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Time To Travel: A Travel Agency That's Still Relevant In Today's Digital World

Jul. 16—You know the feeling of pre-vacation chaos. A flight changes, a boarding pass goes astray, and somehow, the perfect itinerary you spent hours crafting isn't so perfect anymore.

Enter Time to Travel, a travel agency dedicated to transforming the stress-filled scramble into seamless adventure since its establishment in 2013.

Now that travel restrictions have eased in the post-pandemic world, owner Amanda Henderson said people are ready to adventure.

"People realize that life is too short, and you should travel while you can," she said.

Clients don't pay for the travel agency service; the vacation supplier does, Henderson said.

"If someone books direct, whether it's Disney, an all-inclusive, or a cruise, ... The cost of the travel agent is built into that price. So why not use a service that you're paying for?" Henderson said.

In 11 years, Henderson, who lives in Waynesville, has built the business to include more than 70 travel agents, including 16 based in Haywood County.

"They make Time to Travel what it is, and I could not do the job without each and every one of them. We are not just in Haywood County, we are a team across the US," Henderson said.

The agency is an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, a U Preferred Agency with Universal Destinations and Experiences, a Preferred Sandals Agency, and has partnerships with multiple cruise lines. But travel is not limited to those places; they can help coordinate a road trip in the U.S. Or other worldwide destinations.

"We have partnerships with these destinations, we build relationships. Therefore, we have more resources available to ensure a seamless vacation experience," Henderson said.

Personal preference

Time to Travel books vacations for several types of travelers, whether it be for a couple's honeymoon, a family or multigenerational trip, business and sporting groups, or even school trips — which Henderson values as a homeschool educator herself.

"We book a lot of historical tours and vacations full of adventure. We book theme parks and cruises," Henderson said. "Some people want vacations that are action packed, while others want total rest and relaxation. We customize vacations based on client preference."

The agency has an upcoming group girls' trip they're hosting in the Caribbean for the first time for those who might feel uncomfortable traveling out of the country alone.

Firsthand knowledge

Time to Travel agents, including the 16 based in Haywood County, do trial runs for the vacations, so they know firsthand what travelers can expect from the experience.

"We invest a lot into travel because we want to give our clients firsthand information," Henderson said.

The Time to Travel website has a blog with recounts of agents' travels, whether it be the agent from England whose forte is the United Kingdom, agents who have lived overseas, or agents who can navigate a Disney theme park like they built the place.

"We're here for even the small details that you might not think about," Henderson said, recalling an instance when one of the Atlanta Airport parking lots was closed.

"We need to tell our clients, 'Oh, you know, if you're flying international in the Atlanta airport, you go to the international terminal, but if you're flying Frontier, you go to the domestic terminal.' Do you know how we learned it? Because ... It happened to us."

Daily changes

In today's rapid digital landscape, things can seem to be as easy as pressing a button — the challenge is knowing which buttons to press.

"We know the ins and outs. We know the restrictions. We know the guidelines," Henderson said. "I've spent all morning updating travel documents because Mexico changed their tourism fee. Aruba is now charging a tourism fee, there were some changes with entry into England. Disney's changed their FastPass rules starting July 24, and that's just this morning — that's just a day in the life of a travel advisor."

She added that there are a lot of tips and tricks, like a mobile passport, that ease the process of traveling.

"It is simple to just do a quick book on your own, but when you book on your own, you have zero support," she said. "People who even feel like they're confident travelers — they go to Disney 40 times or are experts at Europe — sometimes still need a little help when something goes wrong."

Travel agents were tested to their limits during the COVID pandemic, when Henderson and her travel agents worked long hours to wrap up loose ends and manage cancellations.

"We were working quadruple the amount of time to take care of our clients," Henderson said. "Many people remembered what we did for them during that time, now there's no way they would book without a travel advisor."

She expressed her gratitude to her clients and team, acknowledging them as the true heroes.

"They are my rock. Because of the travel advisors' hard work and the clients' loyalty we were able to survive, and I want to give God the glory for that — he gave us back every bit of business we lost," Henderson said. "I have clients that have been with me from the beginning, and I've helped them book honeymoons, and now they have children and I'm booking family vacations. I will forever be grateful to each and every one of them."

Visit www.Timetotravelinc.Com, Instagram @time2travelinc, or Facebook at Time to Travel, Inc. To learn more.

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Helloworld Travel Partners With Ensemble Across All Its Networks

Helloworld Travel has entered into a new partnership with Canadian-based travel consortium Ensemble which will cover the Australian and New Zealand markets.

Helloworld Travel Limited is Australasia's largest network of independent travel agents and travel brokers.

All agents in Helloworld's Branded and Associate network – Helloworld Business Travel, Magellan, Alatus, My Travel Group, MTA, Express Travel Group and First Travel Group – will have access to the program effective 1 August 2024.

"We reached out to Ensemble after closely watching the consortium's transformation over the past two years," Helloworld Travel Limited CEO and managing director, Andrew Burnes AO, said.

