Honoring Veterans in Travel, Part 3: Manny Henning

Editors’ Note: This is the third story in a series of three. Find the first story here and the second story here.

Nexion Travel Group’s member support options include the Veterans in Travel program, which debuted in 2018 and aims to help recipients gain the skills and knowledge necessary to become successful travel professionals. 
Veterans in Travel participants attend virtual training through the Travel Leaders of Tomorrow platform, which includes comprehensive curriculum, expert-led lectures, study groups and business plan development guidance. Once graduated, they can join Nexion Travel Group with no activation fee.

In honor of Veteran’s Day, and of Veterans in Travel hitting the 300-scholarship mark last month, we spoke with a few program grads about their journey to the industry and what their business looks like today.

Meet Manny Henning, Owner of Vivi’s Voyages

Manny Henning was born in Berlin to a German mother and an American soldier. Then, when she was 12, her family moved to San Antonio, Texas. After attending middle school, high school and college in Texas, she was ready to move on to new pastures.

She joined the U.S. Air Force in 1992, at age 26, and remained on active duty until 2012. She figured her time in the service would allow her to “see the world,” and it did; she visited countries that many travelers didn’t have on their radar in the 1990s, such as Bulgaria, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic. When she retired from active duty, she went into the civil service for an additional nine years — in all, she dedicated just under 30 years to her country.

Joining the Travel Industry After the Military, and Choosing a Host Agency

Like John and Jackie Matthews (also highlighted in this series), selling travel would be Henning’s post-retirement career. She had plenty of professional experience, having held positions in civil engineering and education and training management while in the Air Force, but she knew she would still benefit from training and guidance specific to the travel business.

She launched Vivi’s Voyages in 2021 and also started searching for related educational courses. At her local Texas State University campus, a program with a $3,000 price tag made her think twice. Then, while researching host agencies, Nexion Travel Group’s Veterans in Travel program caught her eye.

“I didn’t see any other host agencies with that kind of program,” Henning said. “One day, I decided to call and find out what it was all about, and the conversation I had with the person on the other line reaffirmed that I was headed in the right direction.” 

Henning applied and was accepted into Veterans in Travel in late 2021. Then, she jumped into her Travel Leaders of Tomorrow educational modules. Her scholarship gave her 50% off the program tuition.

“The training was amazing,” Henning said. “And as a veteran, I have a large network to tap into. I was able to be successful early on with group bookings.”

Her sales success was so quick that Nexion named Henning its U.S. Rising Star in 2022 — before she had fully completed her training. Nonetheless, Henning appreciated the lessons and business coaching she received through the program, as well as additional support she still has access to as a Nexion advisor.

Specialties: Group Travel and Cruise

In Henning’s nearly 30 years in the military and civil service, she made innumerable connections with fellow service members — and all of them became potential clients when she launched Vivi’s Voyages.

As a long-time fan of cruising, it’s little surprise that her first booking as a travel advisor was for a cruise. (Her first-ever sailing was onboard Carnival Fantasy in December 2001, when folks were trying to bolster the travel industry after Sept. 11.) The booking was for members of Tops in Blue — an Air Force organization and touring performance group that was active from 1953 to 2015, and which Henning was a member of herself.

“I reached out to my Tops in Blue brothers and sisters and said, ‘Hey, what do you all think about doing a reunion?’” Henning said. “Our last one was in 2013, so this seemed like a logical step for me as a brand-new travel advisor.”

When she got an enthusiastic reply, Henning pitched that the group reunite onboard a Carnival ship. She was a fan of the brand personally, felt familiar with the product and had already taken Carnival’s advisor training. Her Tops in Blue comrades booked their reunion cruise with her. Importantly, about two-thirds of those clients had never cruised before. Now they are satisfied customers who continue to come back to her for all their booking needs.

“I especially love introducing people to cruising,” Henning said. “That fulfills me and gives me warm fuzzies. I chose the niche because I love cruising myself. One of my favorite things is getting up in the morning, opening my balcony door, stepping out and seeing where I am. You’re out there in the ocean, you’re just a little thing; it really helps you gain perspective on life.”

About half of Henning’s business is group bookings, but what’s most notable is that almost 100% of her clients are veterans.

“I was in the service a total of 29 years, counting my civil service,” Henning said. “That’s a long time — that’s a lifetime. And I wouldn’t change a thing.”