Club ABC Tours: 'Vacation Factory' Right in Town

Three years after taking over the family travel business in 1995, Tom Paris said it was ironically “location, location, location” that caused him to move the offices of from Union to its current headquarters in Bloomfield.

Paris, co-president of what he describes as one of the largest travel clubs in the country, said the change would make it more convenient for everyone.

“We used to be in Union, NJ and we were looking for a location that was easy to get to from the perspective of our suppliers,” said Paris, who owns the travel business with his brother, Robert. “Where we’re located is near the intersection of Route 3 and the Garden State Parkway, just miles from New York – it’s great!”

Now over 15 years later, Paris relishes his reverse commute to the Garden State from New York and has continued to build his brand from its Suite at 300 Broadacres Dr. despite a down economy.

Paris said he feels his travel business is in a good position to help would-be travelers who want their dollars to go even further. As a travel club, Paris said his company has been able to attract a consumer who has in the past been more accustomed to buying through a different travel method.

“For sure, the past couple of years have been a challenge,” said Paris. “The sentiment to spend hard-earned dollars on the part of the consumer has been clearly affected by all of the economic turmoil that we’ve experienced since 2008.”

Founded in 1966, Paris said Club ABC Tours is largest travel clubs in America, providing vacation tour packages for frequent travelers who seek great value and a high-quality experience.

Club ABC Tours offers its members about 250 first-class and deluxe vacation packages to worldwide destinations, including 125 cities in 30 countries on six continents, according to the company's website. Internationally, club members travel to Europe, Asia, the South Pacific, Africa, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Bermuda. Domestic packages cover much of the United States, as well as Canada.

For those looking to escape what has been a historically cold and snowy winter season, Paris said his company has noticed a trend to holidays in hot spots in Europe like Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. He said while Italy is usually among the most traveled to destinations within the travel club, the upcoming Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton and the 2012 Olympics are pegging the UK and Spain as “hot” destinations.

The travel club started as a side business for Paris' family in the late 1960s when his step-father Louis Kronberg was traveling to Europe often for his main business in libations. Paris said fewer people traveled in 1966, but those who did and knew his family often traveled to Europe, would seek the advice of his step-father, who would often coach would-be travelers on where to go and how to find the best deals.

“Holiday planning was the conversation at the dinner table when my brother and I were young kids. There was always airline, hotel, tourist board folks passing through our home,” Paris said. “Both of us ventured off into other businesses after college, but then we joined the business in the early 1990s after our stepfather suffered a stroke and could no longer manage the business on his own.”

Described as a kind of “a vacation factory,” Club ABC Tours also offers cruises as part of their packages and prides itself on providing the same personal touch provided decades ago when family friends would come to their step-father for travel advice. Paris said all travel destinations and hotels are check-out by Club employees before a hotel or cruise is used by the travel club.

“If you wanted to go somewhere you used to ask my step-father to put together vacations for places he knew well, and it’s the same philosophy today,” Paris said. “We have product people who go out and visit the hotel. They have to touch the bed and look at the rooms – our customers can’t buy things sight unseen.”

Due to its size and buying power, Club ABC Tours is able to create packages that are among the most value-focused in the market, according to Paris. Relying mostly on word of mouth, he said over the past 45 years, the company has spent most of its resources building great vacations instead of promoting itself through advertising.

According to its literature and website, people can become members for as low as $39 a year and they can join when booking vacations on the phone or online. Deeper discounts are available for those who apply for longer term membership.

Looking back at that move in 1992, the 58-year-old Paris said he left the diamond business and his brother the investment banking business to run Club ABC Tours without much of a second thought. He sees the parallel between his old business in the diamond district and his current occupation in travel.

“I discovered the diamond business isn’t that different from the travel business,” Paris mused. “People go on holidays and buy diamonds to fulfill dreams and do things they aspire to do. That’s what we try to do here – it’s inspirational.”