The phone rang incessantly at Chan Brothers during a bustling travel fair. On the other end, a 12-year-old Chloe Chan fielded customer complaints with the earnestness only a child could muster. When one particularly irate caller threatened that "your head will roll" if their issue wasn't resolved, young Chloe experienced her first taste of the travel industry's demanding reality.
"That was my first experience of what customer service challenges are like," recalls Chloe Chan, now executive director of Prestige by Chan Brothers, the luxury arm of the established Singapore travel agency. "People can be quite demanding, and you have to manage their expectations properly."
Legal eagle takes flight
This early baptism by fire seems almost prophetic, given that Chloe would eventually leave her career as a lawyer to spearhead the family business's most ambitious venture yet. After completing her master's in international law, she found herself drawn to the travel industry's global perspective.
"Travel is quite similar to international law," she explains. "You learn about different cultures and backgrounds, people from all over the world. That really appeals to me."
Prestige by Chan Brothers is the luxury arm of Chan Brothers Travel, offering curated, affordable luxury journeys with personalised service and exclusive experiences worldwide.
Her transition wasn't immediate. Chloe first dipped her toes into the travel industry through TEN (Travel Entrepreneur Network), a tech-driven platform that helped people become travel agents. "It was like Uber for travel agents," she says, describing the entrepreneurial project that bridged her legal background with her growing interest in travel technology.
Data driven and pandemic tested
When the pandemic hit in 2022, Chloe found herself thrust into running Prestige by Chan Brothers with little handover from her predecessor, who had relocated to Malaysia. Rather than feeling overwhelmed, she embraced the challenge with characteristic determination.
"I used a lot of data to really help me plan my product," she says. "Instead of having historical data or people to train me, I used external sources and online trends to chart the way forward."
This data-driven approach reflects Chloe's vision for modernising the luxury travel sector. Since July, she has rolled out a complete brand relaunch, introducing a new website, updated systems and integrated artificial intelligence into business processes.
Beyond the package tour perception
Chloe Chan is modernising Prestige by Chan Brothers, shifting perceptions beyond package tours to position it as a data-driven, affordable luxury travel brand.
But perhaps her greatest challenge lies in shifting perceptions. "People still think we're just selling package tours," she admits. "We want them to know that when you want to do a private tour, we can craft something very highly curated to what you enjoy, and we're not super expensive."
From organising helicopter rides to remote islands to arranging Arctic expeditions, Prestige by Chan Brothers caters to travellers seeking "affordable luxury" with white-glove service.
As she builds Prestige by Chan Brothers into a recognisable luxury brand, Chloe remains grounded in the same customer service principles she learned answering phones as a child, just with considerably higher stakes.
Editor’s note: This article is part of Travel Weekly Asia’s July–September 2025 cover story, Next Gen, New Game. Click here to read the full issue.