Today we’d like to introduce you to Ali And Ryan Kirsch.
Hi Ali and Ryan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In April 2020, like so many others, we suddenly found ourselves furloughed from our day jobs. The world was at a standstill, and we faced a choice: wait for things to return to “normal,” or take the leap into something we could truly call our own.
During those conversations, one idea kept coming back to us, travel. It had always been a passion. Allison had prevous experience in travel years earlier. That prior experience and Ryan’s experience in the hospitality industry inspired us to open our own franchise with Cruise Planners. We came up with ARK Travel and Tours as our LLC (ARK = Allison and Ryan Kirsch)
What started as a bold decision during uncertain times quickly turned into a new chapter filled with excitement, discovery, and purpose. Cruise Planners gave us the platform to share our love of travel, help others make unforgettable memories, and create a business rooted in adventure and service.
Today, Cruise Planners – Ark Travel and Tours isn’t just our business, it’s our way of inspiring people to see the world, one trip at a time. In June, we celebrated our 5th anniversary in business!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
For the most part, it has been a smooth road, with the occasional bumps here and there.
One challenge we had was about a month after we opened. We had a plan on how to initially run our business, Allison would run sales and Ryan would run the back office and marketing. Allison was called back to her day job earlier than expected. Ryan was still waiting to get called back, so he had to run both sides of the business with Allison helping when she could. This turned out to be a great way for Ryan to get a crash course in sales while learning about all of the suppliers we partner with. Today we find we have good balance of successfully managing our business.
Another obstacle is overcoming misconceptions about Travel Advisors. Many people wonder why they wouldn’t just book on their own or on the internet. Travel Advisors offer value in many ways including; saving money, saving time, sharing expertise, and value additions to travel. People do not realize there is no charge for our services. Finding customers who appreciate the level of service we provide and understanding what a Travel Advisor can do to enhance their vacation can sometimes be a challenge. To overcome this, we particpate in several community events to go out and meet our customers and show them what we can do to help. Many of our new customers are referrals from our existing clients. We find that when someone decides to use our services they come back again and again.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Our mission is to provide the best value and service possible for our clients in order to create loyalty and positive word-of-mouth. We are a full-service travel agency and we are not tied to one specific niche. Don’t let the name Cruise Planners fool you, we do it all. Sure, we do ocean, river, and expedition cruises, but we also do all-inclusive resorts, group and private tours, fully independent travel, vacation packages, car and transfer services, rail travel, excursions and day trips, and even personal services like currency exchange and travel protection. We can assist with almost anythng travel related.
Most importantly, we are travel advisors, not just travel agents. We thrive on supplying valued service and advice at no charge to our clients to provide the end result of a memorable vacation.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
We run our business with a heart for service. The most important aspect to our business is our customers. We work every day to make sure our customers are happy with the vacations we are planning. We do this by constantly learning about the suppliers, destinations, innovations, and experiences available. We hold certifications through supplier learning and industry leaders such as CLIA and ASTA. We attend training multiple times a year to stay on top of trends and what’s new and next in the industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.arktravelandtours.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cp_arktt/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arktravelandtours
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cruise-planners-arktravelandtours-com/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cp_arktt8430
Image Credits
Ryan and Allison Kirsch
Yan Campos
Barbara Hoffman
