A great deal has changed in the travel industry over the past 70 years, and through those seven decades, Vellinga’s Travel has pivoted when needed to continue to serve the people of Chatham-Kent.
Grace Dieleman, who along with her husband Bill, has owned Vellinga’s since 2007. They purchased the business off original owners Bob and Willy Vellinga when the Vellinga’s opted to retire. The Vellingas opened the business in 1956, 70 years ago.
Grace joined the company back in 1999 and took advantage of the opportunity to run the business.
“They asked us if we’d like to take it over. I’d worked very closely with Bob on a lot of stuff,” she said. “We had to think about it for a day or two, but we went for it.”
And the Dielemans have never looked back.
With the proliferation of online travel booking companies and people using websites to find cheap hotel deals, places such as Vellinga’s continue to provide the ever-important personal touch.
Dieleman said Vellinga’s expertise is what sets them apart. It’s so much more than finding a warm, sunny spot on a beach in the middle of winter.
“It’s not just Canadian winters. We do more custom tours throughout Europe and Asia,” she explained.
And, while some people just have to head south to catch some Vitamin D on a beach during our coldest weather, others want a different experience.
“People are looking for different things. They want to have more experiences. They don’t want to do the fly-and-flop,” Dieleman said. “A lot of people still do, but there’s probably more focus on experiencing destinations rather than just taking a sun vacation.”
To that end, the staff at Vellinga’s deliver very customized tours. Dieleman said the customization could be for a family or group of friends, but also just one couple.
“That’s what’s made us different than the rest – we have the resources to do it,” she said.
Dieleman recalls clients who wanted a very unique experience.
“For Asia, we had some clients who wanted to do Thailand. They wanted to do specific things. It was not a tour you’d find in a book. Everything they did was with private guides,” she said.
And Vellinga’s delivered.
A key element Vellinga’s provides is hosted trips where the agency’s personnel lead a group abroad.
“We will host a group. People travel with you because they know you and trust you,” Dieleman said. “It’s a lot of fun. They get to know each other and know new people. This adds another level of joy when travelling.”
For those who say they have always wanted to travel, but are putting trips off until they retire, Dieleman encourages those people to reconsider delaying their dreams.
“Everyone knows of someone who has had health issues. We tell people if you’re healthy, book the trip. You never know what tomorrow brings,” she said. “If it is a dream you have to go somewhere and do something, you should do it. No one knows the future. We don’t have the crystal ball.”
Another aspect of travel agents is they can help interpret your travel dreams.
“We offer advice. Make an appointment and come in to speak with us,” Dieleman said. “Sometimes what people think they want is not really what they want. We figure out what they’re looking for and then we match them with that experience.
“We advise. We consult. We take care of our clients from the moment they walk in to the moment they come home. We’re there for them.”
Dieleman has seen travel hiccups and outright stoppages over the years, such as the pandemic. With many Canadian travellers opting to avoid the United States these days, and with higher fuel and thus airfare prices, along with the presence of hantavirus, Dieleman said there are concerns, but workarounds.
“There are a lot of places that you can go that aren’t affected by what’s going on,” she said. “We have weathered every storm that has come by. We will weather these too.”
Local residents comprise about 75 per cent of Vellinga’s business, and Dieleman is grateful for the patronage.
“We’ve always been thankful for the support our community offers,” she said. “We’ve got a great, loyal base.”
For general inquiries, or to start planning your trip, reach out at [email protected].
Go for the gold
Goldcoast Fashions recently held a fundraising fashion show, raising support for Outreach for Hunger. About 100 people attended.
GraveDiggerz closes
A landmark restaurant has closed its doors for good.
GraveDiggerz’ Variety & Restaurant in Highgate has gone dark after serving the community for 15 years.
The owners cite family medical reasons for the closure and wish to thank their customers for dedicated patronage over the decade and a half they were open.
- Business Voice is a bi-monthly column in The Chatham Voice that highlights some of the achievements made and efforts underway in Chatham-Kent’s business community. Send your information to [email protected].
