- Monday 06 February 2017
Shandon Travel was awarded Travel Agency Of The Year in a glittering awards ceremony which took place at Dublin's Mansion House. After 43 years in business, we are extremely proud to have won the award.
We are tremendously grateful and appreciative of everyone who has supported us and booked their holidays with us over the years. We promise to continue to deliver the same excellent level of service and product knowledge to all customers old and new.
“We are unique because we have three pillars to the company,” says energetic director Michael Doorley. "First of these is Shandon Travel Retail, which deals with all the usual package holidays, plus cruises, senior travel and long-haul. We also offer fanstastic air fares for holidays or visits to friends and relations living abroad. Our staff includes specialists who specialise in India, South America, Oceania and the USA- so you can talk to an expert who has all the information you need.”
Shandon Travel’s second brand is SAYIT J1, which deals with the American J1 visa programme for college students. “We’ve been offering this programme for over 20 years. We send just under three thousand students across each summer.” says Michael Doorley.
In 2017, Shandon Travel is introducing a new visa programme for non-students- the J1-related Camp Counsellors programme. “Anyone aged 18 to 28 who has an interest in childcare, going into teaching or loves activities can be a Camp Counsellor for three months, and then spend a month travelling through the States as well. You don’t have to be a student to avail of this visa."
The third pillar of Shandon Travel is its Vacansoleil brand, which offers the perfect family mobile home holiday in Europe. Italy and France are favourites, but there are almost 500 locations all over Europe. Just ask the staff and see how wide the options are.
Unique for an Irish agency, Shandon are successfully selling these holidays to UK customers too- with about 90% of the bookings made online. Michael says; “There is no hesitation there whatsoever about dealing with an Irish provider- they seem to love it, in fact!”
"There is simply no other agency out there offering the broad range of holiday and travel options that Shandon Travel does." says Doorley. Surely we can find something they don’t do...
Trains? “We have contracts with Amtrak and with a general rail provider for Europe so we can book everywhere.”
Visas? “We can do the processing for most visas right here in the office.”
Escort for a young traveller? Wheelchair for an elderly relative? “That’s standard stuff, we arrange it all the time.”
The emerging market at the moment, says the man whose finger is constantly on the travel pulse, is what you might term soft adventure. “While most senior travellers still want sunshine, we’re seeing a growing trend towards activity and exploration. Not backpacking, but comfortable places to stay, with daily soft adventure thrown in.
You might be getting on in years, but you don’t want to simply sit by the pool- you want to get out and see things. Our staff have been there, done that, and can create exactly the right trip.”
Visit the Shandon Travel homepage.
Visit the Vacansoleil homepage.
Let us book your ideal holiday, cruise, flights or adventure tour. Give us a call on 021 4277094 or 01 6965135, email info@shandontravel.ie or call into our shops in Clonakilty, Bandon and the Grand Parade.
