Tauck is increasing its small group offerings for 2023, boosting the number of special land tour departures with small group sizes this year by 35 percent over pre-pandemic levels. In total, the company will offer small group departures on 75 land journeys in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. Most departures will average 24 passengers, with many of Tauck’s African safaris hosting as few as 18 guests on all departures. The tour operator also released a 28-page e-brochure highlighting the benefits of small group travel and lists all of the Tauck itineraries where small group departures are available.
Tauck CEO Dan Mahar noted that Tauck’s focus on providing its guests with small group experiences pre-dates the COVID-19 pandemic. “Even before COVID, we’d been evolving our product lines to reflect our ‘small is big’ mantra. Our guests understand and appreciate that they’re able to immerse themselves in the destination in a more interactive and authentic way, and enjoy a more engaging and enriching experience, when they travel in a smaller, more intimate group setting. The onset of COVID boosted the appeal of small group travel for very different reasons,” added Mahar, “but even before the pandemic, Tauck was already moving firmly in that direction.”
Mahar added that Tauck’s “small is big” ethos extends beyond the small group departures of its land journeys to include how the company operates its ocean cruises, European river cruises, and even its standard-group-size classic land tours.
Tauck also employs its primary maritime partner Ponant’s new Explorer ships, which can accommodate 184 guests, on numerous itineraries. More than a dozen of Tauck’s small ship ocean cruises employ ships carrying fewer than 200 guests, including four vessels that carry 100 passengers or less.
On Europe’s rivers, Tauck’s newest ship, the ms Andorinha, carries just 84 guests—fewer than any other riverboat in the company’s fleet or any other similarly sized ship sailing Portugal’s Douro River where the Andorinha operates.
Tauck’s small ship ocean cruises and European river cruises both offer a choice of sightseeing options in many ports, with guests able to choose the option that aligns best with their interests and, in some cases, their preferred activity level. This ensures a more customized itinerary for each guest, and it also reduces the size of each group to provide a more intimate and interactive experience. Even in ports where all guests enjoy the same sightseeing, Tauck divides guests into smaller groups. The company routinely follows the same strategy with its land-based motor coach tours.
For more information, visit www.tauck.com.
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