::local business matters by Nicole Shein I photo by michelle macirella
Christine Van Zile has traveled around the world—to Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, where the landscape’s natural beauty impelled her to stop the car, stand by the side of the road, and simply admire the view—but she prefers a destination slightly closer to home. “We have a cottage up on Lake Ontario,” says Van Zile, a leisure travel coordinator for Van Zile Travel, “and if I had my druthers to be anywhere, I’d be there. It’s the most beautiful area in the world.” Yet Van Zile, who lives in Canandaigua and works in the city, loves the entire Rochester region. “We’ve got incredible natural resources. You can go to world-class theatres, museums and restaurants, yet you can still go out hiking in the hills or down to the Finger Lakes. And how many people have Niagara Falls right in their own backyard?” Van Zile Travel Services, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, is a true family business—it was started by Van Zile’s grandfather, operated for years by her father, and is now owned by her sister, Kate Van Zile. The sisters, including Vice President of Sales Jayne Van Zile, experienced some turbulence when they took over the business from their father in the late 1980s. “The travel industry was very male-dominated,” recalls Christine. “We ran into some struggles getting clients to understand that we were the ones closing the deals. Also, our dad was very well-regarded in the community, and a lot of people still wanted to talk to him. It was a bit of a challenge getting clients to understand that we meant business.” Three decades later, that business continues to thrive, and the Van Zile sisters have found that working at a woman-owned company has its benefits, including the fact that some corporate clients seek out a woman-owned travel agency. Christine Van Zile, who has been married to her husband, Richard Stabins, for 28 years, and whose two grown sons live nearby—Benjamin in Geneva, and Keith in Niagara Falls—also appreciates the family-friendly culture. “A majority of our 45 employees are women, so we really are family-oriented. We all have children, and so it’s not like being at a humongous company where there’s no bending of the rules. That’s where our company shines; we are very understanding when life happens.” Now a certified travel consultant, Van Zile has seen some remarkable changes in the 30 years since she started out as a temporary receptionist. Booking flights and making hotel reservations was done manually. The industry has since been revolutionized twice, first by tele-ticketing and automation, and most recently by the Internet—which Van Zile considers a boon to travel agents, not a threat.
Van Zile Travel
Celebrating 100 Years
“Actually, the ‘net gives me job security,” laughs Van Zile. “My clients sometimes become overwhelmed at how much is out there, and call me to help make decisions. With my experience, I can decipher what to choose and what to bypass. “I’ve always loved coming to work,” she adds. “There is a great satisfaction helping someone arrange the trip of a lifetime, to see it all come together, and then to hear about it afterward, when they come back having had a great time.” rochesterWomanMag.com :: june/july 2011
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