Kendra Thornton

Owner & President

With a lifetime of travel industry expertise, Kendra is the President and Owner of Royal Travel and a nationally recognized travel expert. Kendra grew up in the industry — her parents founded Royal Travel & Tours in 1972. As such, she began exploring the globe at a very young age. “I remember when my eyes first saw Abu Simbel in Egypt or my first time at the top of Eiffel Tower when I was 10 years old and the first time my toes touched the sand at Bondi beach in Sydney,” Kendra says. “Today, my batteries are recharged when I’m on the go. I love discovering personal stories of where I’m visiting. It’s my creative juice and makes me tick.” Drawing from decades of work, Kendra is frequently sought after by national broadcast and print/online media to provide expert commentary on breaking industry news, top destinations, travel trends, and more. Kendra joined the family business in 2014 after spending a decade running her own successful PR company. She began her career at Orbitz.com, where she oversaw communications. Kendra graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and currently lives in Chicago’s north suburbs with her husband and children.

KENDRA THORNTON’S TV HIGHLIGHT REEL

My Insider Travel Tip

Brush up on your language skills when traveling to an international city. Knowing how to ask where the bathroom is or simple words like “please” and “thank you” in the local language goes a long way toward showing respect and politeness. Even if someone speaks English they will appreciate knowing you made an effort.

My Travel Specialties

France, Morocco, British Virgin Islands, Argentina, yacht charters, Epic girls trips, skiing.

We asked you to find us an Epic trip for our family that we would never forget. Well, you did just that and exceeded all our expectations! With 17 multi-generational family members and all the moving parts that entails, we could not have done this without your professional help. We can’t thank you enough for the trip you arranged for us on Moskito Island. The only problem now is you have to start looking for another one and the bar is set pretty high!

Lewis B. Dallas, TX