Le Travel Store
Le Travel Store was a San Diego retailer specializing in travel equipment, guidebooks, maps, luggage, and backpacks for independent travelers.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Le Travel Store was a specialist travel retailer based in San Diego, California, that operated from 1976 until 2013. Joan and Bill Keller opened the first store in Pacific Beach in November 1976 after observing that travelers heading to Europe, Asia, and Latin America were increasingly using outdoor equipment, especially backpacks, instead of conventional luggage. At the time, general luggage shops and outdoor retailers did not specifically serve the needs of independent travelers, so the Kellers developed a store organized around the practical requirements of self-directed international travel. The business described itself as the first retail store to use the term “travel store” and as an early retailer dedicated to backpackers and other independent travelers. Its assortment combined categories that were usually separated across different types of shops: backpacks and luggage, travel accessories, guidebooks, maps, and related equipment. This combination made the store a specialist destination for customers planning low-cost, long-distance, or independently organized journeys. Its emergence coincided with the broader growth of independent travel and with the development of other travel-oriented businesses and publishing companies, including Lonely Planet, Eagle Creek, and STA Travel. Le Travel Store expanded its presence in San Diego as the city’s retail and tourism districts developed. It became one of the original tenants of Horton Plaza when that shopping center opened in 1985. In 1994, during the redevelopment of downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, the company became one of the first retail businesses to move into the revitalized neighborhood. These locations gave the brand visibility among local customers as well as visitors and travelers. The company also operated through mail order. It initially used a printed catalog and later added electronic commerce through its website in 1996, making its specialist inventory available beyond its physical stores. This multichannel approach preceded the widespread adoption of online travel retail and allowed the business to serve customers who might not have been located near San Diego. Le Travel Store received several local and industry recognitions, including the Downtown San Diego Partnership Alonzo Award in 1995, the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation Pioneer Award in 1998, the Gaslamp Quarter Association Trailblazer of the Year award in 2001, and the Outdoor Industry Association Leadership Award in 2002. The company closed in 2013 when its owners retired. It is remembered as an early specialist retailer that helped define the travel-store format and popularized the combination of outdoor equipment, travel information, and practical accessories for independent travelers.
History
Joan and Bill Keller founded Le Travel Store in Pacific Beach, San Diego, in November 1976. They identified a gap in the retail market: people traveling independently to regions such as Europe, Asia, and Latin America often preferred backpacks and outdoor equipment, but conventional luggage stores did not cater specifically to them. The Kellers established a dedicated retail concept that brought together travel equipment, luggage, guidebooks, maps, and accessories for backpackers and other self-directed travelers. The store emerged during a period when independent travel was becoming more accessible and popular. Its business model formed part of a wider travel culture that also supported the growth of travel publishers, equipment companies, and travel agencies aimed at independent travelers. Le Travel Store claimed pioneering status both as an early business to call itself a “travel store” and as one of the first retail stores organized around backpackers’ needs. In 1985, Le Travel Store became one of the original tenants at Horton Plaza in downtown San Diego. The company later participated in the early commercial redevelopment of the Gaslamp Quarter, moving into the district in 1994 as one of its first retail businesses during the neighborhood’s urban renewal. The Gaslamp location connected the retailer with a district increasingly associated with tourism, dining, entertainment, and downtown foot traffic. From its early years, the company also served customers by mail order. Its initial catalog supported sales outside its physical stores. In 1996, Le Travel Store added an e-commerce website, extending the company’s specialist assortment through an online channel before internet retail had become standard for most specialty retailers. The brand received recognition from local civic and business organizations and from the outdoor industry. Its cited honors included the Downtown San Diego Partnership Alonzo Award in 1995, the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation Pioneer Award in 1998, the Gaslamp Quarter Association Trailblazer of the Year award in 2001, and the Outdoor Industry Association Leadership Award in 2002. These awards reflected the company’s contribution to downtown revitalization, the Gaslamp Quarter, and the outdoor-travel retail sector. Le Travel Store remained a family-owned business under Joan and Bill Keller until it closed in 2013. The owners retired, and the store ceased operations. No successor parent company or continuing retail operation is identified in the available reference material.
- 2013
Business closes
[1]Le Travel Store closed after its owners retired.
- 2002
Receives Outdoor Industry Association recognition
[1]Le Travel Store received the Outdoor Industry Association Leadership Award.
- 2001
Named a Gaslamp Quarter trailblazer
[1]The Gaslamp Quarter Association named the company Trailblazer of the Year.
- 1998
Receives a Pioneer Award
[1]The Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation recognized Le Travel Store with its Pioneer Award.
- 1996
Launches e-commerce
[1]After operating a print-catalog mail-order business, the retailer added an e-commerce website.
- 1995
Receives the Alonzo Award
[1]Le Travel Store received the Downtown San Diego Partnership Alonzo Award.
- 1994
Moves into the Gaslamp Quarter
[1]The company became one of the first retail businesses to move into San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter during the district’s urban renewal.
- 1985
Becomes an original Horton Plaza tenant
[1]Le Travel Store was among the original retail tenants when Horton Plaza opened in San Diego.
- 1976
First store opens in Pacific Beach
[1]Joan and Bill Keller opened the first Le Travel Store in Pacific Beach, San Diego, in November, creating a specialist retail concept for independent travelers and backpackers.
Products and positioning
A specialist travel retailer for backpackers, independent travelers, and customers seeking equipment, information, and accessories in one store.
Travel equipment · 1976
Backpacks
Backpacks were central to Le Travel Store’s original concept. The store was established in response to the growing number of independent travelers who used outdoor-style packs rather than conventional luggage for international journeys. Its backpack assortment supported travelers seeking hands-free carrying capacity for extended or low-cost travel.
Travel equipment · 1976
Luggage
The retailer sold luggage alongside backpacks, serving customers with different travel styles and transportation needs. Luggage formed part of the store’s broader effort to provide travel equipment in a single specialist location rather than requiring customers to shop across general luggage and outdoor stores.
Travel accessories · 1976
Travel accessories
Travel accessories were part of the practical equipment assortment offered by the store. The available reference material does not identify individual accessory models or brands, but places these goods within the retailer’s core offer for independent and international travelers.
Travel information · 1976
Guidebooks
Le Travel Store sold travel guidebooks to complement its equipment business. The combination of destination information with backpacks, luggage, and accessories positioned the retailer as a planning resource as well as a conventional merchandise store.
Travel information · 1976
Maps
Maps were included in the store’s travel-information assortment. They supported the needs of customers preparing independent journeys and reinforced the store’s role as a one-stop destination for both travel planning and physical equipment.
Sources1 sources
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