BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE obvious and undeniable need for service excellence in the travel industry in St. Kitts was one of the main motivating factors behind the establishment of one of the most-recently birthed travel agencies, Tranquility Vacations.
Located on Rosemary Lane, the agency burst onto the scene on January 7, 2013 and is the brainchild of Jasemin Weekes and her husband Andre Weekes – who also function as the entity’s Manager and Assistant Manager respectively.
The mission statement encapsulates the heart and product that the agency offers. It describes Tranquility Vacations’ as being “the leading travel and events planning business of choice providing premier travel and related services and innovative options to all our customers.”
During an exclusive interview with this publication, Jasmine outlined some of the services that her business offers and some of the factors which distinguishes it from others.
“Our service offerings include exceptional deals in online travel assistance, affordable Visa Application services, memorable Cruise vacations, extra ordinary Land Tours, reliable event planning and online shopping services. We also offer our expertise in destination weddings, honeymoons, conferences and meeting planning. Whether you are planning a vacation or event for two or 200, we guarantee it will be stress-free and rewarding.
“What really defines us is our passion for customer service excellence. We consider Tranquility Vacations to be a travel facility which is very distinct from the concept of a traditional travel agency which merely sells airline tickets. At Tranquility Vacations, we are driven by our desire to provide a facility where travel arrangements can be made with personal care and knowledge… At Tranquility our first allegiance is to our clients, hence Overall quality of service is what differentiates us from others.”
Tranquility’s Manager expressed that it was always a dream she shared with her husband to open a business of their own. And although operating in an economy strained by the global economic recession, they were convinced that it was possible and launched out in faith.
“For us, tough times are for us to get tougher and not to use the current climate as a negative block, but as a springboard for new ideas with our new venture. We always had the ambition of owning our own business and we believed that 2013 was our year to pursue our dream. We were of the strong conviction that we both possessed the relevant aptitude and related skills to own and manage our own travel facility with tremendous success. We committed to operate a travel facility with a difference.
“What we have found is that there are travel agencies and there is much talk about travel agents becoming non-existent because of the fact that you can go online and provide that service. We believe in direct interaction with customers and so we believe that that – in it self – would give more value. People are demanding other things and we felt that we should move with the times and do other things...tailoring the packages to meet the needs of the people. What would distinguish you is the service that you provide. We believe that although people can go online, what would distinguish us is the service excellence; how we package our service and how we deliver it.”
Manned by two senior and four junior staff members, Tranquility Vacations boasts a 98 percent success rate on its Barbados/Visa trips.
Opened for a mere four months, Jasmine informed that the company’s prices are “the best on island” and that the clientele in Nevis, Anguilla, Antigua and St. Maarten is on the rise.
The manager stated that Tranquility should be the people’s premier travel agency because “our vision is to serve and assist in every imaginable need, be it the most basic or the most outrageous. Travel, for us, is an art which brings people and cultures together to destinations and places…from the simple mundane request to extra ordinary requirements. Choose Tranquility for personalised attention, unbiased information and ongoing relationships”.
“In addition to recently hosting a successful first quarter Staff Retreat at the St. Kitts Marriott, at which the staff was trained in excellent customer service, communication and interpersonal skills, Tranquility Vacations also hosted a One Day Sail to St. Barthélemy on Whit Monday. And on July 28, 2013 it would be organising a Cultural Exhibition and Talent Exposition
“Sometimes you find a quote online and we match or better it. When you deal with online and you encounter a problem, there is not that personal touch and that extra service…but we offer that,” she added.
