By Emmett Fitzpatrick
On August 27, 2000, Pam Carroll officially purchased Gadabout Travel, the South Side travel agency originally founded by Rose Lynn, an Irish immigrant from Belmullet, County Mayo.
Even though Pam had worked at Gadabout since 1986 and knew the travel business inside and out, she recalls being a “nervous and scared little kid” that day. Now, 25 years later, after weathering the 9/11 terrorist attacks and related travel downtown, the Great Recession, the advent of social media and internet travel bookings, and the COVID-19 global pandemic, Pam is excited to mark the 50th anniversary of Gadabout Travel with a special celebration in the storefront and a raffle for a tropical vacation.
“I love my job,” Pam regularly remarks, and that passion for serving clients extends to her staff members, who collectively boast 75 years of travel industry experience.
The Gadabout Travel team (left to right): Pam, Lisa, Rosario, Felicia, Helena, and Melissa
While many travel agencies have shuttered given the aforementioned challenges that the industry has faced this century, Gadabout has continued to survive and prosper. First and foremost, Pam credits her team for this success, plus a dedication to client success. She and her colleagues take the time to visit the properties and destinations that she recommends, traversing the globe to ensure that clients will have the best experience possible.
“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 business that is predicated on referrals and personal recommendations, the longevity of client relationships provides proof that the Gadabout formula 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 tailored customer service, Gadabout also provides a plethora of travel services, from personalized family vacations to destination weddings and group trips, among the many offerings available to clients. Pam and her team offer support for all budgets, from hiring a private driver for small groups to travel in luxury on their own time, to arranging train timetables for young people who are more cost-conscious.
While Gadabout Travel’s reach extends across the globe, including destination weddings in Mexico and group trips to places like Spain and Portugal (where they have over 80 people planning to travel on a group trip later this year), at its heart, the company still stays true to its Irish roots; in addition to its founding by Rose Lynn, Gadabout’s second owner Marie O’Donnell was also an Irish immigrant from Belmullet.
“When I bought the business, Rose told 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 number one destination.
Looking ahead, Pam shows no signs of slowing down. While she acknowledges that in the travel industry, “you never know what’s around the corner,” she remains committed to the same values that have made Gadabout Travel such a successful institution for the last half century.
Join Gadabout Travel for a special anniversary celebration at their office (10552 S Roberts Rd in Palos Hills) on August 27. The event will include a drawing for a 3-night stay at Hard Rock Hotel in Punta Cana or Cancun, and anyone who books a trip or cruise before August 27 will be entered into the contest.
For more information, email 
Gadabout Travel is Turning Fifty and They Are Busier Than Ever!
