Southlake Travel is a boutique luxury travel firm serving clients throughout Grapevine, Colleyville, Southlake, Westlake, and the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026, the agency is known for providing personalized travel planning, trusted guidance, and exceptional service before, during, and after every journey.

The firm is led by Managing Director Karen Dawson, CTC, CTIE, a nationally recognized Virtuoso travel advisor and Top 1% Tauck Certified Advisor with more than two decades of experience in luxury, leisure, corporate, and group travel. Her professional background includes leadership roles with American Express Travel, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, and some of the world's most respected luxury travel organizations. Karen is known for combining extensive industry knowledge with a highly personalized approach that has earned the trust of clients across North Texas and beyond.

Supporting the agency's growth and client engagement efforts is Marketing Director Jim Dawson, whose background includes strategic marketing, partnerships, and large-scale events with organizations including AT&T, Verizon, IBM, and Colgate. Together, Karen and Jim bring a unique combination of travel expertise, business experience, and relationship-driven service to every client interaction.

As a Virtuoso Member Agency, Southlake Travel maintains preferred relationships with many of the world's   leading travel brands, including Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Abercrombie & Kent, Tauck, Silversea, Crystal, AmaWaterways, Oceania Cruises, SeaDream Yacht Club, and Belmond. These relationships provide clients with access to exclusive amenities, preferred pricing opportunities, special events, and unique travel experiences.

Southlake Travel specializes in European river cruises, luxury ocean cruising, small-ship expeditions, guided journeys, custom independent travel, African safaris, Italy, England, France, and other destinations worldwide. The agency also supports select corporate travel programs, incentive travel, executive retreats, and affinity group travel experiences.

Beyond travel, Karen remains actively involved in the local community, supporting organizations including Summer Santa, local women's organizations, garden clubs, schools, and civic initiatives throughout the GCISD area.

At Southlake Travel, every itinerary is thoughtfully designed around the client's interests, travel style, and goals. Whether planning a milestone celebration, a multigenerational family journey, a luxury cruise, or the adventure of a lifetime, the firm's mission remains simple: to help clients create meaningful travel experiences they will anticipate for months and remember for years.

Karen Dawson is the founder and Managing Director of Southlake Travel, a boutique travel advisory serving clients across Southlake, Grapevine, and the greater Dallas–Fort Worth area. With a career spanning both corporate and leisure travel, she brings a depth of experience and perspective that allows her to design journeys that are not only well-planned, but truly meaningful.

Karen’s background includes leadership roles in corporate travel and meetings, where she managed complex travel programs for senior executives and large organizations. That experience continues to shape her approach today—thoughtful, detail-oriented, and grounded in understanding what matters most to each client.

She is recognized as a Certified Tauck Specialist, ranking among the top 1% nationwide, with deep expertise in European land journeys and small ship travel. As part of a Virtuoso-affiliated agency, Karen provides her clients with access to preferred partners, exclusive amenities, and trusted relationships around the world.

Clients value Karen’s calm, steady guidance and her ability to simplify the complexities of travel planning. Whether designing a milestone journey, a multi-generational trip, or a luxury cruise, she focuses on creating experiences that feel seamless, personal, and memorable.

For Karen, travel is not simply about the destination—it is about the moments along the way, and ensuring each journey reflects the people taking it.