"We were particularly impressed with the new global luxury accommodation program Ensemble has launched to support travel advisors including their proprietary booking platform, 'ADX'. This is both user-friendly and delivers enhanced profitability for travel agents while delivering great deals for their customers, making it a valuable tool for our networks to embrace."

The Helloworld networks will have access to the new Ensemble hotel program offering exclusive benefits and competitive rates at a wide range of luxury properties worldwide along with a new DMC Program providing access to the best destination management companies around the world to enable agents to continue to deliver unique and immersive travel experiences for their clients.

"We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with likeminded organizations around the world that share our vision of empowering travel professionals," said Michael Johnson, president of Ensemble. "Helloworld Travel Limited's mission and dedication to tailoring personalized and highly curated vacations for clients aligns perfectly with our commitment to supporting advisors through best-in-class programs and resources."

What The Travel Corporation Sale Means For Tour Operators And Travel Agencies

If the deal goes through, Apollo might merge some of The Travel Corporation's brands, or pair them with other assets the private equity firm owns.

Dennis Schaal

Expect more private equity deals in the tour operator and travel agency sectors.

That was the view of a source familiar with The Travel Corporation's operations in the wake of news it would be acquired by Apollo Global Management. The source added that multiple private equity firms had also expressed interest in the Travel Corporation.

"And one of the themes all of these PE guys are talking about is the next generation of tour operators, which of course, are digital natives and connected from a data perspective," the source said, who predicted that there will be plenty of private equity deals to come in these areas.

Travel agencies with a luxury clientele are attractive targets post-Covid, the source added.

Not A Fire Sale

The Travel Corporation is a family owned business and one factor driving the sale was that there was no heir apparent, the source said.

"We know globally that some of the old school tour operators have seen growth slow, but by no means was the business [TTC] in a terrible place. The business was in a strong place," the source said.

The source didn't comment on the value of the deal but wouldn't characterize it as a "fire sale."

The Tollman family opted to retain ownership of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection, which generated a big chunk of the group's profits, but well under 50%, the source added.

What Apollo Might Do

"I imagine one of the things Apollo is thinking is in line with what all the other VC firms are doing," the source said. "Can you take these traditional businesses, put in a better technology stack, which both potentially reduces the cost of customer acquisition, and increases operating margin. And then all of a sudden, you take a business that has OK margins, and turn it into a business that has pretty good margins."

The source predicted that Apollo might consolidate some of The Travel Corporation brands — it owns 18 brands — and/or merge them with other Apollo assets. Over the years, Apollo has owned or invested in the Venetian Las Vegas, Great Wolf Resorts, American Express Global Business Travel, Oceania Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Caesars Entertainment, Diamond Resorts, Expedia and Atlas Air, among other holdings.

World Travel Holdings Co-CEO Chimes In

Brett Tollman, CEO of The Travel Corporation, declined to comment on the deal.

But another CEO of a major family owned business in travel, Jeff Tolkin, the co-CEO of World Travel Holdings, one of the largest cruise and vacation sellers in the U.S., spoke to Skift Wednesday about the implications of the Apollo-The Travel Corporation deal.

"As for the future of family owned businesses, I don't think this portends anything but a bright future because this deal clearly evidences a successful conclusion for the Tollman assets sold," Tolkin said.

Tolkin, who said he didn't know the sale price of The Travel Corporation deal, added he doesn't believe there will be many similar deals for acquisitions of family owned tour operators because there aren't many big ones left.

Tauck's Take on The Travel Corporation Sale

Tauck is one of the few large family owned tour operators that remain, and the company has been public about not being for sale, the source familiar with The Travel Corporations' operations said.

Tauck CEO Dan Mahar confirmed that the company is not for sale, adding: "Every family and every family business is unique and one transaction does not represent a broader trend."

He said Tauck is "thriving" as it approaches the beginning of its second century in business, adding that the company has "zero debt and robust family-capital to power our new strategic plan and [we] require no outside funding."

"We love what we do," Mahar said. "We are in great businesses, serving a growing market with a strong outlook in the decades ahead. Our guests are engaged with our brand and more loyal than ever. Our team is exceptionally strong and engaged by our business purpose and opportunity. We have respectful, deep relationship with partners around the world and we are united to bring the very best experience to our guests."

Mahar added that the Tauck family is deeply engaged and has a strong governance system with involvement of multiple generations of the Tauck family, and all are united for the long term."

Tolkin's Take on Private Equity

Tolkin said the sale of The Travel Corporation would have no impact on World Travel Holdings.

Family owned travel agencies could be acquisition targets, though, Tolkin said.

"Private equity firms often use a rollup strategy or increase profitability in other ways," Tolkin said. "Travel agencies are clearly here to stay and a growth sector in the travel business."

He added: "The underlying fundamentals are there."

Tolkin said family owned businesses are "the backbone of the American economy. Private equity is one exit strategy that many family owned businesses eventually employ. This is a natural progression where both sides win."

Note: This story has been updated to add comments from Tauck CEO Dan Mahar.

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