, owner of Los Altos-based , and a Patch blogger, has been named one of the top 25 agents by Travel Agent Magazine.
With more than 100 cruises and 120 countries under her belt, Jones did $12 million in sales last year, 60 percent in the leisure field.
“The annual Top 25 feature is one of our strongest drivers for recognizing key agents who not only stay on top of trends but whose creativeness coupled with sheer tenacity gained them a spot on this year’s list,” said Ruthanne Terrero, vice president of content/editorial director for Questex Travel Group, the parent company.
She is a specialist in 39 countries, from Australia to Austria, and a cruise specialist.
Jones' travel blog appears in , Cupertino Patch and Mountain View Patch. She has taught travel marketing at Foothill College, lectures frequently and contributes to several publications besides Patch.
She is Program Chairman of the San Francisco Bay Area Travel Professionals Organization and a past board member of the Pacific & Asia Travel Association, among organizations.
The best "dream trip" she's organized? This is how Jones described it:
"I was asked by a lady, dying of cancer, to give her a dream trip to New Zealand. It would be her birthday when she was away. I did a six-week itinerary, and wrote to every hotel, told them the story, and asked for an upgrade, room with a view, flowers, and a birthday cake. She had 21 birthday cakes.
"She came back and said it was everything she had hoped for. She died a few months later. In the hospital, she was smiling and her husband asked her why. She said, 'I am thinking of New Zealand.'"
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Full List of Top 25 Agents
- Ann Hu Roth, Side by side Tours Inc. (East Norwich, NY)
- Roy Twiste, Travel Leaders (New York, NY)
- Patti Lehman, Covington Travel (Fort Wayne, IN
- John Johnstonbaugh, BCD Travel (Phoenix, Arizona)
- Joshua Monahan, Cruises and Tours Unlimited (Jacksonville, Florida)
- Maureen Jones, All Horizons Travel, Inc. (Los Altos, CA)
- Linda Androlia, Sunstone Tours & Cruises (Malibu, CA)
- Valarie Contrino, Contrino Travel, Inc. (Staten Island, NY)
- Michelle Cunningham, MEI-Travel (Montclair, VA)
- Karyn Farr, Cadence (La Jolla, CA)
- Marcy Gelber, Travel by Marcy @ Travel 100 Group (Northbrook, IL)
- Jessica Griscavage, McCabe World Travel (McLean, VA)
- Melissa Gutting, Travel Leaders Suntime Travel (River Falls, WI)
- Melissa Harmon, Beach Bum Vacation (Fishers, IN)
- Daniela Harrison, Avenues of the World Travel (Flagstaff, AZ)
- Heather Howe, Travel By Heather / CWT Vacations (Wayzata, MN)
- Matt Knowles, Sea Escape TRAVEL (Folsom, CA)
- Lisa Long, The Lisa Long Agency (Marietta, GA)
- Jenny Mikkelson, Travel Beyond (Waysata, MN)
- Sue Ratliff, Sea the World Cruises & Tours (Athens, Texas)
- April Schmitt, Divine Destination Weddings & Honeymoons (Granite Bay, CA)
- Stephanie Turner, Brentwood Travel Service Inc. (St. Louis, MO)
- David Walsh, CWCruises (Bradenton, FL)
- Jennifer Byrne, The Tropical Travelers (Malvern PA)
- Shari Kavalin, Your Smart Vacation (Lighthouse Point, FL)
