Erina Pindar

You’ve helped scale SmartFlyer into a global force. What’s been your biggest lesson as a leader in such a fast-moving industry?

Sometimes, blinders are necessary. In an industry that’s constantly shifting, it’s easy to get distracted by noise, but the vision remains the ultimate compass. If something doesn’t serve our purpose, get rid of it. Don’t be afraid to try new things, and equally, don’t be afraid to change direction when something doesn’t work. Storytelling is everything. Surrounding yourself with a network of trusted, value-aligned leaders makes growing pains feel easier to overcome, and eventually, the growth itself becomes much sweeter. Lastly, most importantly, the people you build with are everything, so pick the good ones.

Travel advisors have made a serious comeback and we feel that’s a role that keeps evolving. What do you think is the next frontier?

Having a travel advisor in your arsenal is no longer seen as old-fashioned; it’s become the elegant option to have someone you trust managing your holidays, especially when time is your most valuable resource. But as the space has grown, so has the need for focus. The next frontier is precision. We are firmly in an era of hyper-specificity, whether that means building lifelong relationships with advisors who understand your worldview or family dynamics as intimately as you do or turning to someone with deep expertise in a particular destination or style of travel. It’s not about being everything to everyone; it’s about mastering your craft and doing it very well.

What travel trends are worth paying attention to and which ones are just noise?

Anything designed purely for social media is noise. As everything is becoming discoverable online, the real luxury is access to what isn’t. For us, the job is the constant search for the currently undiscovered gems that haven’t yet been flattened by the algorithm, or new ways to make well-loved destinations interesting again. The trend worth watching is that of hotel brands going to sea. Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection led the charge with Evrima, Ilma, and now Luminara — a 226-suite ship I just sailed on for its inaugural journey. But the next category-changers are coming: the Four Seasons I, with just 95 suites, and the Orient Express sailing yacht Corinthian, launching with only 54 suites. These brands are bringing their signature hospitality to the water and redefining what luxury at sea can look like.

You’ve probably seen it all, but what’s one hotel that still totally took your breath away?

Eden Rock St Barths. And it goes beyond the iconic location on the rocks. It’s all the incredibly thoughtful touches and precision-level service that anticipates everything before you even dare think about it, truly a case study in gracious hospitality.

Travel is about connection, but building a business is about structure. How do you balance the two?

It comes down to building the right team. Back when SmartFlyer was just five of us, Michael Holtz (our founder) and I were involved in everything every day, managing every relationship, every moving piece. But, as we grew, I quickly learned that adding structure didn’t mean losing that personal touch. It was about creating a support system to keep it going. Today, everyone on our leadership team runs their own world by cultivating their own relationships while simultaneously collaborating across verticals, I think that’s what makes it all work. Structure gives us the foundation, but it’s the people who amplify the connection that keeps our world turning.

What’s something you’ve had to unlearn as a leader?

Maybe it’s less about unlearning and more about learning where certain instincts actually belong. Some things that served me in the early days, like needing to be involved in every decision, don’t serve the same purpose at scale. It’s about knowing when to lean in, when to step back, and trusting your team to carry the vision forward.

Is there a destination that always reminds you why you do what you do?

Southern Africa, without question. There’s just something magical about it.  It has this way of opening people up. I’ve never seen the impact of travel land so clearly and so quickly as it does there. You can see it in the travelers’ eyes, in how they connect with each other, how they catch themselves and slow down. It’s often said that a safari is life-changing, and I can’t tell you enough how true that is. There’s a stillness and a perspective shift that happen almost instantly, stripping away all the noise and bringing people back to themselves.

If SmartFlyer were a hotel, which one would it be?

Since I can’t possibly name just one, I’ll say this: if SmartFlyer were a hotel, it would feel welcoming to all, yet very much in-the-know. It would be a blend of some of my favorite places in the world, the intimacy of Casa Polanco, the art curation of The Silo, the obsessive details of Villa Treville, and the visionary architecture of Forestis.  It would have a really good story combined with layered interiors that feel collected, never curated, and the sort of service that makes you feel seen, but never bothered.

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