Travel OCC, student-run travel agency at Orange Coast College, now open

COSTA MESA, Calif. (KABC) — Planning your next getaway just got a whole lot easier with the help of Travel OCC, an on-campus student-run travel agency at Orange Coast College.

Travel OCC is staffed entirely by students from the Hospitality, Travel, and Tourism program, providing them with the necessary internship hours to complete their program without having to leave campus.

The students are able to get hands-on experience in running a full-service travel agency.

“There’s a lot to it to travel,” said student Heather Krause. “There’s tours, there’s cruise lines, there’s flights, and it’s not easy.”

Travel OCC fittingly launched this month on Travel Tuesday, a day when travel companies offer great deals on flights.

“You can actually come into Travel OCC. It’s a very personalized experience,” said Travel OCC Director Dr. Katherine Collette. “You can have a face-to-face conversation with a travel agent intern.”

Student Nicole Masuda is excited to be a part of the program.

“Younger people can come, maybe they don’t know about travel agencies at all,” she said. “They want a quick trip somewhere for the summer, they can just come here and figure it out. I think it’s pretty cool.”

The full-service agency is supervised by industry professionals and certified travel advisors.

“There’s so much out there. There’s so many different cultures, different people that you don’t realize when you’re here in Orange County. You live in your little bubble,” said Krause.

Collette said not only can the agency help save you time, the students can also plan and book a trip for you.

“Because we’re travel and tourism experts, we can oftentimes use our relationships with suppliers, hotel changes, flight packages; we may be even to save you money,” she said.

Travel OCC’s takeoff has been smooth so far. Students hope the agency helps them stay on course as they chase their goals in the travel industry.

“I can be kinder to people, or work through and with people through hospitality, and what better of a way than being a flight attendant or working at a travel agency or a hotel, places where there’s people constantly who are there to have a good time,” said Masuda.

“After taking these classes and these instructors and how excited they get about it, you get excited for it too,” said Krause.

Travel OCC’s ultimate goal is to help not just students and alumni but the community as a whole.

For more information you can contact them at info@travelocc.com or 714-432-5821.