Celebrating 40 Years of Exceptional Travel Experiences
Departures Travel is proud to be Victoria, British Columbia’s longest-standing independent travel agency, celebrating 40 years of curating unforgettable journeys for discerning travellers. Established in 1985, we’ve grown from our flagship boutique office in Oak Bay to include a second location in Sidney, BC, and a team of expert advisors in Alberta.
Led by Cathy Scott, a seasoned travel expert and passionate globetrotter, Departures Travel has built a reputation for exceptional service, expert travel planning, and tailor-made itineraries. In 2018, we expanded our presence with the opening of Departures Travel – Sidney, co-owned by Cathy Larsen, who continues to uphold our commitment to personalized, seamless travel experiences. With a team of skilled travel professionals, we provide the highest level of expertise, service, and attention to detail—ensuring every journey is stress-free, seamless, and unforgettable.
Your Personal Travel Concierge
At Departures Travel, we don’t just book trips—we create exceptional experiences. Whether you're dreaming of a luxury vacation, cultural immersion, bucket-list adventure, or stress-free all-inclusive getaway, our expert travel advisors handle every detail. From customized itineraries to exclusive access to premium experiences, we ensure a smooth and worry-free travel experience.
As an independent travel agency, we prioritize your needs, leveraging the latest travel technology and global partnerships to offer VIP perks, competitive rates, and tailor-made travel experiences.
Travelling with Purpose
We believe that travel has the power to connect people, enrich lives, and create lasting memories. Done sustainably, travel can make the world a better place. That’s why we help our clients explore responsibly—as travellers, not just tourists—by supporting local communities and ethical tourism initiatives.
The Departures Travel Difference
As members of the Ensemble Travel Group, we have insider access to a worldwide network of luxury hotels, exclusive tours, top-rated cruise lines, and private villa rentals. This ensures our clients receive exceptional value, added amenities, and access to once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Whether you're looking for bespoke luxury travel, escorted group tours, premium cruise vacations, or off-the-beaten-path adventures, Departures Travel is here to bring your vision to life—just as we’ve been doing for 40 years.
Our parent company, Niche Travel Inc is a boutique tour company, founded by travel industry expert Cathy Scott. An avid traveller herself, Cathy has spent the past decade in sales, marketing and senior management roles in the world of travel, which allows her to bring a unique perspective to tours that we create. Women’s travel has always been a passion for Cathy, and seeing a gap in the marketplace for small group women’s tours she founded a number of Women’s travel initiatives including the Women’s Travel Club (Canada) and the Women’s Travel Connection. She has personally led hundreds of women to spectacular destinations around the globe. Cathy has had the privilege of sitting on the marketing committees of 2 of North America’s most prestigious travel agency consortiums; Ensemble Travel Group and Virtuoso Travel. It was here that she identified a need for a destination management tour company in her hometown of Victoria, specializing in providing upscale authentic and local travel experiences for single or small group travellers. As a 4th generation Victorian Cathy has the connections and resources needed to create exceptional experiences on Vancouver Island.
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