{"id":314290,"date":"2022-03-08T15:45:48","date_gmt":"2022-03-08T05:45:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=314290"},"modified":"2022-03-08T16:04:27","modified_gmt":"2022-03-08T06:04:27","slug":"travel-business-takes-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2022\/03\/08\/travel-business-takes-off\/","title":{"rendered":"Travel Business Takes Off"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Allen Christensen (ATC Engineers & Project Managers), Cheryl Dalton (South Burnett Care), Felicity Dascombe (Helloworld Travel Kingaroy) and Amanda Kefford (Kingaroy Joinery)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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KCCI vice-president Jacqui Trace and secretary Paula Greenwood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

March 8, 2022<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everyone knows the past few years have been terrible for the travel industry – the pandemic stopped cruising, grounded airlines and closed both international and State borders.<\/p>\n

But the 64 local businesspeople who attended Monday night’s Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry meet’n’greet heard a different travel tale … one of expansion and growth.<\/p>\n

The KCCI meet’n’greet was hosted by Helloworld Travel in Alford Street, Kingaroy.<\/p>\n

Helloworld’s Felicity Dascombe admitted it had been a “crazy two years” but she said the business had been expanding as well.<\/p>\n

In fact, the Dascombes now have Helloworld franchises in Gympie, Coolangatta, Dalby and Toowoomba as well as the Kingaroy store and the related Pursers Travel and Cruise in Murgon.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“And next week we will have Banora Point in NSW!” Felicity said.<\/p>\n

The meet’n’greet heard there were now 72 staff employed across all parts of the Helloworld business.<\/p>\n

The related Pursers Coaches also has 52 buses or coaches and operates 36 school runs.<\/p>\n

The two businesses work in well together, with Pursers offering day tours, mystery trips and wine tours – which Felicity said had really become popular during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Felicity is also keen to promote the South Burnett to other parts of the Helloworld network of agencies.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In November, the Dascombes brought down 33 Helloworld owners – who together have about 20,000 customers on their books – to take a look around the South Burnett, visit local attractions and take in the wineries.<\/p>\n

Felicity said the Kingaroy store could handle local, interstate and international travel arrangements, including all flight and accommodation bookings, travel insurance, visas and passes.<\/p>\n

She noted that while Australia’s international borders were now open, Australians were not yet welcome in some countries overseas because of our high COVID rates – but this situation was changing as more countries opened up.<\/p>\n

And she expected cruise ships would be returning to Brisbane soon.<\/p>\n

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Other highlights from the KCCI meet’n’greet:<\/strong><\/p>\n