- May 3, 2024
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Travel Leaders began in Palm Coast in the late ’90s by four people who loved to travel and wanted to share their knowledge with the rest of the community.
The agency opened under the name Carlson Wagonlit Travel but became Travel Leaders in 2008 with over 500 locations. Travel Leaders plans to open another office in St. John’s County next year.
“We strive to be the most professional and customer-responsive travel agency and a market leader,” said Owner/Office Manager Denise Palumbo. “We believe superior quality service is the most important thing we sell, and we seek to provide our customers with positive travel experiences and excellent quality of service at competitive prices.”
We further discussed Travel Leaders with Palumbo.
I wanted to own a business because...my family always had its own business, so I guess it was always in my blood. I have owned a business for most of my career and wouldn't change it. Having something start out small and now watching it grow is the most exciting part.
What my employees mean to me...is what makes our team successful. They work well together, and they are our true asset. They educate themselves on what's new, and they constantly keep up to date on the travel trends, so they can better serve our clients.
The best advice I ever got was...to treat everyone you meet the same. You cannot judge people by their appearance, so you can never go wrong by giving everyone the same level of service.
Next year I look forward most to...growing our business. We want to expand with another location in the Ponte Vedra area, which is rapidly growing. We see a lot of growth potential in this area.
The most amazing thing about this business is...creating wonderful experiences and memories for our clients. Whether it's planning their dream vacation or arranging a "bucket list" journey, our team works hard to make them all possible.
I thought I might quit when...I wanted to try a new venture, when I was offered a wonderful opportunity. After working over 30 years as a travel consultant, I thought I needed a change. Then Travel Leaders offered me a great opportunity to join their team, which was followed by a partnership. This has been the highlight of my career.
The best change I made was...becoming partners with Arvid and Patricia Olson and Lindsay Hardy in Travel Leaders. We all bring different things to the partnership which is why it works so well. When our different areas of expertise are put together, it makes a perfect team.
I knew it was going to work when....When we began growing our business each year, we worked great together, and we had the same vision for moving our business forward.
Pull Quote: “We strive to be the most professional and customer-responsive travel agency and a market leader."
DENISE PALUMBO, Owner/Office Manager
Profile
By the Numbers
17 Years in business in Palm Coast
6 Employees as of September 2015
7 Employees as of September 2016
12% Increase in revenue Jan. - Sept. 2016 compared to same period in 2015
6% Increase in net profit Jan. - Sept. 2016 compared to same period in 2015
Travel Leaders’ staff has completed training in cruise, luxury, river cruise and adventure travel. The agency has destination specialists for many places worldwide, including but not limited to Alaska, Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand.
