How much time should travel curators invest before a client commits?

Recently, I spent several hours designing a personalized experiential journey for a traveller. There was a lot of excitement around the trip.

We discussed destinations, experiences, accommodation preferences, and made multiple revisions. Back and forth, trying to fit everything within the traveller's budget.

However, in the end, the traveller decided not to travel at all because their plans changed.

Now, this did frustrate me. While I completely understand that plans can change and travellers have every right to opt out, it got me thinking about this challenge that many of us face.

Surely, it's part and parcel of working in this industry, but at times I feel that the amount of work that goes into this process is often taken for granted.

Designing a custom experiential itinerary often involves much more than simply putting together a list of hotels and activities. It requires research, local coordination, sourcing experiences, obtaining quotes, and drawing from years of destination knowledge.

My question is: as travel professionals, how do you balance providing value upfront while also protecting your time and expertise?

Do you charge a consultation or planning fee?

Do you share only a high-level concept initially and develop the full proposal later?

Or have you found effective ways to qualify serious enquiries before investing significant time in the planning process?

I'd love to hear how others approach this challenge.