Gadabout Travel is Turning Fifty and They Are Busier Than Ever!

By Emmett Fitzpatrick
On August 27, 2000, Pam Carroll formally bought Gadabout Travel, the South Side journey company initially based by Rose Lynn, an Irish immigrant from Belmullet, County Mayo.

Even although Pam had labored at Gadabout since 1986 and knew the journey enterprise inside and outside, she remembers being a “nervous and scared little kid” that day. Now, 25 years later, after weathering the 9/11 terrorist assaults and associated journey downtown, the Great Recession, the arrival of social media and web journey bookings, and the COVID-19 international pandemic, Pam is worked up to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Gadabout Travel with a particular celebration within the storefront and a raffle for a tropical trip.

“I love my job,” Pam commonly remarks, and that zeal for serving purchasers extends to her workers members, who collectively boast 75 years of journey trade expertise.

The Gadabout Travel crew (left to proper): Pam, Lisa, Rosario, Felicia, Helena, and Melissa

While many journey businesses have shuttered given the aforementioned challenges that the trade has confronted this century, Gadabout has continued to outlive and prosper. First and foremost, Pam credit her crew for this success, plus a dedication to consumer success. She and her colleagues take the time to go to the properties and locations that she recommends, traversing the globe to make sure that purchasers may have the very best expertise attainable. 

“I always say, the internet makes everything look great, even if that’s not true in real life, and AI doesn’t make sense a lot of times,” Pam notes. “On the other hand, we’re visiting Ireland 1-2 times per year, so our clients can trust that what we’re recommending is real and has been vetted. My team and I like to call certain properties that we really like ‘Pam hotels’ because we know our clients will have great experiences there.”

In a enterprise that’s predicated on referrals and private suggestions, the longevity of consumer relationships gives proof that the Gadabout system is working.

“Our clients are our friends. Some of them have worked with us for 20, 30, or even 40 years. We’ve booked a Disney vacation for a family, watched those kids grow up, planned their honeymoons, and are now booking a Disney trip for their families,” she proudly shares.

In addition to tailor-made customer support, Gadabout additionally gives a plethora of journey companies, from personalised household holidays to vacation spot weddings and group journeys, among the many many choices obtainable to purchasers. Pam and her crew provide assist for all budgets, from hiring a personal driver for small teams to journey in luxurious on their very own time, to arranging prepare timetables for younger people who find themselves extra cost-conscious.

While Gadabout Travel’s attain extends throughout the globe, together with vacation spot weddings in Mexico and group journeys to locations like Spain and Portugal (the place they’ve over 80 individuals planning to journey on a gaggle journey later this yr), at its coronary heart, the corporate nonetheless stays true to its Irish roots; along with its founding by Rose Lynn, Gadabout’s second proprietor Marie O’Donnell was additionally an Irish immigrant from Belmullet.

“When I purchased the enterprise, Rose informed me to ‘take care of the Irish,” Pam recalls, and she continues to honor that promise today.

Pam works closely with Gaelic Park and the Irish American Heritage Center, proudly advertises in this paper, and of course strengthens the connection with clients and Ireland, which she calls our “51st state” that is still the company’s primary vacation spot.

Looking forward, Pam exhibits no indicators of slowing down. While she acknowledges that within the journey trade, “you never know what’s around the corner,” she stays dedicated to the identical values which have made Gadabout Travel such a profitable establishment for the final half century.

Join Gadabout Travel for a particular anniversary celebration at their workplace (10552 S Roberts Rd in Palos Hills) on August 27. The occasion will embody a drawing for a 3-night keep at Hard Rock Hotel in Punta Cana or Cancun, and anybody who books a visit or cruise earlier than August 27 shall be entered into the competition. 

For extra info, e-mail This e-mail tackle is being protected against spambots. You want JavaScript enabled to view it. or name 708-974-1300.