This lady gets you traveling

Genny Arrieta at El Dorado Hills Travel will open the doors and your mind to traveling the globe because she makes jet-setting carefree – the way it is supposed to be. Democrat photo by Shelly Thorene

Ask Genny Arietta where to go for  a great time and she’ll be glad to tell you.

The bubbly owner/manager of El Dorado Hills Travel is happy to get you on your way whether it’s a work related trip or a wildlife safari in India.

A woman who has been on the travel scene since 1981, she’s owned her own travel business since 1984 when she started one in her home.

At the time there were no commercial sites in the area, she said. But since 1992 she’s been in Village Square and is now one of the two oldest tenants in the center which is located right off El Dorado Hills Boulevard.

Offering customized and packaged tours, cruises, honeymoon trips, family vacations, day outings and more, Arietta can handle all the details to make any trip as memorable and stress-free as possible.

Arietta said her interest in the travel business dates back to when her grandmother took her to Hawaii as a high school graduation present.

“We stayed in a hotel but the bathroom had no door, so they had to move us,” she said. “There were little things they said would be done but weren’t. After that trip it was always in my mind so I started taking classes in hospitality. Then 15-20 years later, I started in the business.”

An entrepreneur at heart, while learning the travel business she also worked in her parent’s restaurant/nightclub in Vallejo along with her brother. When her parents sold the business, the whole family moved to El Dorado County where she, her brother and her daughter still live.

So what does she like about the business? For Arietta it’s that every day is a challenge and the constant changes in the travel industry help keep her on her toes with the biggest change being airline ticketing.

“I remember those nights when Southwest Airlines would have those $29 fares and I’d have a stack of tickets to write up. Then we went to computer tickets and now we have e-tickets. We give them a piece of paper and that’s their ticket. That’s a big difference.”

As to why use an agent for booking instead of going online and doing it yourself, Arietta noted that, “Everything looks pretty on the computer but when you get there it could be a different matter and if there’s problem, who do you go to? You have nothing as a resource. But with a travel agent you can come back and tell us you had a problem and we go to the supplier and a lot of the time they will give the traveler some kind of compensation if something is wrong.”

As an example of that, she remembers some people from the Bay Area who rented a condo online. As it turned out the condo was double booked leaving them with no way to get their money back and no place to stay.

“I don’t know if they ever got their money back. I booked them into a hotel,” Arietta said, “but it was not what they had planned.”

Another advantage of using travel agents is they can get you the best price on an airline ticket since they can check all the airlines. The agent can also suggest other scenarios for travelers who may be unfamiliar with the area they are visiting. And for those going on cruises they can arrange for additional shipboard credits as they usually know all the different credits and perks available for the different cruise lines.

“That’s what we’re here for,” she grinned.

Asked where people are traveling this year, Arietta said Europe is the most popular destination. The Caribbean is also popular, especially in the spring, but there are lots of wonderful places to visit in this country as well. As an example, she will soon be leading a group tour down the Mississippi from Memphis to New Orleans aboard a steamboat.

Also putting together individualized tours, a recent one she booked was for clients who wanted to backpack in Guadalajara. “I didn’t recommend it,” she said. But she did get them a great deal on a rented car that only cost $6.39 for 6 days. “The other agent and I both looked twice at the price when we saw it,” she laughed.

The travel agent said her favorite way to travel is aboard a ship. “You unpack once and everything in one place. And there is also extra time in port to explore.” Combining a mini vacation with business, Arietta said she will soon be taking a three-day trip on a new ship being launched in May by Norwegian Cruise Lines called the Norwegian Bliss.

With a large list of loyal clients, Arietta said her business draws customers from El Dorado County as well as Sacramento and the Bay Area. “I even get clients as far away as New York,” she said. “People don’t even have to come into the office. They can just give me a call about what they want and I will take care of the rest. I’m fortunate that even though people move, they still think of me.”

So why do people travel? For many people it’s work related. But travel is also good for the soul. It changes up the routine and gives us a break from the everyday hustle and bustle. A family vacation is also a way for people to reconnect, relax and create some memories that will last a lifetime.

“It’s rewarding to hear people say they had a great time together and had so much fun. That’s so rewarding to hear that because you know you’ve made someone really really happy.”

El Dorado Hills Travel

3941 Park Drive, Suite 90,

El Dorado Hills.

(916) 933-0476 or email her at [email protected] Her website is edhtravel.com/