Eight American and Canadian tour operators enjoy nine day trip to the south of France. Tour includes wine tastings, walking tours and meals for a taste of French cuisine and Gallic hospitality.
Eight representatives from leading tour operators from the Canada and the United States have just returned from a nine-day trip to the south of France, courtesy of world’s leading group travel provider, Kuoni Group Travel Experts. The tour of specially selected destinations, hotels, attractions and experiences was arranged to familiarise North American tour operators with the region so they can better advise consumers.
Working with tourism bureaus and local suppliers throughout Provence and the Riviera, guests visited nearly 20 cities and towns during this full itinerary, including Marseille – 2013 European Capital of Culture – Aix-en-Provence, Cannes, Cavaillon, Nice, Nimes and Orange. As well as the ever popular Avignon, which is already outselling all previous years, Kuoni Group Travel Experts is seeing rising interest in the historic village of St Remy de Provence; birthplace of Nostradamus, home to the nearby ruins of the Roman city of Glanum and where van Gogh painted The Starry Night. Vaison-la-Romaine’s Roman ruins and its ancient bridge dating from the first century AD are also proving popular draws this year.
At every stop, Kuoni Group Travel Experts arranged local guides and historians to walk guests through famous Roman, Medieval and historic sites, as well as places of national and local importance. The trip included wine tastings, walking tours and meals – often Michelin star-rated – that gave guests the chance to enjoy the rich variety of French cuisine and Gallic hospitality.
Tommy Ryder, Head of Groups – Americas for Kuoni Group Travel Experts, says: “Kuoni has been in this business for more than a century. Today, we have a new look and a new commitment to creating exciting itineraries for travel agents and tour operators that will meet the demand of American and Canadian travellers. The leisure group travel industry relies on our wealth of knowledge about always popular destinations as well as our ability to get out in front of the latest trends.
“Our network of offices and locally employed staff around the world gives us an added edge. For this particular itinerary, we tapped the insider knowledge and longstanding relationships of our teams in France to get the best from accommodation providers, tour guides, attractions and all kinds of experiences. ‘Fam’ trips like this are invaluable in generating interest for a destination and we are already enjoying increased demand for the south of France as a result.”
One of the highlights of the trip was lunch at Chateau La Coste near Aix, a modern and renowned vineyard, home to numerous art installations where – at the time – U2’s Bono, who arrived by helicopter, was also enjoying lunch! Another ‘wow’ moment was a stop in Les Baux de Provence to experience the Carrieres de Lumieres, a multi-media high-tech sound and light show, unique to the area, where images are projected on the walls and floor of a quarry.
The group enjoyed a champagne reception and personal tour of the Chateau de Lourmarin and, in the Camargue, a home-cooked dinner and wagon ride on a ranch that raises bulls and horses. The final evening was capped by the chance to make Tapenade – traditional to the region – by muddling olives, garlic, anchovies and oil under the instruction of local chef and food historian, Nicolas de Choudens.
Kuoni Group Travel Experts draw on their in-depth knowledge and passion to craft a vast array of itineraries for all types of groups. They conduct ‘series tours’ with specially selected itineraries that never go out of fashion, as well as customised, ‘concierge created’ tours to meet the demands of discerning travellers.
Says Tommy: “Kuoni Group Travel Experts do all the hard work, connecting the travel industry to local contacts who double-check services before clients arrive. As well as quality itineraries, we are renowned for our personal touch, our reliability and flexibility, and the effective local application of our global expertise. There’s nothing we don’t know about where you want to go.”
Photo caption: Marseille
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
