We are a full service travel agency that will help you see the world before you leave it.  We have travel knowledge about the best ways to make your travel dreams come true.  Let us help find the best one for you, your family and friends.

Sharon Emerson

 

Phone: (866) 367-7657
Email:


Sharon's Disney Tips
Sharon's Safari Tips
Sharon in Switzerland
Sharon's Kauai Tips
 

From a very young age, travel has been part of my life.

Having an Uncle who traveled the world and took me to interesting places, sparked this interest. Even in grade school I would sneak into a local hotel on my way home from school and take the brochures from the rack in the lobby. I thought I was stealing and I can still see the dark wood and the dim lights of the lobby. Then I made scrapbooks of every state in the Union and every capital of those states.

After I married and we moved to various cities as well as on the trips we would take, we always explored the area as though we would never return. We even checked out hotels which I do now as part of my profession.

In 1979 we started our own construction business and since then have owned many businesses. It wasn’t until 1993 when a friend told me she was going to travel school did I ever think of travel as a profession. I jumped into school and knew this was going to be my “end of life” career. After 2 years in school I went to work in a travel agency as an outside agent. Going to travel school was not even a drop in the bucket of the knowledge I needed to begin selling travel. This is the most complex business I have ever been in. After 7 years in 2 agencies, and being very independent, I moved my office home and have kept right on going. I now have a number of Independent Contractors who work with me.

The first thing I did was begin to get my certifications.

I went to over 15 Cruise-a-Thons, which were training conventions and no longer exist, and began my Cruise Line International Association or CLIA certifications. I traveled all over the US to take classes including a time at the University of Miami. It took me over 10 years to go through the 3 steps of certification – ACC, MCC, ECC. After the ECC, Elite Cruise Counselor, was developed I quickly went to work on this. At that time not many home based agents could qualify. I was #43 in the country to get this certification. Along with the CLIA certifications, I began to get my Travel Institute Certifications. These are even harder to get and require a lot of study. I passed the tests and received my CTA and CTC certifications. Many countries, islands and cities have Destination Specialist programs. These are ongoing and I have earned DS certifications in many of these. The biggest learning I have done is to travel the world.

For many years I have been concerned about how the next generation of travel agents would be trained.

Most schools are closed as are most brick and mortar agencies where you used to go to get training. Now with the webinairs, I have found an avenue for passing my knowledge onto anyone wanting to become a Certified Travel Agent. My hope is many will take advantage of this training and become professional travel agents. I’d like to introduce you to my Certified Travel Agent Training.

Sharon Emerson has been in the travel business since 1994.
Here are just a few of her certifications:

CTC (Certified Travel Counselor) certification. This is the highest certification available to any travel agent. This certification is issued by the Institute of Certified Travel Agents upon completion and testing on numerous travel curriculums.
ECC (Elite Cruise Counselor). This prestigious certification has been achieved by only 40 agents in the whole US. It is to your benefit to work with an agent who is continually keeping ahead of the "pack" on education, as well as one who cares about your dreams and needs.
 

Here are just a few of Sharon Emerson's DS (Destination Specialist) certifications:

DS (Destination Specialist). This is a multifaceted program for various destinations in the world and is an ongoing training.

Disney College of Knowledge Graduate:

Read Sharon's "Disney Tips" to experience the benefits that the knowledge of a specialist can bring to your Disney vacation.

Fiji Specialist:

There is a word you'll hear all the time in Fiji and that is "Bula" — "Bula" can mean hello or welcome, cheers or good health. "Bula" is guaranteed to be delivered and received with the warmest smiles you'll ever see. A Matai is one who is knowledgeable: they are knowledgeable about Fiji's various options and a guide : their knowledge of Fiji will help guide you to the benefits, values and correct choices to an enhanced Fiji experience.

Ireland Specialist:

To become an Ireland Specialist, an agent must complete several courses to prove their extensive knowledge of Ireland.

Tahiti Specialist:

A Tahiti Tiare agent has a wide variety of knowledge about this exotic group of islands. A Tahiti specialist can quickly tell you facts like: "It takes under 8 hours to fly to Tahiti from Los Angeles", "The time difference between Tahiti and the West coast is only 2 hours". If you want your "trip of a lifetime" to be memorable, a Tahiti Specialist can help.

Extensive travel, both domestic and international, including: