Business & Tech

Travel the World with the Bolingbrook Area Chamber of Commerce

Greece, Dubai, Ireland, China -- enjoy a five-star international experience with the Bolingbrook Area Chamber of Commerce.

Have wanderlust? 

Travel around the world -- to China, Dubai, Greece, India, Ireland, Vietnam or on a European River Cruise -- with the Bolingbrook Area Chamber of Commerce. 

You'll get a five-star group travel experience at a great price, said Mike Evans, President and CEO of the Bolingbrook Area Chamber of Commerce. 

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That's because large travel companies work with chambers throughout the country to leverage the chambers' buying power. "We're able to get pricing no one else can get," Evans said. 

Trips range from $2,099 a person (Greece, eight-day trip) to $3,099 a person (Vietnam, ten-day trip). The price includes airfare, hotel, all ground transfers including to and from the airport and some meals. 

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While it's more common for chambers on the East and West Coast to organize international trips, Bolingbrook's chamber is the only one in Illinois to have "as aggressive a program as we do," he said. 

After establishing its own program just a few years ago, Bolingbrook is teaching other chambers how to organize trips. 

Why? 

Sending residents abroad allows the community to understand "how close we are to the global economy on a local level," so they can be "more knowledgable and more sensitive to global economics," Evans said. 

"For Bolingbrook to be successful, we have to benchmark ourselves globally." 

Travelers can enjoy just being tourists, or there are opportunities for business exchange and tours of key industries. 

"We bring Bolingbrook to the world," Evans said. "We say, 'Explore the world with us.' We spread all the great things that Bolingbrook represents, all over the world."

The chamber establishes relationships with tourism bureaus on the trips, providing information on Route 66, tours and places to see if they want to travel to Bolingbrook. The chamber also provides Bolingbrook flags and pins wherever the group goes. 

Traveling abroad allows for some cool business interaction. Evans said he visited a plant in Shanghai and saw parts that were made in Bolingbrook. 

Pick your trip 

Bolingbrook's signature trip is China, Evans said. But the chamber continues to add more travel opportunities. There were four in 2012: Spain, Peru, China and Italy. 

The cap for a trip is 30 to 40 people. Anyone can attend. Informational meetings about the trips are held monthly, and the chamber holds three meet-and-greet events so travelers can meet each other. 

Some travelers have become close friends and continue to travel together, Evans said. 

Interested? 

Learn more about the travel offerings for 2013 on the chamber's website. You can also check out traveler testimonials here. 

For more information, you can call (630) 226-8420. 


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