35th Anniversary of THE TRAVEL AGENCY

In the fall of 1974, in the midst of recession, Jim and Ange Wallace left the security of Pan American World Airways to open THE TRAVEL AGENCY. This was the first travel agency in Nassau County. Now, 35 years later, faced with another economically challenging time, THE TRAVEL AGENCY continues to adapt and thrive.

The first location was a tiny, one room office in The Old School House on Atlantic Avenue. A young lawyer, Dan McCranie, had just saved the building from the ‘wrecking ball” and started his practice there. In fact, Dan and Jim rented a floor sander, refinished the floors at night in the cavernous downstairs, to open the very first artist coop gallery on the Island in 1975.

That first year, Jim manned the office and worked on getting the corporate business from the two mills to help smooth the way to profitability. Ange taught Spanish (and English and Journalism!) at the Yulee Middle School and helped with the office work afternoons and weekends. By summertime the fledgling business was growing sufficiently to support both of the young entrepreneurs and lifetime careers were launched.

There have been growth “spurts” along the way. In 1978, the birth of Angela C Wallace, was cause to find the first employee for the business. Susan Mc Cranie (now Siegmund), joined the staff bringing energy and organizational skills. About a year later, Laraine Brazell (now Burns!) left the Amelia Island Plantation to launch her career in travel. Laraine is now in the FIT department of Abercrombie & Kent. In 1985, Vicki Carter left the insurance industry and Lynann Mullis left the Amelia Island Plantation to join the sales force. Vicki and Lynann went to high school with Jim’s first daughter, Jann (Wallace )Miller. Both ladies continue their careers with The Travel Agency today. In 1995, Carolyn Music, recently retired VP with Barnett Bank became the receptionist, a position she holds today. Tracy Ann Lynch left the real estate industry to become a travel consultant in 1996. Janine Bruce joined the staff in 1997, and is now working from her home in Louisiana. Angela Wallace joined The Travel Agency in 1999, after graduating from FSU. She left for a 2 year stint as the Travel Industry Sales Manager at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia returning in 2005. Debbie Kellogg joined the staff in 2004, after a successful career in travel in the Jacksonville area.

In 1980, The Travel Agency computerized their office with the airline computer system Mars Plus! This was cause for an open house billed as “Travel to Mars”. Computers were still a novelty then and almost as frustrating as they were helpful. Sabre, the state of the art airline system for decades now, soon replaced Mars Plus and helped the business grow substantially over the years.

At this time in the Travel Industry (1980’s-90’s), agencies were highly paid by the airlines, 10% base commission on all fare types. Then in 1995, the commission cuts began taking the base to 5%. In March, 2002, the airlines stopped paying any commission. The handwriting had been on the wall and Jim Wallace had made business decisions from renegotiating key contracts, to instituting transaction fees, to joining forces with Virtuoso (then API). Virtuoso is a unique, by invitation only, travel organization bringing together the top 1% of travel consulting firms with the top premium and deluxe travel suppliers around the world. Joining Virtuoso was an expensive investment but the marketing, educational experiences, and worldwide relationships have proved to be well worth the commitment both to the Agency and to their clients.

While the industry was morphing from “airline clerks” to true travel consultants, and now to trusted travel advisors, the demographics of the Amelia Island-Fernandina Beach area were also changing. The Amelia Island Plantation was a fledgling resort in 1974, and Summer Beach with its star anchor, The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, was not even being imagined! The changes in our community changed the clientele buying travel and the geography of being visible! So, in 1985, Jim and Ange opened a branch office in Palmetto Walk. Then, Island Walk came to them with Publix as an anchor and offered a prime location. With the sage advice of a local expert, Skee Dick, The Travel Agency opened their location at Island Walk ahead of Publix! From that vantage point Jim followed Publix’ progress so closely that many of the workers thought he was management from the home office! With the Island Walk location in place, Jim closed the Palmetto Walk location and the beloved Old Schoolhouse office. The visibility proved to be worth the hard work and money invested in the change.

By 1998, Jim realized The Travel Agency needed a different physical presence. In partnership with long time clients, Ron Gettig and Drs.Al and Anne Ramsay, he set off to locate and build Park Avenue Suites, office condominiums at the entrance to Amelia Park. Timing was perfect, as the now very successful neighborhood was just getting off the ground.

Jim knew that the travel industry was changing once again when he chose the location of the new office. With the help of longtime friend and industrial designer, Tom Powell, the new office was designed so each travel consultant had a semi- private office large enough to comfortably sit and confer calmly with clients. Owning the office also gave a measure of cost control.

In February of 2000, The Travel Agency held an open house that drew over 200 clients and friends at their new location 1401 Park Ave Suite A. It has been almost 10 years now since that opening. In that time, THE TRAVEL AGENCY has weathered the end of all airline commissions, the aftermath of 911, SARS, Jim’s retirement, and now the election year and the recession that followed. Both the world of travel and the travelers themselves continue to change. At THE TRAVEL AGENCY that continual change is met with optimism and enthusiasm. The staff works diligently to serve the community they call HOME while seamlessly orchestrating lifetime experiences around the globe.