Loraine Laustsen, Why I got into the travel business

Hi Everyone

As I am waiting for information from my consultants, I will be talking about the reason I got into the travel business AND about some of the highlights as a Travel consultant and Franchise Owner

(I will be adding pictures to THIS page as I search through my old photo albums...stay tuned!

Originally, I started in the travel business for two reasons

1. get my husband to use his holidays instead of being paid out for them
2. plan holidays for friends and family

As we get older and are no longer involved in particular organizations, you leave behind some wonderful people you enjoyed being with. When we are ON holidays, I think of how much fun it would have been to have so and so with us! I would like to plan the same holidays again, except doing it as a group with people I used to know from...

• My Pre University School Years (maiden name "Caffelle")
• Junior Achievement
• Ernest Manning High School
• Life around Wildwood
• the University of Calgary
• AIESEC
• Commerce Undergraduate Society
• the Calgary Stampede
• Downtown Attractions
• Square Dance Committee

AND friends and family as well as people I have worked with in the past!

The first year I was in this business, I was a consultant and I organized a trip to Europe. We wanted to be away for 2-3 weeks, as it was such a long flight. At first, I thought this trip would be on a large cruiseship in the Med...but after going to a presentation on Europe by our travel suppliers...I started thinking about a smaller sailing cruise ship and a river cruise.

I settled on a Windstar Cruiselines and a river cruise on Uniworld. The owners of our center said they didn't think people would like to do these two together as they were different demographics and quite far apart. I thought people would, and everyone else I talked to agreed!

We found that transportation in Europe is easy...and you don't need to always do all of your holiday in one location when you can go by air, train or car to another destination. (Not to mention taking a cruise from one port to the other!)

As a travel agent, I find I do a better job if I have an understanding of the area my clients are wanting to go to. What better way to do that than to "research" various options!

Any comments or questions?

please address to our general mailbox crowfoot@cruiseshipcenters.com

my e-mail llaustsen@cruiseshipcenters.com

or your own consultant at either Aspen Landing or Dalhousie Station