Today we’d like to introduce you to Anita Burke.
Hi Anita, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Lake travel has always been part of my life. My husband grew up at Lake of the Ozarks, both sides of our family retired and now live on different lakes, we ended up living on a lake here in Lees Summit too and we spend most of our free time in the summers on the water with our two young boys. We’re a dock-jumping, boat-day, campfires at night kind of family, and lake trips have become our favorite way to slow down and be together.
Over the years, I naturally grew an itch for seeing more of the world and began planning trips. I loved researching destinations, finding great places to stay, and putting together incredible adventures for my family. Eventually, I realized this was something I wanted to do more seriously.
That’s when I became a certified travel advisor with FORA Travel and started planning travel for other people too. I got the training, expanded my client base and quickly became a Pro level advisor. While I do still help select clients plan trips to certain destinations I know well, I decided to start to focus on planning lake destinations across the world, helping families, couples, and groups plan easy, fun lake vacations which is when I started Lake Escapes Travel. Whether that’s a resort stay, a rental on the water, or just knowing where to eat, boat, and relax once you get there.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Lake travel is definitely a niche that not a lot of people see as needing a travel advisor to help with. I have an extensive list of contacts and properties that I can absolutely hook my clients up with if they were to work with me. There are some great perks to working with a travel advisor that aren’t well known and its nice to have someone on your side in case things go wrong during travel that can help you out because travel can be unpredictable.
Building a brand in lake travel is not easy. I want to be known as the lake travel go-to expert for anyone needing help with their lake trips.
As you know, we’re big fans of Lake Escapes Travel. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Lake Escapes Travel is a travel planning business specializing in lake vacations. I help families, couples, and groups plan lake trips that are easy, relaxed, and actually enjoyable, not overplanned, not stressful, and not generic.
Group lake trips are a big area that I can help as a single point of contact to take the stress off one person who always inevitably has to be the friend coordinating or the family member in charge of doing everything for a mutli-generational trip or family reunion. Just like someone would hire an event coordinator for like a wedding or a large get together, I am that go-to person to plan your lake trips.
I spend a lot of time researching and visiting properties so I know what works in real life, especially for families. That means lakefront resorts, rentals on the water, houseboats, and destinations where you can spend your days boating, swimming, exploring, and your nights eating at good local spots or sitting by the water. I care just as much about the experience as I do about the place.
My goal is to help people plan trips that fit their family, their pace, and their budget, while taking the planning stress off their plate. I want people to know that if they love the idea of a lake vacation or want to try one for the first time, I’m here to make it simple, thoughtful, and fun.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Most people are surprised to learn that I didn’t start out in travel at all. My background is actually in engineering and strategic sourcing, and I still work in that world. That mindset shapes how I run my travel business more than people realize. I’m very detail-oriented, practical, and focused on making things efficient and seamless.
Behind the scenes, that means I approach trip planning like a project by thinking through logistics, anticipating problems before they happen, and making sure nothing gets missed. So while Lake Escapes Travel looks relaxed and easy on the surface, there’s a lot of structure and planning underneath it. I think that balance of lake-life calm paired with my very organized brain is what makes my work different.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lakeescapestravel.com
- Instagram: @aburketrip
- Facebook: @aburketrip
