Dear Traveler,

There are times when we can actually see the curve of history unfolding around us. 2020 has been such a year, and by no means easy. Most painfully, many have lost loved ones to this awful pandemic. Many others have lost their jobs and face difficult hardships, including colleagues who started the year with us but are now, unfortunately, unemployed. For those of us who love to travel, it has been filled with delays and disappointments brought on by Covid-19. Suffice to say, while all of us at The Travel Corporation began 2020 with great anticipation of celebrating our first century as a family owned and run business, this was not the year any of us had imagined.

And yet, even bad years can bring good things. While physical travel was more limited than at any point in our lives, we have nevertheless traveled tremendous distances through time and memory. It has been our great joy each month this year for those of us at TTC to look back over this past century and share with you tales of how we began, who we have become, and why we do what we do.

Thus, anxious as we all are to turn the page on 2020 and to begin a gradual global recovery in 2021, we invite you to join us as we look back over the stories we’ve told this past year, so beautifully narrated by Vicki in our videos, and through the voices of guest writers in this series of blogs.

While this year was not how we had envisioned the start of our second century, those of us at TTC know well that great journeys do not always have easy beginnings. That was true for our founder, Solomon Tollman who, as a boy of fifteen, was forced to leave his home and family in Lithuania to escape oppression of life under the Czar. After being smuggled out in a train, he eventually arrived in London with nothing more than the few gold rubles his mother had sewn into his clothing. Six months later he traveled steerage class on a steam ship to Cape Town, South Africa. There he survived the last pandemic – the Spanish Flu of 1918-19 – and made his way up South Africa’s rugged west coast to the sleepy fishing village of Paternoster.

Solomon’s story was the first we told, in January’s blog posting by Brett Tollman, our Chief Executive, 100 Years of Being Driven by Service. Brett recounts how his Grandfather Solomon – Solly, as he was known – purchased and refurbished a run-down community center, and in 1920 welcomed the first guests to The Paternoster Hotel, shown above as it appears today. Difficult as his journey had been, Solly ran that hotel so as to give other travelers the welcome he himself had not received. That spirit gave rise to that business principle which guides all of us at TTC to this day: Driven by Service.

Love and travel are forever linked, and in February we shared a story from TTC’s Chairman, Stanley S. Tollman. A Valentine’s Day Tale of Love and Oysters tells of a memorable journey to Durban, the birth of his vision for TTC – and the moment he literally fell for Beatrice Lurie. A love story for the ages, she went on to become Mrs. Bea Tollman – his partner, fellow visionary, and the love of his life – they celebrated their 67th anniversary this past March.

Bea Tollman picked up the story in March for International Women’s Day with a blog post entitled The Secret Ingredient. Through the story of her own journey to become a master chef, founder of Red Carnation Hotels, and guiding visionary for Uniworld, she celebrates the crucial role that women always have – and always will – play in the success of TTC, through the passion they bring to their work.

In April we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Earth Month with Paradise Lost & Found by Shannon Guihan, Chief TreadRight & Sustainability Officer for TTC. In it, she tells of growing up in Paradise, Newfoundland, a town which lived up to its name. As she grew up, however, she saw the impact of tourism without forethought, where visitors trampled the very sights they had come to see. This led her to her life’s work, ensuring that travel is a force for good, and the ongoing work of The TreadRight Foundation.

In May, as the extent of the pandemic became clearer to us all, we naturally turned our attention to what matters most in life. Vicki Tollman, Executive Director of Red Carnation Hotels, wrote We Are Family, celebrating Mother’s Day in many countries around the world and the United Nations International Day of Families. In it, she reflects on being part of the Tollman family, of TTC’s family of brands, and of the many families within these families.

June brought the silence of the quietest travel season we had ever known, with virtually all trips cancelled. Difficult as this was, we realized this was an ideal time to reflect and appreciate the gift of travel, the places we have been fortunate to visit, the experiences we have had, and the people we have come to know. Travel is, after all about creating memories that last a lifetime, and this seemed like the right time to share some of these. We invited employees of TTC around the world to share tales from past journeys they are thankful to have made in Reflections of Gratitude, From Those of Us At TTC. These sentiments were echoed in June’s video, Gratitude, narrated by our Chairman, Stanley Tollman. Through his words and his calm, reassuring, and wise manner, one truly understands why he has come to be so widely recognized as both a successful entrepreneur and great statesman.

One of the great joys of travel is the friendships that arise from our journeys. In July we reached out to our travelers to gather stories of friendships they had made while traveling with us, as well as to our employees, for tales of friendships with each other, our partners, and with our guests. These became With a Little Help From Our Friends.

As a fourth generation family business, we are always looking toward the future. For August’s blog, we reached out to Brett’s daughter, Ella, who is currently a student at
NYU. A talented photographer, she shared some of her favorite travel shots in Bringing the Future Into Focus, recounting how her travels have shaped her world view, and how her camera has shaped her travels.

By September we were sorely missing our guests. We heard from many that they had been missing us as well, and that they had been flipping through scrapbooks and photos to remember past journeys. That encouraged us to do the same, sifting through letters, emails and photos we’ve received over the years. With their permission we shared some of these in Tales From Our Travelers.

Continual innovation is crucial in the world of travel, and it is what has guided us through our first century. For October’s blog we turned to a visionary leader, Gavin Tollman, CEO of Trafalgar, Costsaver, and Brendan Vacations. His blog posting, Innovation – the Key to Our Past, Our Present, and Our Future tells the stories behind some of the revolutionary innovations that have made these companies so successful. Not one to dwell in the past, he brought us up to the minute, sharing some of our current TTC innovations around health and well-being for our future travelers in this new era.

