In the early 1900’s, an Italian immigrant by the name of Eugenio LaMacchia brought many Italian immigrants to the United States through use of the steamship and train transportation. 100 years later, his family continues to hold a place in the travel industry. With Eugenio’s great grandson Tom Karnes and Tom’s wife Monica at the helm, LaMacchia Travel Agency is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year.

LaMacchia is located at 618 - 55th Street in Downtown Kenosha. “We’re a full service travel agency that specializes in destination weddings and honeymoons, incentive and group travel,” Tom says. They are very well versed with all of Europe, but Italy is considered to be their premiere destination. (That is no surprise, given that’s where it all started for the family business!) Really though, when people ask “what’s your specialty”, the answer is “everything.” They provide special touches, including dinner show reservations and event planning for groups and companies. If there’s a place the agents haven’t been, they know how to find out about it – from legitimate tour operators and companies.

“Just give us a shot at your vacation” is the phrase LaMacchia likes to use. If travelers use the Internet to plot out their vacation, then Tom suggests they also contact LaMacchia and see if they can beat the price or not. “Wouldn’t you rather deal with us than someone you don’t know?” Tom asks. He says his agents are the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Tom adds there is so much information available on the Internet, it can be overwhelming for people. And “you just don’t know who to trust.” Meanwhile, value can be found in experienced, unbiased travel agents. He says it’s not true that everything online is less expensive when it comes to travel plans.

Tom understands what it’s like for the KACVB to start planning next year’s Visitors Guide in July. The day before this late July interview, he helped two couples who were already making their cruise plans for 2013! Something a little harder to plan in advance, one would think, is when the Packers land in the Super Bowl or the Badgers in the Rose Bowl.

Yet as the football season goes on, his group follows along. They have relationships with legitimate and trustworthy tour operators, who put together Super Bowl packages every year, regardless of who is playing. This helps when, once the bowl teams are determined, the calls from customers start coming in. As is typical, there was more initial interest in this past Super Bowl than those who actually booked. With the cost of airfare, hotel nights, game tickets, and transfers, it is expensive. Tom says there was a better response for the Rose Bowl, which includes not only the football game, but the parade, and other activities.

Just as the KACVB has a new & improved website, so does LaMacchia. Featured on the website are promos & packages, testimonials, travel news, travel tools, vacation ideas, the history of the family business, and more. The travel tools page includes links to such useful information as a passport application, currency calculator, using ATM’s overseas, and travel insurance. LaMacchia’s agents are also profiled, and customers can post their vacation story or pictures.

According to LaMacchia’s website, Eugenio's vision was to help Italian immigrants come to the United States from the old country and give them the opportunity that he received. In the early days, LaMacchia would prepare Italian documents, help clients with the translation of documents and assist them with immigration matters. It was Eugenio's son Edmund who founded LaMacchia Travel.

In the 1940's, a time when most women stayed at home with the kids, Edmund’s innovative and headstrong wife, Emma, urged him to add airline travel to the products they offered. LaMacchia Travel became one of the first agencies in the state to do this. Emma is credited as being very important to the success of the business, and while raising six children, she was Edmund’s right hand person in the business.

In 1959, their son Eugene LaMacchia (Tom’s Uncle Gene) joined the business, which also handled insurance, tax preparation and bail bonds businesses. All six children worked in the business in one way or another. In the early 1980’s, Tom joined the business. “I’ve worked with a lot of family members over the years,” he says. Tom and Monica bought the business on January 1, 2009, after his Uncle Bill had been running it.

LaMacchia Travel Agency celebrated its 80th anniversary on July 19, by hosting a Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce Business After 5 event at Anderson Arts Center. The networking event preceded that evening’s Twilight Jazz concert. Tom says the event was a great success, and they enjoyed the support of local businesses. Select customers and vendors were also invited. Some in attendance had never been to Twilight Jazz or Anderson Arts Center, and so Tom says the business was able to “showcase something right in your own backyard” – something that is free at that. Prizes were given away, including a trip to Mexico.

Tom marvels at the 80 year mark – and how that’s a long time for any kind of business, and for it to be a family owned business is “crazy”. He says other businesses are impressed by their longevity. Before the anniversary year is over, more promotions will likely be offered to celebrate.

LaMacchia is very involved in the community. The travel agency is a main sponsor of Twilight Jazz, and have supported the concert series for at least the last five years. On July 30, the business sponsored the appearance of Radio Disney at a PBJ Kids event at Veterans Memorial Park. The business also provides matching donations in the form of gift certificates for golf outings and other fundraisers.

Last October, LaMacchia sponsored its own event: a Travel Trade Show. The event is being held again this fall. Over 430 attended the first year event, with 35 vendors present. It’s something that’s not really held in the Kenosha, Racine, Burlington, or northern Illinois area, Tom says. Vendors and consumers came together to talk and discuss various destinations. Some discussions would ultimately lead to bookings through LaMacchia. The exposure of holding an event like this in and of itself was beneficial for the business.

Tour operators came for the trade show from Mexico, the Caribbean, Disney, the Chicago area, and Milwaukee. Travel representatives also visit throughout the year, and are impressed with the Kenosha Area, Tom shares. He says he takes a little pride in not only what his business does, but also in showing Kenosha off.

People may not realize “we have a much greater reach than just Kenosha,” Tom says. They have affiliates in Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Las Vegas. For instance, television stations sell trips through their websites, and LaMacchia is the travel agency that books them. The Kenosha business has “a very large national reach.” Over the years they’ve booked scuba diving trips for customers from as far away as Greece and South America, by working with the Scuba Diver Girls brand. Corporate clients include Pepsi and Northwestern Mutual Life.

And what does one get the bride and groom that have all the home essentials, but may not be able to afford the honeymoon of their dreams? You give them that honeymoon! People can register for their wedding showers with LaMacchia, and gifted amounts are applied towards the honeymoon. Sometimes people give money for specific items, such as champagne and roses in the hotel room.

Finally, just how much travel does a travel agent get to do?? Tom says they try to get the staff out at least once, if not twice, a year to a check out a new destination. He and his wife travel a few times a year, including with their three daughters. They’ve been to Europe including Italy, as well as Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii, and the South Pacific. Still to come? He wants to travel to Asia, specifically Hong Kong, but he thinks his wife wants to return to Italy.

We may be all about bringing tourists to the Kenosha Area, but we also like to get away ourselves. When planning your next vacation, consult with LaMacchia Travel Agency! Visit them in person, call them, look up their new website, or like LaMacchia Travel on Facebook.

For more information: (262) 656-8300, www.lamacchiatravel.com