Judy Cassidy is the owner of AnchorBay Travel Shoppe.
She describes the business as a family-owned, faith-based full-service travel agency specializing in cruises, groups, and all-inclusive vacations.
“I operate out of my home office so I mostly do free consultations over the phone if anyone is interested in making travel arrangements,” Cassidy said. “Or (we can) meet in a public place for coffee/tea.”
Cassidy attended Fort Scott High School, got married and moved away, then moved back to Fort Scott in October 2021.
She pursued a hospitality career and lived in Nashville, Denver, and Kansas City in those years away.
The idea of the business started years ago in a church she was attending.
“My original passion for this agency started when I was very involved in my church in Denver,” according to a press release. “I already had the travel bug and wanderlust appetite for travel but I wanted to do something fun and eventful for church groups.”
She then began planning cruise groups for churches: for their singles groups, women’s/men’s retreats, and for trips to the Holy Land.
She began her diverse career in travel and hospitality after having gained an unexpected jumpstart into the industry when she found herself managing a hotel at the age of 18, she said.
She then worked as a human resources generalist for one of the largest travel agencies at the time in Kansas City.
“Completely passionately in love with traveling, (I) continued expanding my career in upper-management and consultative roles in information technology, hotel/resort operations, sales, marketing and revenue management along with managing (my) travel agency,” according to the press release. “The travel agency was kept at a manageable part-time level while (I) continued with my hospitality career.”
Cassidy is now full-time in Fort Scott, since October 2021, with her agency AnchorBay Travel Shoppe.
She has been partnering with a travel agency to get re-certified and help with re-branding, Cassidy said.
“We haven’t officially launched, we are getting ready to do that at the end of January 2022,” she said. “But I am available to do some travel arrangements now.”
“I am the main person in the business, I have a couple of travel advisors that work by commission,” she said.
Her mission is to “passionately inspire, educate, and fulfill dreams – one client, one destination, one travel experience at a time,” according to the press release.
She believes traveling is the gateway to a broader understanding of vast cultures and destinations yet to be explored.
“We are a full-service agency with a special niche for groups,” according to the press release. “Whether it be faith-based cruises, business/incentive seminars at sea, or annual affinity groups. We look forward to crafting the vacation experience of your dreams.”
“And because Covid also changed the dynamics of traveling, and continues to change daily, we have the tools to stay on top of the latest news, rules and protocols,” she said.
“If something goes wrong on your trip, we work on your behalf and will go to bat for you– no matter who is at fault — and try to get your vacation back on track.”
“We have access to a variety of tools that the average consumer is not able to use or doesn’t know about,” she said. “We can sometimes get you a better seat on an airplane, add amenities at hotels, room upgrades, event tickets, and plan activities for you.”
Contact information: 620.644.9696 or https://anchorbaytravel.com/