Pittsfield Businesswoman Opens Online Travel Agency

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Local businesswoman Rhonda Serre says her new venture combining her love of travel and her entrepreneurial spirit.

Wow Moments World Travel combines the pricing and ease of doing business in the online marketplace with the expertise and personalized service that can be offered by a traditional travel agency, Serre said.

"The sheer volume of travel information available online has made it difficult for some traditional brick and mortar travel agencies to compete," said Serre. She goes on to add that with, "so much noise and clutter to weed through on the Internet," even experienced travelers value advisers who can make sense of the "clutter."

According to its website the new agency "specializes in small business travel, destination weddings, family vacations, group travel, eco/adventure travel, and highly detailed itineraries for the discerning traveler."


Like large online travel agencies, Wow Moments World Travel forgoes traditional business expenses, such as rent and utilities and investing those savings in technologies and partnerships that allow the company to guarantee pricing while still being able to customize the customer’s experiences. Unlike larger travel agencies, Serre explains that because the agency is local, "We can just as easily meet you for coffee if you’re local or set up a webinar."

For example, Serre said she stayed late on New Year's Eve to help a small business customer arrange and process a transaction before the end of the fiscal year.

"That's where we shine, our customers get 110 percent of our attention," she said.

With the recent recession and rapid expansion of large Internet travel sites, Serre said she saw the demise of many traditional travel agencies. Seeing this as an opportunity to redesign the business model and develop a solution that presents the best of both worlds, she worked with the Berkshire County Small Business Development Center to build a business plan, financial models and budget guidelines. Wow Moments World Travel is also a member of professional and social groups in the region including the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce and Berkshire Visitors Bureau.


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Pittsfield ZBA Member Recognized for 40 Years of Service

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Albert Ingegni III tells the council about how his father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo who died at age 94 in 2020, enjoyed his many years serving the city and told Ingegni to do the same. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It's not every day that a citizen is recognized for decades of service to a local board — except for Tuesday.

Albert Ingegni III was applauded for four decades of service on the Zoning Board of Appeals during City Council. Mayor Peter Marchetti presented him with a certificate of thanks for his commitment to the community.

"It's not every day that you get to stand before the City Council in honor of a Pittsfield citizen who has dedicated 40 years of his life serving on a board or commission," he said.

"As we say that, I know that there are many people that want to serve on boards and commissions and this office will take any resume that there is and evaluate each person but tonight, we're here to honor Albert Ingegni."

The honoree is currently chair of the ZBA, which handles applicants who are appealing a decision or asking for a variance.

Ingegni said he was thinking on the ride over about his late father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo, who told him to "enjoy every moment of it because it goes really quickly."

"He was right," he said. "Thank you all."

The council accepted $18,000 from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and a  $310,060 from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All program.

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