Print edition: 
It's been 30 years since Wichita's Village Tours & Travel started with one bus hauling skiers from the Denver airport to the slopes.
It added a second bus the following winter.
Today, the company, located at 8620 W. 21st St., has 24 motorcoaches and operates a bus charter, tour business and travel agency.
It offers 200 tours a year, mailing brochures about them to more than 21,000 households every other month, said co-owner Jeff Arensdorf.
This year, about 7,000 travelers are expected to take a tour with the company, Arensdorf said.
Branson, Dallas, Colorado and New Mexico are some of its most popular destinations.
"We will literally hit every state in the country this year, including Hawaii and Alaska," he said.
Its tour customers are predominately retirees who have the time and the discretionary income to travel, Arensdorf said.
But it also offers fishing, baseball and NASCAR racing trips to attract a younger crowd.
Arensdorf and his dad, Norman Arensdorf, bought the company in 2000 from the Marney family, who founded the company.
The company employs 80 full- and part-time employees, including 12 at an office in Oklahoma City.
Its bus charter business makes up the biggest portion of the business — it rents its services to professional and college sports teams, churches, schools and others. It transported the University of Nevada basketball team while it was in town this week playing Wichita State University in the NIT.
The recession has affected its business, which experienced a 20 percent sales drop last year over 2008.
This year, however, Arensdorf said he expects sales to increase 10 percent.
"Our reservations on the books are a lot stronger than they were last year," he said.
It also downsized the number of buses in its fleet.
Last year, it sold five older buses and added two new ones.
One thing that separates the company from its competition is the constant upgrading of equipment, Arensdorf said. The average age of its buses is 7 years.
It's also adding Wi-Fi Internet service and satellite television this year.
Village Tours is also one of a few companies with a core of full-time drivers, Arensdorf said. It offers health and dental insurance and 401(k) benefits.
"That helps us retain some of the best guys on the road," he said.
One of the company's biggest challenges is staying fresh and coming up with new ideas for tour destinations and getting the packages in the hands of potential customers, he said.
Arensdorf credits its longevity to taking care of the customers. And having good, experienced employees is key.
"They'll make your life a lot easier in the long run and keep your customers happy,"
