Nelson's Scandinavia and Nelson World Travel, Inc have a rich history providing clients with high quality travel services. Nelson's has been continuously operating for over 85 years, making it one of the oldest travel providers in the Chicago area. It all began in 1924 as a general service agency, and in 1936 Ragnar Nelson purchased it and renamed it Ragnar Nelson Travel Bureau. As there was strong demand for travel assistance Mr. Nelson specialized in assisting clients with travel to Scandinavia with most of the traffic on the ships of the Swedish American Line. In 1946, shortly after World War II, Scandinavian Airlines began air service across the Atlantic and Ragnar Nelson was one of the first agents granted permission by the International Air Transport Association to sell transportation by air. In the early 1960's Mr. Nelson's health deteriorated and Donald Ahlm, then working with the Swedish American Line assisted him and eventually purchased the agency in June of 1965. Since the outset of the agency the objective has been to provide quality travel services and counseling. Nelson's travel specialty is preparing independent tours for clients wishing to visit areas not covered by escorted tour programs although they do offer escorted tours of various lengths operated by Nelson's agents in Scandinavia.