It’s been nearly 30 years since Jason and Linda Kroupa opened the doors on House of Travel Motueka—now an award-winning store after being named Top House of Travel Store of the Year at the brand’s annual awards recently.
The duo attributes the win to doing work they love, immersing themselves in a community they love, and being backed by a Kiwi-owned business that believed in them since day one. “Linda and I will always remember our opening day on 28 Feb 1996, when a customer from the bank told us we had the best job in the world,” says Kroupa. “It’s a conversation we never forget, and we’re so grateful to work in this wonderful industry, helping our customers make the most treasured travel memories of their lives.”
. . . Other Winners
The store was just one of the big award winners from the Nelson region this year. Brendon Maguire from House of Travel Nelson was named Top Travel Consultant of the Year, while Orbit World Nelson’s Matt Roberts was named Top Corporate Travel Consultant of the Year. Jason McKay, owner operator of House of Travel and Orbit Nelson, says he could not be prouder of Maguire and Roberts for their achievement. “There was some tough competition among the top group of consultants, and to see our two lads from Nelson come out on top nationally is a real credit to the years of hard work they’ve put in with [HoT] and Orbit here.”
. . . Holdings Key
The wins would not have come, says McKay and Kroupa, if they had not been supported by their 50% business partner House of Travel Holdings. Kroupa also points out that it was the House of Travel founder Chris Paulsen who convinced them to open their own travel agency. “I remember a local town counsellor at the time advised us that opening a travel agency was madness and that what Motueka needed was a good haberdashery. But customers found us on day one and have been loyal almost three decades on.”
