Based In Tring

Gemma Parker

Available for new enquiries

It's Nice To Meet You


Hi, I’m Gemma and my role is to match people with places. I'll take the time to thoughtfully create a trip that’s tailored to you, your family and/or friends, leaving you free to concentrate on making memories!

Every trip I plan is different but the highlights include family trips to South-East Asia which is an adventurous, (and good value) alternative to Europe, active trips to Norway (one of my personal top countries to visit), and Sri Lanka because I love sharing the insight I gained from an agent trip there in 2025!

I’ve appreciated the value of travel since my very first job as a receptionist at the YHA on Oxford Street in London, where I loved meeting people who were travelling for every possible reason! Since then, I’ve enjoyed relaxing holidays as a break from corporate life, been lucky enough to experience the luxury of a first class flight to New York whilst working for British Airways, heard the unforgettable roar of lions on safari, and had fun with my 3 children marvelling at the freedom of a resort, the magic of a private swimming pool and the thrill of a zipline through the rainforest in Costa Rica! I'm passionate about travel bringing joy and being a force for good in building connections, seeing new perspectives and even improving cultural understanding. It’s a privilege to help people see the world, find their ‘wow’ moments, and enjoy something special.

Being part of Travel Counsellors gives me the independence to choose what suits you best from hundreds of different destinations, hotels and experiences, provided by trusted suppliers, and gives you financial security and 24-hour support if anything should not go to plan whilst you are away.

My style is professional and friendly and I work in partnership with clients. I understand how it is important it is for you to make the most of your precious time and resources and I'm here to help find the holiday that's right for you.

I look forward to hearing from you.

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My customer stories

Sent by Matthew Brown

St Albans 24/03/2026

Gemma at Travel Counsellors was absolutely exceptional in planning our 3-week honeymoon to Australia. From start to finish, everything was seamless, and that’s no small feat given the complexity of our trip — 9 different hotels, 3 internal flights and 2 rental cars. What really stood out was Gemma’s customer service. She was always available to chat, quick to respond and incredibly patient in making sure every detail was just right. The itinerary flowed effortlessly, which meant we could properly enjoy the experience without worrying about logistics. She managed to fit everything we wanted to see into a relatively tight timeframe including navigating the challenges of being in Sydney over New Year’s Eve and it all worked perfectly. Gemma also went above and beyond in looking after us personally. I have a nut allergy and she liaised directly with the airline to ensure this was properly noted and managed, which gave us real peace of mind. We were so impressed that we’ve already recommended her to both my sister and a friend — and my sister has since used her as well. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Gemma to anyone looking for a truly stress-free, well-planned trip with outstanding service.

Sent by Sophie Brown

Hertfordshire 14/03/2026

Gemma was amazing to work with from start to finish, she listens to exactly what you want from your trip and delivers it perfectly. She planned our 3 week trip to Thailand, and it was perfect from start to finish. Couldn’t recommend her enough and already thinking of the next trip she can plan/ book for us!

Sent by Emma Anderson

Tring 18/08/2025

Gemma gave us a huge variety of ideas and accommodation/tour options for our family holiday to Thailand this summer. She was very patient and understanding of our constantly evolving travel itinery, complicated by various family and friends joining us along the way. The hotel she found and booked for us in Bangkok was perfect in everyway and the Temple and Riverboat excursion was a very good way to experience the city which can be quite overwhelming on arrival. The highlight for us was the ethical Elephant Camp near Chiang Mai which we would strongly recommend. We were extremely happy with Gemma's service, she was knowledgable, helpful, sent out all information by email and followed up on our many questions! She also helpfully reminded us about visa's and we had the security of knowing there was a dedicated 24/7 helpline in case of any issue. We wouldn't hesitate to use her agian and recommend her as a travel consultant as it is evident that she is very passionate about finding the best holiday for your needs.

Sent by Lisa Parfitt

London 18/08/2025

Gemma made my dream come true! In just 48hours she managed to secure me flights and a gorgeous historic B&B in Basel so I could go an see England win the Euros (back to back!). Gemma took all of the stress out of having to figure out the various variations of how I was going to beat all the other travelling fans to Basel and I will be forever grateful. I wasn't too bothered where I stayed, but true to form she found a lovely little guest house that had a beautiful local character and charm to it. Thank you Gemma you deserve a trophy yourself for arranging this for me. Lisa x

Sent by Rachel Clark

Tring 02/03/2025

Gemma organised our family ski holiday. She provided excellent recommendations and had really thought about what would work for our family. We had a brilliant holiday and I would recommend using Gemma for all types of holidays.

My Blog

I absolutely live and breathe travel and I love to write about my experiences! Please take a look through my posts - you might find your own holiday inspiration.

Sri Lanka: Culture, wildlife and tea all on one tropical island!

21 October 2025

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect before I went to Sri Lanka – similar to India, but perhaps without so many people? Lots to explore, hopefully with some relaxation? Elephants, and maybe some other wildlife? History, and a lot of tea?! In fact, my experience of travelling around the island for eight days was all this and so much more! My adventure started with an overnight flight from Heathr

'Will we be free'? - why resorts work well for children!

27 September 2024

‘Will we be free’ is the common cry of our children, whenever we announce that we are off on holiday. When I initially heard this, I was baffled, it’s not that we keep them under lock and key, ‘um well, you won’t be in the same room as us’ was the best response I could think of. As usual, it was our youngest child who decoded the hidden meaning for us – ‘will we be able to walk around without you’

Family fun in Las Vegas

27 September 2024

Although the ‘Sin City’ reputation of Las Vegas means it might not be the first place you think of for a family holiday, there’s nowhere else like it and it does have lots to offer! Forget gambling, and think huge pools, every conceivable restaurant, family shows , and other-worldly desert scenery. It’s a great place to add to your Californian adventure. This is exactly what we did the first time

Olhao, Portugal - perfect destination for a short trip

27 September 2024

Sometimes, you just need, and only have time for, a few days of sun. In September Portugal was a perfect choice, with a relatively short flight, no time difference (so no losing an hour), and a short 15 minute transfer time to the town on Olhao, near Faro. This time I was with girlfriends, so no need to worry about activities, big swimming pools or buffets! We just wanted to eat and drink well, so

Norway - a good place for a first skiing holiday

27 September 2024

I confess, it wasn’t my first skiing holiday, we had been to Austria before (where there are some excellent family-run luxurious hotels that cater perfectly for families), but I had opted out of the skiing. Feeling too nervous to actually don any skis, I headed up the mountain anyway and opted to sit in the glorious sunshine reading a novel (Ian McEwan’s ‘Lessons’, since you ask) occasionally stop

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Contact Me

Whatever your holiday needs I'm here to help you, so simply give me a call or send me an email with your contact details on and I can get things started for you:

Send me an email 01442 540023

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