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Tauck World Discovery is set to operate the first departures of its new Culturious journeys later this month. This collection represents Tauck’s first new brand since the 2003 launch of its Tauck Bridges family travel packages.
This year Tauck will operate three Culturious itineraries in Italy, Peru and Manitoba, Canada. Additional itineraries planned for launch in 2010 are South Africa and Namibia, Provence and Costa Rica.
Tauck’s Culturious journeys are designed to complement the company’s more traditional tours, and appeal to a younger, more active, boomer-age clientele. The trips will explore a more regionally focused destination in greater depth, incorporate more immersive, hands-on cultural experiences, and also provide more time for independent exploration.
For example, travelers on the new Culturious itinerary in Tuscany and Cinque Terre, Italy, will visit an art restoration specialist in her private workshop in Florence, cycle along the medieval walls of Lucca, and sample local Tuscan delicacies at an outdoor market. They’ll also hike between the stunning coastal villages of Cinque Terre, and travel through the exclusive Vasari Corridor, an art-lined private passageway above Florence’s streets that was built in the 1500s for the Medicis (and is closed to the public except by special arrangement).
The first Culturious departure to Peru begins on August 22, followed by the initial departure of the Tuscany program on August 29. The Culturious program in Manitoba launches in late October, and is timed to coincide with the annual polar bear migration there.
Culturious departures will average approximately 16 guests, allowing groups to enjoy a more interactive experience within each destination and visit smaller, lesser-known sites and locations. The average Culturious trip will also range from seven to nine days, and the company expects the new trips to serve an audience from age 45 to about 65.
According to Tauck CEO Dan Mahar, Tauck began researching ways to reach the boomer segment without any preconceptions about what form the resulting tours would take. Instead, Tauck did extensive market research across the country to identify the needs of travelers in the baby boomer segment, including consumer focus groups, travel agent focus groups, and extensive online surveys.
The Culturious itineraries for 2009 are:
Tuscany & Cinque Terre (8 days, from $3,790 per person, double, plus air)
• Florence – Carrara – Monterosso al Mare - Vernazza - Lucca
Peru (12 days, from $5,490 per person, double, plus air)
• Lima – Cuzco – Reserva Amazonica – Urubamba – Machu Picchu
Manitoba (7 days, from $4,550 per person, double, plus air)
• Winnipeg – Churchill – Hecla Island
New Culturious itineraries for 2010 are:
South Africa & Namibia (13 days)
• Cape Town – Langa Township – Bushman’s Kloof – Cederberg Mountains – Franschhoek & winelands – Kulala Wilderness Reserve – Skeleton Coast/Walvis Bay – Etosha National Park
Provence (8 days)
• Aix-en-Provence - Gordes - Joucas – St. Remy – Arles - Avignon
Costa Rica (8 days)
• San Jose – Poas – Bajos del Toro – Punta Islita