PHOTO: The Anderson family joined to celebrate 50 years in travel for founders Pal and Pat Anderson. (photo by James Shillinglaw)

There aren’t too many family travel businesses that continue to be successful generation after generation. Avoya Travel is one of those exceptions.

On Jan. 15, the host travel agency celebrated 50 years in travel for its founding Anderson family during a gala party at the Sheraton Carlsbad in Carlsbad, Calif. Four generations of Andersons gathered to honor founders Pal and Pat Anderson, as well as celebrate the family’s golden anniversary in travel.

Top executives from Avoya’s preferred suppliers, the Avoya team and many of Avoya’s independent affiliates, who have helped build the agency into a leisure-selling powerhouse, joined the Andersons to celebrate.

The day also featured an open house at the company’s office building in Vista, Calif., and a series of seminars showcasing the company’s independent affiliates, its performance in 2013 and goals for the future.

In 1964, Pal and Pat Anderson, after moving to Hawaii from Washington with their two sons, Brad and Van, bought wholesaler Hawaiian Paradise Tours. Years later, after the family moved back to the mainland, Pal and Pat founded Anderson Travel, a full-service, American Express-affiliated travel agency with multiple locations in the San Diego area. Brad and Van inherited that agency, though their parents continued to work with them.

Fast forward to the early 2000s, when Brad and Van transformed Anderson Travel into America’s Vacation Center (AVC), a host agency focused mainly on selling cruises through hundreds of independent affiliated agents. Indeed, two years ago Bran and Van were inducted into the Cruise Lines International Association Hall of Fame for their cruise-selling efforts.

Four years ago, with an eye on the international market, AVC changed its name to Avoya Travel. It now works through well over 500 independent affiliates, who are supported by 150 internal staff, many of whom are located in the company’s office building in Vista, Calif.

Avoya has branched out beyond cruises to sell tours, vacation packages, resorts and airline tickets, though cruise sales continue to represent the majority of its sales. It offers a Live Leads marketing program to its independent affiliates, routing those leads to those affiliates who are expert at selling certain vacation products.

There are now five Anderson family members on Avoya’s team: Co-presidents Brad and Van Anderson; Brad’s sons Jeff and Mike, both of whom were just promoted to executive vice president; and Brad’s daughter Bethany Anderson, who helps oversee sales strategy and development.

“Our company has expanded significantly over the years and our family’s and company’s core values of integrity and professionalism remain steadfast,” said Brad Anderson. “We are proud of the heritage our parents created 50 years ago and we are confident that the next 50 years will be even better for Avoya Travel and our network of independent agencies.”

“We have leveraged the opportunities each decade has presented to create the business model we have today and are committed to innovation for the future,” added Van Anderson. “We are continuing our parents’ dream and love for the travel business by growing Avoya Travel and creating opportunities for others…the best is yet to come.”