The Tauck Australia Academy treated 45 travel advisors (plus their guests) to a seven-night training experience in Portugal recently, including a five-night Douro River cruise on ms Andorinha and a luxury stay at Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon.
The Tauck experience delved into Lisbon and the Douro River Valley, featuring several scenic and historic locations from museums and quintas (wine estates) to baroque gardens and more.
Highlights included educational tours and guided walks; such as a drive to Porto, a Douro bike ride and exploration of the historic, riverfront Ribeira quarter; sampling traditional cuisine and Douro Valley wine; and a cocktail-making session with port.
The group also enjoyed a welcome dinner at Queluz National Palace in Lisbon and a 1920s-themed party to celebrate Tauck’s 100th anniversary in 2025.
In addition, travel advisors completed more than six hours of comprehensive sales and new tools training to become Tauck Expert Certified Advisors, enabling access to exclusive benefits and the ability to grow their business with the luxury tour and cruise company.
The Australian travel advisors were accompanied on the immersive training trip by Directors and Cruise Directors plus Australian Managing Director David Clark and National Account Managers Jerry Pilgrim and Helen Eves.
Clark said: “Over the course of the Tauck Australia Academy, these 45 Australian travel advisors had a truly memorable travel experience.”
“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.
“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 product assists these advisors and their client bases,” he said.
For more info, visit tauck.com.au
