Books are so much more than words on paper. They are portals to distant lands, and doorways into the minds and hearts of others, be they real or fictional.
Given that transportive power, it is no surprise that many people describe the act of reading as a form of escape. Pick up a book, step into the shoes of a character on the page and leave your real-life worries behind, at least for a short while.
It’s a strategy that travel advisor Kate Ciullo is deeply familiar with. As the child of two addicts, books were her shield, and her lifeline. Her grandmother raised her in East Hampton, New York, and encouraged Ciullo’s love for stories.
After college, she started her own pet care business, but when the pandemic kept everyone home, her services were no longer needed. It was an important learning period, though; it confirmed her entrepreneurial nature, and that she wanted to work for herself.
“When my grandmother died five years ago, I started to reevaluate what made me happy,” Ciullo said. “I landed on going to Disney parks — that was our thing, my grandmother and I. So, I thought, ‘Maybe I'll help other people achieve that same level of happiness.’”
Kate Ciullo is a travel agent and the founder of Lumina Literary Tours.
Credit: 2026 Lumina Literary ToursCiullo, who is still based in New York, started booking Disney-related trips, which “worked until it didn’t.” Business was fine, but when Ciullo dug deeper into what really brought her joy, she landed on books and travel. Combining those two interests led her to found Lumina Literary Tours, which debuted in January 2025.
Lumina trips are for any traveler who identifies as a woman. Ciullo says that was a choice that honors her own needs.
“I've been through a lot of abuse, and I felt safer being with women,” she said. “I think many other women feel the same way."
The First Lumina Literary Tour
Within weeks of announcing her first tour (and having a related TikTok post go viral), Ciullo had more than 5,000 people on the waitlist; that trip (and all the ones following it) was capped at 24 guests. The itinerary brought travelers to Scotland and was inspired by both the “Harry Potter” and “Outlander” book (and subsequent film and television) series.
Ciullo wore every hat imaginable. She researched and designed the journey; booked hotels, tours and transportation; and guided the group, too. She credits the success of the venture to her personal devotion to it, and her willingness to be vulnerable and open with her clients, who become her comrades in travel.
“I think so many women recognize a part of themselves in my story — that awkward, anxious, depressed teenager who didn't have the community they always wanted,” she said. “Being able to create that community for adults while traveling, and while walking in the footsteps of their favorite main characters, is really special.”
Itineraries for Readers — and Strong Demand for Them
That first Lumina trip took place last October. It was a test, in a way, and Ciullo came home feeling like a straight-A student. This year is Lumina’s official “soft launch,” with five trips on the books. Ciullo has eight trips set for 2027, and in 2028, she expects to curate one dozen themed adventures.
Ciullo’s social media following and sales numbers are up, too. She’s nearing 13,000 followers on Instagram (all organic growth) and in January she hit $300,000 in sales, just for the month. Her February sales are looking similarly strong.
Clearly, her trips (and her social media marketing for them) are resonating with travelers. Sometimes groups are accompanied by the author of the trip’s inspirational text, while other adventures aim to bring a beloved story to life by exploring destinations in the book or ones similar to fantastical settings.
Colmar, France, is one stop on a food and wine tour inspired by "Beauty and the Beast."
Credit: 2026 CPN/stock.adobe.com
One trip Ciullo is particularly excited about, for example, is the seven-night Winter Kingdom in Norway adventure, which departs in January 2027. It’s inspired by Ashley McLeo’s book “A Kingdom of Frost and Malice,” and McLeo will be on the trip, alongside a Lumina-selected guide. The book is a fantastical romance set in a fictional world, but Ciullo sees parallels in the “aesthetics and sensory details” of Norway.
“The author was partially inspired by Viking history, so Norway is a great fit,” she said. “We’re visiting an ice palace, experiencing Sami culture and seeing reindeer. We’re doing a mask workshop, because there's a masquerade ball in the book. Then, at our farewell dinner, we’ll all dress up and wear our masks.”
Lumina’s Beauty and the Beast inspired food and wine tour, meanwhile, invites travelers to walk in the footsteps of Belle — one of literature’s most loved bookworms. Outings in Colmar, France, the Loire Valley and Germany’s Black Forest are meant to bring Belle’s saga to life.
An upcoming trip themed to pirate and siren lore will take guests yachting in Croatia.
Credit: 2026 tatiana/stock.adobe.comThe list goes on. There’s the On a Ferry to Skye itinerary in Scotland, which is based on the eponymous romance book by J.A. Forde, who will be in attendance. The Covens and Castles tour of Germany is “designed for women drawn to dark fairytales, medieval history and atmospheric places” — witch prisons and a plague dinner are among itinerary highlights. And another 2027 tour (that already has a waitlist) draws on Ciullo’s own love for pirate and siren stories; dubbed Salt and Steel, it’s an eight-day private yacht journey in Croatia.
Inspiring Women
When Ciullo reflects on her early reading years, the Lord of the Rings trilogy stands out as the most impactful set of texts. She particularly loved the first book, “The Fellowship of the Ring,” and she rereads it annually to this day.
“I loved the simplistic life of the Shire, and — it sounds silly — the pantry full of breads, cheeses and wine,” she said. “I just wanted to be there, in the comfort of that. The first book happens before the story really gets into the fighting and the gore. It’s just building up to this grand adventure.”
Ciullo (top left) and April Schiavoni (top right) hosted authors Kat Mackenzie and Christy Schillig for book signings and author Q&As; both authors will attend future Lumina tours.
Credit: 2026 Lumina Literary Tours
Now, building grand adventures is her job. To help her in that endeavor, she added an Author Collaboration Coordinator to the Lumina team last July: April Schiavoni. Ciullo and Schiavoni also happen to be best friends.
“We bonded over our love of reading, and we want other people to experience the same thing,” Ciullo said.
And there's plenty on the horizon for the Lumina. Though Europe trips are their primary offering right now, Ciullo imagines highlighting destinations in (and authors from) all around the globe, in due time.
Based on inquiries and bookings, Ciullo knows that prospective Lumina guests are often in their 30s and 40s, and they don’t have children. About 60% are solo travelers; the rest often book in pairs. Whether traveling alone or with a buddy, Lumina invites women to be their most authentic selves — to be the main character of their story – and Ciullo sets the tone.
“These women are at a point in their lives where they just want to invest in their happiness, and in things that fill their cup,” she said. “And that's a lot of what I put into my messaging — to allow yourself to be happy without guilt. I find that this particular group of people really gravitates toward that.”
