Right out of college I took a job with Alitalia Airlines. I was assigned to work at JFK at the Alitalia terminal next door to the International Arrivals Building. I loved working at the airport. I met people from all over- made friends who taught me about their cultures, languages and all about great food. 

I learned enough during a four year tenure to venture off into the travel business. It was 1982 when I opened my first storefront agency in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Like any new business, it took long hours, much time spent on learning, and offering my clients the kind of service that kept them coming back, ,and recommending me to others. The business grew mostly through word of mouth. 

In the late 80's I moved the business to Manhattan on the westside off of Amsterdam Avenue. The years spent in Manhattan added many dimensions such as new computer reservations systems, computerized ticketing, and customized packaging of tours. By 1990 we were well established with an additional office in Bronxville, New York. 

September 11, 2001 and the recession caused many agencies to shutter their businesses, no longer able to make ends meet. It was also a time when airlines stopped paying commissions to travel agents. We lost the one source of income we relied on to make a living. We were told to start charging fees for our services. In the immediate aftermath of the loss of commissions, most people felt they did not want to pay fees to travel agents which had them turn to the internet for their ticketing needs. It was the plan of the airlines all along to concentrate on their websites to have people book directly with them. 

The only choice those of us bent on staying business was to recreate ourselves as niche agents. We chose destinations that became our specialties, and we started marketing ourselves as experts to those places. I chose Italy and Europe as my specialties. My parents were both born in Southern Italy. In my teen years we moved back to their hometown, and I spent four years becoming an Italian. I learned to speak fluently, absorbed the best of a very appealing culture and I travel extensively throughout the peninsula in the coming years. Being bilingual was the clincher in getting that first job with Alitalia. 

I paired a career in teaching with my travel business to keep me busy over the next forty years. I recently retried from my high school teaching position in Yonkers, and my travel agency (TRAVEL ONE SOURCE) has survived all the trials and tribulations to celebrate those forty years. Until Covid our bookings averaged over one million dollars per year. The pandemic almost put us out of business in 2020. We are struggling, but with some staying power and resources that can help us get through, we plan on beating Covid. 

We would not still be here if it weren't for friends, family and the good graces of our clients. Sincere thanks to all who have supported us over the years. We love what we do, and we believe we are damn good at it. 

John Dolgetta