Delivering The ‘Wow’ Factor Every Time

In this week’s digital edition of Travel Courier, it’s all about delivering that “Wow” factor as TC’s Ann Ruppenstein talks to Trafalgar Canada’s president Wolf Paunic and Uniworld’s vice president, sales – Canada, Michelle Palma to find out exactly how their companies do that each and every time.

As Trafalgar’s Paunic sees it, what sets the guided vacations and escorted tour operator apart are the emotional experiences delivered with each itinerary.

“Our guests can meet the locals, can interact with locals, can be at their place of living, their place of work, maybe it’s a farm or a winery or a castle,” he says. “It’s really something that adds a special dimension to the overall impression of the product. You start to take it personally.”

While travellers embark on a tour as part of a group, he says Trafalgar directors are trained to cater to individuals.

For Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, it’s all about inviting guests to take part in special excursions off the ship – anything from a private after-hours lighting ceremony inside St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, Italy or a wine-paired lunch at the 85-acre Château de Cazeneuve estate in Aquitaine, France.

“We’ve got what we’re calling incredible Once-in-a-Lifetime Experiences,” says Palma. “We’ve made special arrangements where we take the guests in very small groups and treat them to a private art tour for example at the Vienna Art History Museum and this is all done before it opens up to the public. I mean it doesn’t get any better than that.”

For the full story, check out this week’s digital edition of Travel Courier by clicking here.