Last week, the team at Tauck was delighted to host 76 guests, consisting of 45 Australian travel advisors plus their guests, at the Tauck Australia Academy in Portugal.
This incredible, seven-night Tauck training experience, took place from 21st until 28th March. It included two nights at the Ritz Four Seasons Lisbon and five nights aboard Tauck’s beautifully appointed ms Andorinha. The journey offered the chance to explore Lisbon and the Douro River Valley, featuring a variety of locations, from captivating museums, rustic quintas (wine estates), baroque gardens and more.
David Clark, Managing Director Australia, said,
“To be able to share this exceptional travel experience with some of our trusted Australian travel advisors in our 100th anniversary year, was significant to us. We are dedicated to the partnerships we are building with travel advisors and we appreciate their passion for learning about Tauck’s offering. What truly made this a career highlight for me was the gratitude and appreciation from everyone involved. It was incredibly humbling to see our travel advisor partners take the time to participate, and the friendships that formed will last a lifetime.
“Tauck has set the standard in upscale guided travel, offering all-inclusive experiences, expert-led tours and small group journeys to iconic destinations worldwide. Our travel advisors didn’t have to imagine cruising along the Douro, they could experience Tauck’s signature, all-inclusive luxury for themselves and that makes all the difference.”
During this seven-night trip, the 45 travel advisors successfully completed over six hours of comprehensive classroom training to become ‘Tauck Expert Certified Advisors’. These advisors now have exclusive access to a wide range of Tauck benefits. They also have the skills and new tools they need to accelerate their Tauck sales across our product and grow their business with Tauck.
Highlights of the trip
Guests experienced several highlights on the trip, such as:
- A welcome dinner at the Queluz National Palace in Lisbon;
- Educational tours – explored the city of Coimbra, Portugal’s medieval capital for over a century, drove to the port of city of Porto, and even had a bike ride down the Douro one morning;
- Guided walks including by the historic, riverfront Ribeira quarter, and the historic centre of Porto & Villa Nova de Gaia;
- Exploring small villages and sampling traditional Portuguese dishes merged with contemporary cuisine and Douro Valley wine;
- A cocktail-making session focused on port cocktails; and
- Enjoying a throw-back to days gone by with a themed 1920’s party to celebrate Tauck’s 100thbirthday.
“Over the course of the Tauck Australia Academy, these 45 Australian travel advisors had a truly memorable travel experience. It was a good example of what our travellers expect when they book with us and I can’t wait to see how this real-life experience of the Tauck product assists these advisors and their client base. We are here to help them with what they need to succeed,” said David.
The travel advisors were accompanied by: Tauck Directors and Tauck Cruise Directors; plus, David Clark, Managing Director Australia; Jerry Pilgrim, National Account Manager; and Helen Eves, National Account Manager.
