Meet David Anokye: Discovering a Passion for Travel
by Andrew Sheivachman /After graduating from college in Ghana and emigrating to New York City in 1998, David Anokye was unsure of the path his life would take.
He worked as an independent contractor for a travel agency for five years then left the industry to complete a graduate degree in public health.
But following a year of working for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Anokye found his true passion was, in fact, the world of travel. With that in mind, he started his own business.
Humble beginnings
“My passion for the job is what drove me to do it as a permanent career,” said Anokye.
Once his home-based agency began to grow, Anokye realized that opening storefront locations would be key to expanding his business in his community.
He now operates a pair of brick-and-mortar agencies in the Bronx and Queens. He opened his first storefront in the Bronx in 2007 and another in Queens in 2011.
“I always get gratified helping people solve their travel problems,” said Anokye.
West Africa specialist
When Anokye opened Klassique Travels, his home-based agency, in 2007, his aim was to connect with clients interested in traveling to his homeland of West Africa.
“Today 80% of our travel is to West Africa: Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Senegal and most of the other countries,” said Anokye. He and his staff of five also service several local corporate clients.
Community-based
He actively promotes his agency on Facebook but also relies on targeted direct mail marketing in areas around his storefront.
“Every year we partner with USPS [the United States Postal Service] for its direct mail services where you print a flier and market by the zip codes in which your demographic is located,” said Anokye.
The strategy proved effective in driving business to his agency from neighborhoods with large African and African-American populations.
Referrals are crucial
Anokye creates long-lasting relationships with his clients by encouraging face-to-face interaction in his offices instead of relying solely on phone conversations.
He prides himself on the personalized service his agency provides. “People always want to walk in, see the face behind the phone and build a relationship,” he said.
Referrals are key to his business.
“80% of our business is referral-based,” said Anokye. “When you do a good job for a client, they will bring you the best referrals. And those referral clients don’t go away.”
Since he books a lot of airline tickets on GDSs, he charges clients a $45 fee.
Looking ahead
Anokye’s goal is to eventually open a storefront agency in each of New York City’s five boroughs.
He also wants to diversify his vacation offerings. He has been certified as an Oahu, Hawaii, master specialist and is planning to partner with G Adventures to sell Costa Rica vacations.
“People are skeptical of travel agents because of the boom in internet booking,” said Anokye. “If agents can get into the community, travelers will know you and trust you.”