Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenny Westermann and Diane Parks.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jenny and Diane. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Sanders Travel Centre was started in October 1995. I was there when the doors opened and started part-time hoping to learn more about the travel business. I did indeed learn a lot, especially when we joined the Virtuoso Network in 1997. Virtuoso has become an integral part of our business and it is nice to know we started on the ground floor with another Fort Worth based company that is now worldwide now. Our goal is to connect on a personal level with our clients and to help them achieve their travel goals. We call this The Human Connection. We are connecting our clients with real, actual people all over the world on a very personal level. Sanders Travel continues to grow and become known in Fort Worth and beyond as luxury travel service provider. In 2008 Diane Parks joined the team. At that time, we had grown from 6 people in a 1000 sq. foot office to over 20 in a 3000 sq. foot office. Diane took on all the management needs of the agency and again helped us grow. Then in October of 2014, Diane and Jenny purchased the agency from Robin Sanders. We decided to leave the name the same, because we had helped build the brand and this brand had a great foothold in the luxury travel segment.
Since the purchase by Jenny and Diane, the agency has grown to over 35 agents and we are moving this September to a brand new building that is 5500 sq. feet. The new building will allow us to interact with our clients more as we will have an entertaining space for our preferred vendors to make presentations to us and also to our clients.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a long road. I think the travel industry has seem some sweeping changes, from the airlines cutting commissions in1997, to 9/11 and now the everyday threat of terrorist attacks.
Through all of this we have maintained our core values of serving the client and providing the best travel experience for our clients. So yes, there have been difficulties but be able to stay the course and have passion for what we do we have been able to survive and now thrive.
Please tell us about Sanders Travel Centre.
We are a full-service travel agency specializing in luxury travel. We customize trips and tailor them to each client’s needs. We do everything from air, to train tickets, hotels, concert tickets, restaurant reservations. Anything to make your trip the most special and memorable.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Spending the 4th of July at the lake with my large extended family for my grandfather’s birthday.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3550 Hulen Street Suite A
- Website: www.sanderstravel.com
- Phone: 817-731-3335
- Email: concierge@sanderstravel.com
- Instagram: Sanders Travel Centre
- Facebook: Sanders Travel Centre
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