
“One time Megan and I were in Rome to meet a client. They were so happy about their trip that they started to cry, thanked us, and hugged us — they said that the trip was fantastic, and told us how fabulous every place was that they had stayed on the trip. This kind of reaction is what you want from clients — it’s the real reward. If you do this job just for money, it will not work. You have to do this job with passion — every client is important.”
Day-in-the-Life
“I love to wake up early in the morning. In Italy, we say: “The early morning has gold in its mouth.” It means that if you start your day early, you will be ahead of everyone.
Then, I have a nice breakfast, and I’ll start working until lunch time. Ideally at lunchtime, I get to play the typical Italian — this means having a nice long lunch sitting at the table. It really helps me to think straight.
After lunch, it’s time to get back work — which I will do until early evening, and then it’s family time for the rest of the day.
As well as spending a lot of time with my family, in order to keep a good work/life balance, during the week I will try to work out at least 3–4 times, and I also love to read.”
If you want to get to know the rest of our team, check outKate’s, Megan’s, Christine’s, or Lisa’s for the rest of the series! Bella Vita Travels prides itself on having an incredible team of passionate and talented individuals who have the insight required to create dream trips for dream customers. Want to know more? Check out our website for more information or get in touch here!
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