A new travel agent has set up shop in Wallaceburg.
In fact, Buffy Robblee is coming back to where it all started.
Born in Chatham and raised in Wallaceburg, Robblee didn’t leave town until she was 26, when she moved to Calgary, Alberta.
“I have always been in travel. That’s my career and it has been very rewarding for me. I have been very blessed to have had the opportunity to travel and experience so many destinations around the world and I’m not finished yet!”
“I actually received my certification at Westervelt Travel Institute in London, Ontario when I was living in Wallaceburg and I apprenticed under Vellinga’s Travel out of Chatham. They had opened up a satellite office in Wallaceburg in 1979 and I was the first employee in that location. I worked there for a year before I moved out to Calgary in 1980.”
Robblee said she and her husband have purchased a home just outside of Wallaceburg and are looking to retire in the area.
However, she is not quite ready.
“I am an independent agent and I work with a host agency called ‘The Travel Agent Next Door’. Robblee said she works from home and can be mobile and easily accessible.
“Through avenues like social media, texting, calling, or via email, I can be reached pretty much anytime. If clients want to meet up with me for a travel consultation, that can be arranged. I will meet up with them at their home or if preferred, at a local restaurant or coffee shop to discuss options. My laptop is always with me and as long as there is a Wi-Fi connection, we are good to go.”
Robblee said with winter in full swing, warmer destinations are popular vacation spots at this time of year.
“It is January and Christmas is over so people are really starting to think about getting away to somewhere warm.
“All-inclusive sun destinations are still very popular as well as cruising right now.”
Robblee said that others are looking into the future around summer time and beyond.
“Travel to European destinations such as Spain/Portugal, Italy, France, Amsterdam to name a few, are still requests that I receive for pricing. People are looking at unique experiences while travelling. It’s not just about the destination anymore but that true local immersion into the areas visited. European River cruising is quite popular especially with groups. I escorted a group of 10 in 2012 on a Danube river cruise/tour starting in Prague and ending up in Budapest. I actually specialize in group travel and have two destination weddings on the books for May. I also arrange family reunion trips, golf and sports groups, incentive type groups, girlfriend getaways, spa getaways, yoga & meditation retreats.”
‘Unplugged vacations are the new trend lately. If you work at a job where you are constantly on a computer and need to get away from all of that, there are retreats that focus on well being. You literally leave the cell phones and computers at home! At the end of it all, you will come back home feeling recharged, renewed, and restored.”
Robblee said she has a couple of group block space trips available this fall.
“One is a Faith based travel Pilgrimage to Fatima & Lourdes with Barcelona celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima departing September 24th and returning October 3rd of 2017. Book by the end of March and save $100.00 off per person.”
“My other group block space I have is to Vietnam, Cambodia & The Riches of the Mekong River. October 3 – 18, 2017
Spend 2 nights Hanoi, overnight in Ha Long Bay, then travel to Siem Reap for 3 nights before embarking on your Mekong river cruise, ending your journey with a 2-night stay in Ho Chi Minh City.
“Anybody interested in either trip, please connect with me for further details.
Robblee can be contacted locally at 226-626-5749 or nationwide across the country at her toll free number 1-844-313-6350, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram by e-mail at travelwithbuffy@gmail.com or by visiting her bookable website at http://buffyrobblee.thetravelagentnextdoor.com/.
Currently on her website, if you click the header ‘Contest’ you can enter a draw for an all-inclusive trip for two to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. You can also join our mailing list and register to receive future promotions and sales to destinations of your choice.
– This story is sponsored content
