Inside the minds of FareHarbor leadership: Strategic Partnerships

We’re here with another installment of our interview series, Inside the Minds of FareHarbor Leadership! This time you’ll hear from our Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships, Erika Sternburg.

In this series, you hear directly from members of the FareHarbor leadership team about their journey within the company, some personal anecdotes, and their favorite FareHarbor features and experiences! 

After nearly 9 years at FareHarbor (amazing!), how would you describe your FareHarbor journey so far? 

Throughout my 9 years at FareHarbor, I am often asked by new hires “wow – you’ve been here for a long time, why do you think that is?” and it really comes down to the people and the industry. I’m lucky to work with an incredible, motivated and independent team in the most exciting part of travel — the experiences.

How has the company changed since you started in 2015?

Seeing a company successfully grow from 50 to 800 employees, of course, comes with growing pains, but it’s amazing to see how we have been able to maintain a positive, encouraging and lively company culture throughout the whole journey. 

As the Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships, you are heavily involved with one of FareHarbor’s greatest client resources: the FareHarbor Distribution Network (FHDN). In your opinion, why would a client want to join our exclusive affiliate program? 

Thank you for the lay-up question! At FareHarbor, we developed the FHDN with our clients’ best interests in mind. We understand the importance of diversifying distribution channels and avoiding reliance on just one platform.

Through the FHDN, our clients can effortlessly showcase their tours and activities to thousands of local and global affiliates, reaching customers who might not have discovered them otherwise. Additionally, the FHDN offers a valuable ancillary revenue stream by enabling FareHarbor clients to promote and sell tours and activities provided by local experience providers.

The best part is that all of these benefits come with minimal additional effort for FareHarbor clients. We designed the FHDN to seamlessly integrate into their operations, empowering them to expand their reach and grow their businesses without added complexity.

Any recent or exciting updates coming on the FHDN?

We recently combined our two affiliate programs, FHDN and FareHarbor Connect (FH Connect), to make it even easier for our clients to maintain. We’ve also recently had large OTAs join the program that are bringing travelers from Asia to the US and Europe. After a long period of restricted travel, we are excited to bridge the gap between these customers and our amazing clients.

From Boston to Amsterdam, what was your experience like relocating to a different country with FareHarbor? 

Relocating to a new country can bring a mix of emotions, but I have to say relocating with FareHarbor was an easy experience. Part of that is because I was able to move to a new country and continue working with a lot of the same people, both colleagues and partners. 

Aside from the FHDN, what FareHarbor program or resource do you think is the most valuable to our clients? 

Our Support and Account Management Teams are the greatest resources for our clients! Not only are they always available to help answer questions and update our clients’ Dashboards, they also have such valuable insights to share with our clients on how to grow their business, optimize their distribution channels, and save time so they can focus on running their business.

What is your favorite FareHarbor tour or activity you have been on?

In my almost 9 years at FareHarbor, I have been able to go on (many) canal tours in Amsterdam, a food tour in both Miami and Sicily, indoor skydiving in Las Vegas, and a sailing charter in Boston (and this list is not complete). Each experience has been unique and incredible so I cannot choose one favorite!

Enjoying this series? Stay tuned as we continue to interview our leadership team from our offices across the globe!