Meet a Travel Designer: Loretta Darcy was the very first person Mary Jean Tully hired when she launched Tully Luxury Travel 35 years ago in 1987. “I have to say that I've been very blessed,” Loretta says. “Being with Tully Luxury Travel continues to be a great ride. I wouldn’t have wanted to be with any other company.”
How did you get started in the travel industry?
I originally wanted to be a teacher, but ended up taking a travel program at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. After graduation, I got a job right away, working first for a tour operator in downtown Toronto and then at a cruise-only travel agency, one of only three in Canada at the time.
How were you introduced to Mary Jean Tully?
When Mary Jean was thinking of launching a similar cruise-only business in Canada, she phoned the agency one day posing as a potential client, checking out the competition. I just happened to answer the phone. After our chat, she phoned back 10 minutes later to confess: ‘I’m thinking of opening a cruise travel agency in Mississauga. Would you be interested in coming for an interview?’ I lived in Mississauga and was commuting to my job downtown, so I saw the potential in working closer to home, even though I didn’t have children yet. My parents were very concerned: ‘How can you leave a good job to work for such a new company? Do you not see the risk?’ I don’t know what it was. There was just something about Mary Jean’s personality and energy and excitement that was very unique. She is a person you meet and do not forget! I just had a gut feeling that I should do this.
Do you remember your first day at the office?
We opened June 1, 1987, just the two of us in a small office – painted bright pink! And we sat on the floor and went through everything. Within the Canadian cruise-selling business at the time, we were dealing mainly with tour operators, whereas Mary Jean, working in the U.S., was booking directly with the cruise lines. This was part of her success, right from day one. We began putting a plan together, working from this U.S. perspective on how best to book cruises.
What separated you from the competition?
We started off selling mainly Caribbean and Alaskan cruises, but soon branched out to the Mediterranean and beyond – different destinations within the luxury market. But Mary Jean has always had a vision that when you go on a cruise, you also want to experience the two anchoring ports of call as well, spending time getting to know the destination before getting back on the ship or flying home. This is how we became different from the other agencies, concentrating not just on the cruise, but on all the pieces of the puzzle. We offered our clients a fuller, more personal experience – and we still do.
What are the benefits of booking with Tully Luxury Travel?
There are a variety of reasons, but the main one is experience: We eliminate the uncertainty that people would have if they booked directly. We know what’s best, because we’ve experienced many of the voyages ourselves. All of my colleagues travel extensively, and we collaborate with each other on an ongoing basis, sharing information gained on the road that we then pass on to our clients. Our collective experience speaks volumes. I’ve been here 35 years, but many of my colleagues have also been with Tully Luxury Travel for years – 20, 25 and 30 years.
How close is the travel world to getting back to normal?
We’re still handling kinks in the travel process, but we’re getting really good at working through them. We’re still dealing with cancellations and rebooking, moving people’s trips forward on the calendar, managing unexpected airline changes. That’s just our world now but we do see travel coming back in a big way.
What’s on your bucket list??
I haven’t been to Australia, New Zealand or the Tahitian Islands yet – I think you need lots of time to visit these places. You can’t just go for two weeks, you need three or four. I’ve also never been to Israel or Jordan – both very high on the list. After 35 years – and longer really, I’ve been travelling since I was 16 – I’ve seen a lot, but there is still so much more to see and experience!