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Spring is here and great places await! See phenomenal skyscrapers. Enjoy tasty dishes along the white sand, clear blue water and paradisaic greenery. Imagine visiting the great wonders such as the Taj Mahal in India, Machu Picchu of Peru or the Roman Colosseum.
Sabrina Hutton, travel enthusiast and agent for A-list celebrities, is the owner of Passports Required. She is someone who has seen many extraordinary places, cultures, and people, and most importantly, she knows precisely where to go in 2025.
Bit By the Travel Bug Early
Hutton became drawn to the joy of travel early. Although she was born in Los Angeles, California, her family relocated 37 miles away to Ontario while she was in high school, providing her with new scenery and a different take on her environment. After high school, she received a scholarship, which took her outside of the state to The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she studied business.
As a young mother at this time, attending UNLV was practical and convenient and she commuted roughly 231 miles back and forth to see her toddler often. However, although she wasn’t far away from home, being away from her small daughter was cumbersome, so she returned to Ontario and found work as an extra for the hit sitcom, “Moesha.” This was a short-lived experience because an amazing opportunity came shortly after.
“I needed her, and it actually turned into the best thing because I got an amazing job with ABC,” she says about returning home. By networking, in 1995 Hutton met the local television meteorologist who referred her to a position in on-air promotions for the network. There, she found work setting up marker times for television shows so that commercial slots could be chosen.
About a year later, she married a well-known music and movie producer and became a stay-at-home mom. In time, the couple had three more children. From there, Hutton had the opportunity to travel with her then-husband and children due to the demands of the music business. This allowed her to see amazing places and created her initial thirst for travel.
Around this time, within her friendship circle, she became the go-to person for answers about everything travel. So much so that she began planning trips for them. This is when the future agent’s mindset began to shift.
She shares, “It gave me the opportunity to find whatever passion I had, and my passion at that time really was travel, but I could not figure out how to make money out of it. I was booking all of my girlfriend’s trips and people were calling me and asking me questions. So, I was doing all of the travel agent things without getting paid for it.”
The Beginning of Passports Required
In 2015, Hutton started her travel company, Passports Required, and began officially working for her influential circle of friends. At this time, she started booking for Grammy Award-winning recording artist Ashanti. They had known each other for some time through Hutton’s then-husband, and when Ashanti lost her travel agent, he recommended none other than his wife.
“I made so many mistakes because in the beginning, I was new to it, and she, Ashanti, was on tour six days out of the week, so we were in different states, every day,” Hutton says about her rough start. “So, I had to figure out how to logistically get them to places and that was really hard.”
Celebrity travel learning resources are limited and not widely available. Therefore, with confidence, she learned on her own quickly so that she could provide the best service while at the same time seeing the monetary benefits after a few rough lessons, which required making out-of-pocket remedies.
“At first, I booked ‘everybody’s everything,’” Hutton says. “Like family vacations and cruises. That’s when I found my niche – corporate clients and entertainment logistics. It’s where I truly excelled. As my reputation grew, I became referral-based only, because I was so busy.”
In time, through her network, a public representative agent referred Hutton to her firm, which opened the door even further to booking corporate travel, and from there she continued to grow and book for major corporations and other well-known celebrities, including Erykah Badu.
Passports Required also serves as a platform for Hutton to empower women, both single and married, by helping them explore new career opportunities in the travel industry and the ability to bring a second income into their homes. According to Hutton, the agency’s network is expanding nationwide with a strong presence in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York and North Carolina.
It is easy to join the team with a simple conversation. Hutton will surely explain in detail the pros and cons of being an agent. “To be a travel agent, not only do you have to book travel, you still have to find your clients. Remember, if a flight gets delayed, you have to fix that. They are paying you to fix that,” she explains.
Becoming a travel agent takes time. Like any business, agents have to make the time and put in the work. Hutton says, “Determine if this is truly the right path for you. Training, certifications, and insurance are essential, so commit to the process. It will require late nights and long days, and it will demand your most valuable resource, time. But in the end, the investment can be incredibly rewarding.”
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Ready, Set, Plan: Where to Go in 2025
Throughout the years, Hutton has visited some of the most breathtaking places on this planet. “We got to celebrate Ramadan in two different Muslim countries, Dubai and Egypt. I’m not Muslim, but just to be able to experience it and to be amongst the people is amazing. It’s a different feeling. When I say it’s amazing, it is absolutely, amazing,” she says.
When asked where to go in 2025, Hutton says that the best destinations are:
1. Sint Maarten – A place full of culture from the people to the food and atmosphere. The country is inviting to the everyday traveler.
2. Dubai, UAE – A futuristic, fun and safe place with a feeling completely different from the United States.
3. Egypt – A place full of history from the Sphinx to the beautiful buildings.
4. Spain – A wonderful country with exceptional food and top-notch shopping.
5. Amsterdam – A world-class city of museums and cozy cafés, where every corner tells a story.
When asked about the best-hidden gems of travel, Hutton shares the wonders of Japan because of its safety, the people, food and its hip-hop culture.
Additional Tips for Travelers and Single Moms
When considering where to go in 2025, Hutton provides a few tips. “Do not follow the Instagram blogger of traveler because sometimes they will tell you, ‘Go here,’ but what they are not telling you is that they paid $300 for this flight that has 17 stops on it and they ran to take pictures in all these places. They are not giving you the real cost. They are not giving you real-time experiences.”
She says, “Do thorough research on your destination and book in advance. When you plan, especially with a travel agent, they can help organize your costs and itinerary. They’ll bundle your flights, accommodations, car services and excursions into a seamless package, so when you arrive, all you need to cover are extras. It’s the best way to travel because everything is taken care of. It saves you money, time and a lot of headaches.”
Hutton herself has spent time traveling as a single mom throughout the years. For single mothers, her three tips for successful travel include:
1. Select hotels with enough space for your children and are child-friendly.
2. Be sure not to allow your children to overpack.
3. Thoroughly plan ahead of time in detail so that you don’t become overwhelmed or simply hire a travel agent to do the work for you.
Hutton further emphasizes, “Travel does not have to be far or across borders. It can be right in your backyard. Incredible experiences are waiting just around the corner. The key is to simply start. Once you take the first step, the journey unfolds. Just start, anywhere.”
Learn more about Passports Required on its website and Instagram page. Reach out to Sabrina about being a team member by following her on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
