History

History of World Travel in Santa Ana, California

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80 years of providing the best travel experiences.

Let us travel back in time to 1938 when Harry Jackson, an entrepreneurial visionary, began his journey into the travel industry with the purchase of World Travel for $150. At the time Harry was a Professor at Santa Ana College and along with a few of his colleagues they conducted a low cost ($760) yet high quality 58-day European tour under the name “Cooperative Educational Tours”. With the success of these tours Harry left the teaching profession and dedicated himself full-time to the travel business. His travel business soon expanded beyond the European tours and began to encompass a variety of destinations to meet their clientele’s needs. After World War II the company began to grow into one of the top travel bureaus in California. Harry remained active in the business until his death in 1987. His dedication and passion for helping his clients enjoy the best travel experiences possible was evident to many and has been continued by his son, Tom Jackson.

Tom Jackson started working for the company at the early age of 13 stamping brochures and filing catalogs. Tom graduated from USC in 1962 and began to work in the front office. During the next 17 years he managed several of the agency’s offices and was an integral part of the growing success of World Travel. In 1979, he took on a larger role and became the president of the company, taking the company to an all-new level by opening locations throughout California in Orange Country, the Inland Empire, Camarillo, and Carmel. At one point they had as many as 15 locations. However, with the innovation of new computer technologies such as web, email, intranet and state-of-the-art software they were able to become leaner and more efficient without losing the founding principal of personal service. Currently they have 3 brick-and-mortar offices and 2 virtual offices to serve their clients throughout California. If asked, Tom would tell you “our specialty is the customer “ and that the real success of the business was made possible by his dedicated professional team that supports the company and the clients they serve.

Tom’s wife Sharon has been involved in the business for 28 years. Her work experience with American Airlines for 16 years has enhanced her love of travel. She is a key team member in World Travel’s continued growth and innovative approach to offering great travel experiences for both personal and corporate travelers.

World Travel owners, Tom and Sharon Jackson, have always loved to travel and experience the world. The many souvenirs they have brought home from their excursions can be seen throughout the corporate headquarters and each one of them prompts a story when Tom is taking a client on a tour of our building. Upon meeting this dynamic couple you instantly get pulled into their vibrant fun personalities. Their passion and dedication thrives with the ever-changing environment.

The history of World Travel has been over 80 years in the making and it has only just begun. The journey continues and they will always strive to be the best in the industry when it comes to personal and corporate travel.

Our dedication to quality ensures that every aspect of what we offer our clients from product to service is best-in-class.