A Woman Owned Business / July 2006
Around the World and Everywhere
By Pat Lawrence
Fluctuating fares, unpredictable schedule changes, incomprehensible vacation package variations and the bewildering amount of Internet information can make travel planning a nightmare. Maury Reishman specializes in sorting out facts from fiction and creating a travel experience that matches expectations with finances. She is a professional travel agent, owner of Around the World Travel in Charleston.
Though she cheerfully calls herself “a river rat from the East End!”, Maury has seen plenty of the rest of the world. She left college to expand her horizons in Paris and St. Croix. In the course of raising three children and thirty nine years of marriage, she never lost her enthusiasm for travel.
Over the years, Maury worked in several of the South Hills retail shops near her home “for a little extra money of my own. But when the children grew up, I went to travel school.” Her classmates were much younger, ready for adventure, but inexperienced. Maury was the one who had been places. She ended up more teacher than student. “But, I did learn the computer skills that are absolutely necessary for planning and booking travel.”
When she got out of school, her first stop was the travel agency she and her husband had relied upon. “I asked if they needed anyone, and they said yes.” Eleven years later, when the owner was looking to sell the business, Maury purchased Around the World Travel and switched roles with her former boss. “Now she works for me!”
The hours are much longer for an owner, but her responsibilities remain the same. She works with individuals, couples, families and businesses to assess their needs and help them make the best possible travel arrangements. She gives advice on destinations and makes arrangements for transportation, hotel accommodations, car rentals, tours, and recreational activities. Clients look for her help choosing restaurants, and tourist attractions and count on her to provide information on customs regulations, passports and visas, and currency exchange rates.
Maury consults a variety of published and computer-based sources for information on departure and arrival times, fares, hotel ratings and accommodations. Travel agents don’t receive commissions or discounts from airlines so “there’s no benefit to choosing one over the other. Knowledge and experience make the big difference in getting the best prices.”
The Internet has made travel planning a do-it-yourself project for many, but Maury says people often come back to her because of the reliability. “Actually, the prices aren’t that different when a travel agent handles arrangements–there may just be a $20 service fee. But, it’s a lot more comfortable knowing what is at the other end before you get there.”
She says hotels automatically build commission into their pricing. “If the room is $99, it will be $99 with or without a travel agent. The hotel just keeps the commission. But, travel agents have a wealth of information and resources that can make the stay even more enjoyable.” Some clients like their vacation plans made and paid in advance, “so they don’t have to worry about all the bills coming at once.” Maury handles the billing and lets them pay monthly ‘or whenever they want’’, so the trip is paid for by the time it’s taken.
Whether she’s arranging a honeymoon to remember for a young couple or a cruise for wealthy retirees, Maury has found, “Even people with the most to spend want the best value they can get for their money. That’s what I do–give them the best that’s available within their budget.”
In July and August, she handles a lot of family vacations. “Disney is huge. They’ve come down so much on their prices-$1500 for a family of five for a week!” She says the Dominican Republic is a destination she recommends for clients watching their money but looking to get away. “It’s very affordable and the beaches are great.”
For fall, Maury is planning a “show plane”in November, three nights of dinners, plays, cocktail parties and a river cruise in New York City. Over Thanksgiving, she is preparing a ‘Rome to Rome’ cruise, with stops including Majorca and a Barcelona during the seven day trip.
Maury has three outside sales people but she spends a lot of time behind her desk conferring with clients, completing paperwork, contacting airlines and hotels for travel arrangements, and promoting group tours. She says, “There aren’t as many ‘perks’ in the profession as there used to be, so we live vicariously through our clients!”
Travel remains her favorite leisure pursuit. “I still go to Disneyland with my mouth open. I’m amazed every time!”
For more information, call Around the World Travel, 1011 Bridge Road, Charleston, from 9-5, Monday thru Friday, 304-345-1212 or (800) 345-1017.
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Femme Fair 2006
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