With decades of travel experience and a lifelong passion for travel, husband and wife Paula & Travis Stewart co-owners of Stewart Travel Group are celebrating 4 years this fall as an incorporated company.
Working side-by-side in their Stratford travel studio, Travis and Paula spend their days making dreams come true. Over 5 years ago, after closing a lengthy chapter in his career with a Charlottetown travel agency, Travis Stewart started his own company, Stewart Travel Group. A month later his wife Paula joined him as co-owner in the business, adding a vast background in sales and customer service to his passion for travel planning.
When Travis Stewart graduated from Holland College’s travel program in 1993, he was disappointed by the lack of career opportunities available to him in PEI. Not willing to give up his dream, he traveled throughout Atlantic Canada looking for work. He drove to every travel agency in the region searching for a job in the industry he was so passionate about, but he was unsuccessful.
One person he encountered on his journey suggested he volunteer to gain experience. That’s exactly what he did. Travis worked for one full year, Monday through Friday, 9-5, for a travel agency for free. He spent his evenings working as a DJ to earn money to pay the bills, and spent his days working for free.
“I was truly committed to the industry,” Travis says, “And I was doing work I was passionate about. I was ecstatic when I finally got a break and was hired for a part-time position in a travel agency.”
Travis would eventually find a full time job in a travel agency and worked his way up from being a travel consultant to manager to operations manager. In 2014, Travis made the decision to start his own travel agency.
Travis explains, “It just made good sense for Paula and I to branch out on our own. With her vast background in sales and customer service in travel and a number of other industries, and my passion for the planning side of things, our strengths really complement one another.”
Paula adds that jointly, the Stewarts have travelled almost 100 times to the Caribbean and have been to many countries around the World. She says, “We feel very fortunate to be able to pass on our experiences to those committing their hard earned money and time for their vacation.”
The Stewarts feel most strongly about customer service. Paula says, “We are 100% committed to providing exceptional service. We do not close our doors and stop answering the phone when the clock strikes 5. We take pride in talking to people after hours, when they’re ready to sit down and discuss the investment required to travel. We invite our clients to reach out to us any time. We know everyone’s lives are busy and we honor that by making it convenient to get in touch with us. With so many online travel options, we feel that being easily reachable is essential so that we can remain competitive. And we hope Maritimers consider working with a local company and keeping more of their dollars in our local economy.”
Cindy and Rich Beharrell of Stratford are two of the Stewart Travel Group’s satisfied travelers, they say, "We've been on countless escorted trips with Travis and Paula throughout the Caribbean and Europe and wouldn't want to travel with anyone else. They've made travel fun and stress free as they've competently dealt with any issues that have arisen or have answered any questions we've ever had. Travis's lighthearted humor and Paula's caring warmth are only 2 reasons to put your holidays in their very knowledgeable and experienced hands."
The Stewarts are grateful to all those who have trusted their travel plans to them, and look forward to escorting more individuals and groups to destinations around the world in the future. They have a busy Summer and Fall, Exploring a new River Cruise for them Paris and Normandy escorting a group to Spectacular Greece and another group on a beautiful Rhine River Cruise. Travis states, “It makes no difference to us if we’re working with a couple to plan their first trip to Toronto, or if we’re planning a destination wedding in the Caribbean. Each of those experiences is a once in a lifetime opportunity. We are grateful to have a part in it!”
“Over the past 25 plus years I have had the pleasure of working with hundreds and hundreds of travel Consultants in Ontario and all over Atlantic Canada. There are many exceptional professionals that have crossed my path including Paula and Travis Stewart of Stewart Travel Group. Both Paula and Travis are passionate about the service they provide and insure all clients’ expectations are filled. Our industry is becoming more and more complicated every year; their knowledge, experience and drive for customer satisfaction is remarkable. Congratulations Travis and Paula on your first year in business. ” Glen Earle, Sales Development Specialist, Manulife Travel Insurance.
This year Stewart Travel Group has grown to 17 wonderful Advisors throughout PEI, NS & NB and have been awarded the top Travel Agency in Canada 2016,2017,2018 by their affiliate organization of over 400 Agencies.
In addition to helping people make their travel dreams come true, the Stewarts are allowing others who are passionate about relationship building and travel, to enter the business. They offer the opportunity for others to join Stewart Travel Group, benefiting from their experience, mentorship, training, and exclusive travel products, while allowing entrepreneurs the freedom and flexibility to work from their own homes. Paula states, “We are very proud of this opportunity to be part of this fast growing sector in travel.”
Contact:
Stewart Travel Group
New location Fall 2020
902.894.9389
www.StewartTravelGroup.ca
