Spread the love

Post Views: 13

In a meaningful nod to tradition—and a keen eye on the future—the Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) has hit the road with TravelManagers Australia, bringing grassroots industry training to the people who shape travel every day: Personal Travel Managers.

Led by CATO Managing Director Brett Jardine, the initiative is anything but a box-ticking exercise. Through a series of face-to-face sessions, agents from all corners of the country were given an insider’s view into one of tourism’s quiet powerhouses. This land touring sector continues to see a groundswell of interest at home and abroad.

“It’s not just about selling more tours,” said Jardine during one such session. “It’s about building real expertise—knowing the right questions to ask, understanding how people want to travel now, and creating journeys that go beyond the ordinary.”

The roadshow, which has visited metro and regional locations, is part of a broader move by CATO to elevate the role of touring specialists in an increasingly competitive travel landscape.

🎓 Empowering Agents Through Education

At the heart of this push is the CATO Touring Academy, a purpose-built digital learning platform designed for time-poor agents with ambitious goals. With flexible modules and real-world insights, the academy gives agents the grounding needed to own the space truly.

Michael Gazal, Executive General Manager at TravelManagers, said the partnership with CATO made perfect sense.

CATO’s Managing Director, Brett Jardine Speaking

“Touring isn’t a one-size-fits-all product. It’s nuanced, it’s diverse, and it can be complex. What the Touring Academy does is break that down in a way that’s practical. We’re urging all our PTMs to take part—it’s a fantastic resource.”

With Australian travellers looking for more profound, more personalised travel experiences, the demand for land-based touring is only expected to rise. From culinary-led countryside adventures to immersive small-group historical journeys, the appetite is growing—and agents who can speak the language of touring fluently are set to thrive.

🌏 The Bigger Picture

While airfares and hotel deals often steal headlines, touring increasingly delivers the rich, layered travel experiences today’s travellers seek. According to Jardine, CATO sees this as a golden opportunity to futureproof Australian travel professionals.

“We’ve always said knowledge is power—but in this industry, it’s also profit. The agents who take time to become true specialists are the ones clients remember and come back to.”

As international travel patterns shift and travellers gravitate toward more authentic and grounded experiences, the land touring sector offers a reliable, high-value proposition for travellers and agents.

This isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about reclaiming the art of curated travel—something that, in Australia at least, has always sat at the heart of good travel planning.

🛤️ Ready for the Long Haul

This initiative marks more than just a promotional push for CATO—it’s a statement of intent. With the Touring Academy fully operational and TravelManagers’ full support behind it, momentum is building.

The industry’s message is clear: Land touring is no longer the slow cousin of mainstream travel—it’s front and centre. The agents who rise to meet this moment will shape how Australians explore their world in the years ahead.