This year, Renaissance Tours is celebrating its 20-year partnership with The Art Gallery Society of NSW and the World Art Tours program they run together. How has the journey been together so far? And what comes next?
To celebrate such an enduring partnership, we sat down with the managing director of Renaissance Tours, Evan Petrelis, to learn a little more about the last two decades and their shared offering of the World Art Tours.
How has the partnership journey been?
It’s been very successful and a partnership in the true sense of the word. For the past 20 years, we have provided countless memorable moments for our travellers.
We have also generated approximately $400,000 annually for the Art Gallery of New South Wales to acquire artworks and host community programs.
Why did you take over Renaissance Tours?
For more than 15 years, I have admired the wonderful tours that Renaissance Tours presented. Not long after discovering Renaissance Tours, I met the company’s founder and then managing director, Hugh Hallard. He knew what a fan I was of the business.
When he decided to retire and sell the business around five years ago, he called to ask if I would be interested.
Well, the rest is history! It was a dream come true, you could say.
What is your most memorable experience personally?
It would have to be on our private cruise charter from St Petersburg to Moscow with 70 tour members in June 2019.
I witnessed our travellers’ joy at the experiences we created for them, including a before-hours tour of the famous Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg. We had the entire museum to ourselves for 90 minutes before opening time. By the time we left, the queue outside the building had snaked right around the block. I think this is what one would call a money-can’t-buy experience.
Who goes on the World Art Tours?
Our clients are seasoned travellers with highly developed special interests in music, opera, ballet, art, archaeology, gardens, and wine. They tend to be retired and have time to travel and experience them in depth.
What are your biggest learnings or mistakes?
Always stick to your customer’s promise. If you can’t deliver on it for whatever reason, say so right up front and explain why. Always apologise if you let your customer down and do your best to make good.
There is no compensation for a disappointing experience. However, if you do your utmost to show them you care, you are, more often than not, forgiven.
Don’t defend the indefensible; it will make the situation worse.
What can people expect to see from Renaissance Tours in the future? What next?
We will continue doing what we have always done: creating the finest, most enriching experiences for our travellers.
After 25 years in business, I know that our travellers take confidence in ‘the Renaissance way’.
They know we will continue to deliver on the things that matter most to them: regardless of tour or destination, such as travelling in the company of like-minded others. They know they will benefit from the knowledge of our specialist tour leaders and gain exclusive access to people and places.
With itineraries carefully planned, they will have the peace of mind of knowing all arrangements are taken care of.
You can find out more about Renaissance Tours and the Art Gallery Society of NSW’s World Art Tours here.
