The Travel Center is a full-service travel agency, family owned and operated since 1976. We specialize in individual travel planning and assistance. We believe travel is more than just a trip!
Keywords: The Travel Center Des Moines, Family owned and operated, Personalized travel planning, Iowa Travel Agency
Interview Q&A
How long have you been in business?
Our business was established in 1976 by Elvira South.
What is your primary product or service?
We sell airline tickets, resort packages, cruises, tour packages, Amtrak rail tickets, travel insurance, destination wedding packages & honeymoon packages, customized small group travel, Europe packages including European river cruises and we book car and hotel reservations.
How did you first become interested in your line of business? (if owner) - What is your background? (If owner or store manager)
Rick's mother started the business and Rick grew up playing around at "working" in the office. Rick and Kay met in Des Moines, graduated travel school together in 1985 and started working as travel agents for Elvira. In 2004, Rick and Kay began purchasing the business from Elvira and took over as owners in 2008.
How do you differentiate yourself from other businesses in your category and area?
We like to develop a strong relationship with our clients and work toward providing the best service we can possibly offer. We love researching destinations. We don't have voice mail - you will always talk to a person in our office and we love to work with small groups to provide customized travel services.
How many locations do you have and do you have plans to expand?
We have one location on Fleur Drive, directly across from the Des Moines International Airport.
Provide detailed directions to your location
From the North, take Fleur Drive south past the entrance to the airport to Southlawn and turn left into the Quizno's parking lot. You can reach our parking lot through the Quizno's parking lot. From the South, take the Bypass to the Fleur Drive exit. Continue north until you pass the airport exit and turn into our parking lot off Fleur Drive.
What type of payments do you accept?
We accept cash, checks and any credit card that our vendors accept.
Which areas do you service?
While we have clients who live all over the world, a majority of our clients are individuals who live in Des Moines and employees of small businesses from the Des Moines area.
Who owns your company or runs daily operations?
The owners are Rick and Kay South of Des Moines.
What are your hours of operation?
We are open from 8:30AM to 5:00PM Monday through Friday and 9:00AM to 11:00AM on Saturdays. We are closed on all major holidays.
What is the best compliment anyone can give you?
Thank you for helping us!
What is your favorite quote or Bible verse?
"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it."
George Moore