January 13, 2025 by Carol Britton Meyer (photos provided by Worldwide Travel Agency)
Welcome to “Five Minutes With” — Anchor’s new feature to help us get to know our neighbors. Everyone has a unique story to tell, so let’s get to know each other a bit more! Have someone you’d love to spend five minutes getting to know? Email us at info@hinghamanchor.com.
Carol Britton Meyer recently connected with World Wide Travel Agency owners Arlene and Harvey Kurr. You can learn more about the Kurrs and the unique services they provide as well as their favorite local spot, vacation destination, and what they enjoy doing in their spare time!
Name of business: World Wide Travel Agency, located at 1 Derby St., Suite 208, above Starbucks.
How long your agency has been in operation: We started the business more than 50 years ago in Quincy (now closed) and opened an office in Hingham Square around 1980, moving to the Derby Street location last September.
Services offered: We help people book unique trips — including river cruises in Europe and along the Mississippi River, adventure tours to see polar bears in British Columbia, the Galapagos Islands, and other destinations, and customized tours to many locations, including Asia, South America, and Europe. People look at river cruises as a new way to have fun — the boats are luxurious and feature a more intimate experience — with a maximum of 150 guests and a lot of great sightseeing and guided tours by local residents. It’s an awesome way to travel if you like history and enjoy an adventure! We also book bike trips through companies that specialize in them. Harvey has taken 25 bike trips with friends over the past 30 years all over the United States and Europe, so he has a lot of experience.
Your favorite part of running a travel agency: We both have always loved to travel — even before we met each other — and we love working with our clients because they are so happy and excited about planning a trip.
How you got into this business: Harvey’s career was in accounting, but he always wanted to be an entrepreneur. After reading an article in 1968 about the future of travel and that only 25 percent of Americans at that time had been on a plane, we decided to open our agency to offer people a way to plan special trips and adventures. The other reason is that at that time, employers were starting to offer their employees more vacation time.
How the travel agency business have changed over the years: It’s easy for people who are computer savvy to book their own trips, but World Wide Travel is still prospering because we offer personal service, and it’s easier to go through us than to book trips themselves. We enjoy working with clients who want to take advantage of our knowledge to book the best trips possible. We also offer our clients a sense of confidence, because we know what trips to recommend and which not to from our years of experience. What they see online themselves isn’t necessarily the true experience.
Your favorite destinations: We’ve enjoyed trips to the Caribbean, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and all over Europe.
The most interesting part of owning a travel agency: Our favorite part is making people who come into the office in a good mood –looking forward to something really great — happy. It’s especially rewarding to hear that they had a really good time upon their return.
What makes Hingham unique? We’ve lived in town for 52 years, and it’s a lovely and caring community.
What do you enjoy most doing in your spare time? Harvey enjoys biking, and we both enjoy traveling (of course!)
Favorite Hingham restaurants: We love the Square Cafe, Burton’s Grill, Caffe Tosca, Stars, and the Scarlet Oak Tavern.
Favorite local spot: nearby Hull Gut — sitting by the ocean watching the boats go by.
Favorite vacation destination: So far, a river cruise in Provence.
Do you have any hidden talents? Because of his extensive experience, Harvey can recommend the best places to bike around the world. Arlene likes to knit. “I have some great sweaters!” Harvey quipped.
World Wide Travel Agency is open Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., by appointment. Call (781) 740-0010 or email wwtravel5@hotmail.com for further information.