Finally, November brought us to what would have been the end of the 2020 travel season. As we have always done here at TTC, we turned our focus to the future, and more sustainable travel, through the “eyes” of our non-profit TreadRight Foundation, which we started over a decade ago to help protect and preserve what we love on our planet – its magnificent destinations, welcoming communities, and stunning wildlife – for future generations. In When We Travel Again we heard from three of the most inspired travelers in the world, Céline S. Cousteau – TreadRight’s Planet Ambassador, Sarain Fox – TreadRight’s People Ambassador, and Ami Vitale – TreadRight’s Wildlife Ambassador. Through photographs and stories, they helped all of us to think of how, when the time comes, we will Make Travel Matter more than ever.

With that, we thank you for joining us on this journey over this past year and through this past century, and return to the present moment, here at the tail end of 2020. Squinting a bit in search of the perspective one finds in reflecting on the past, we imagine what we might see on some future day when we look back on this year. Challenging and painful as 2020 has been for all of us, perhaps we may come to see it as a bridge – albeit a narrow one – that helped one another to cross, from the past to the future.

In that spirit, on behalf of all of our TTC family, we send our best wishes to you and yours for happy, healthy, and safe holidays and a new year, filled with light and love. We know none of us will take the joy of traveling to new destinations for granted again. May the year ahead bring better times, amazing journeys and rich experiences for you, our beloved travelers.

Sincerely,

The Tollman Family

Dear Traveler,

As we approach the end of 2020, we look back with a sigh at the year of travel that was not – then turn our focus to dreams of future travel.

Like you, those of us at The Travel Corporation have been watching closely for signs of progress on vaccines against Covid-19, even as we implement the innovations for traveler hygiene and wellbeing described by Gavin Tollman in October’s blog posting. While each of us will need to decide exactly when we are ready to journey onwards, one thing is clear – we will travel again. Difficult and frustrating as this year has been, it has not diminished our desire to travel. If anything, this time of limited movement and isolation has increased our desire for the freedom to explore distant destinations and rediscover the world.

For this month’s blog post, we thought it fitting to look forward, wondering what might be different when we do travel again. The challenges we face in life transform us, leading to learning and growth, and that is especially true with challenges of the magnitude of those we have been through this year, which have had such an impact on all of us.

How might this period of time shape our future travels?

For insights on this question, we turned to TreadRight’s Travel Ambassadors, Céline Cousteau, Sarain Fox, and Ami Vitale, three of the most inspired and inspiring travelers in the world. They represent the three pillars of our company’s non-profit, TreadRight Foundation – Planet, People, and Wildlife, respectively. We invited each to tell us a little about what this time of limited travel has been like for them – and their thoughts on when we travel again.

Céline S. Cousteau, TreadRight’s Planet Ambassador

As a documentary filmmaker and gifted storyteller, Céline has travelled the world working to help amplify the voices of the amazing individuals who are doing more to protect ecosystems, wildlife, and people. The daughter of ocean explorer and filmmaker Jean-Michel Cousteau and granddaughter of the legendary Jacques Yves Cousteau, Céline brings a profound understanding of the importance of legacy and the necessity to experience the world in a way that ensures future generations will have the opportunity to do the same. She has recently published her first book, in French, Le monde après mon grand-père (The World After My Grandfather).

“People protect what they love.”

This is what my grandfather taught us all. I believe this is why immersive travel experiences are so important, for they help us come to know our beautiful, fragile planet – and fall in love with it.

I have been thinking about this more lately, from my home in a small village in southern France. Since I returned here from travels last March, my journeys have been local, as you can see in this TreadRight video. As I write this, France has just entered a second lockdown.

We are but one of so many places that have slowed down or shut down now, which is especially difficult for communities worldwide that depend on travel and tourism. So many people are suffering, faced with uncertainty and loss of employment. While I am TreadRight’s Planet Ambassador, in truth it is impossible to see our planet as disconnected from people and wildlife too. During this pandemic I have thought particularly of the challenges faced by the women of Iraq-al-Amir, a TreadRight sponsored project in Jordan. Having worked with these women to build a business selling their beautiful, authentic creations to travelers, including guests of TTC brands such as Uniworld, Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold, Trafalgar, and Contiki, I know this past year has been exceedingly difficult for them.

Challenging as it has been, my hope is that this pandemic will serve as a reset for us humans, helping us to appreciate what a magnificent privilege travel is, and how fortunate we are to live on Earth. I have always thought of humans as just another species on our planet, one of many, but we’ve rarely seen ourselves in this light, nor have we treated our planet with the love it deserves. Now, as we see how an unseen virus can impact every country/culture/people/ population in the world, let us take this as a powerful reminder of just how interconnected we all are.

My hope is that when we do travel again, we will do so more thoughtfully, consciously, and intentionally. Businesses, for example, may discover that while some meetings ultimately require a flight half-way around the world, others can be as well accomplished on a video call. Travel should be special, a chance to go to places and have experiences that can only be done in person. And, when you do go somewhere – make the most of it.

This process of re-thinking travel is one that TreadRight and TTC have been engaged in since well before the pandemic. It led to the TreadRight Pledge to Make Travel Matter – if you’ve not yet taken it, I invite you to do so, as a guide to your future travels. But please, don’t just sign it – let it be a mantra that moves you to take action. I also invite you to look at the plan we have just released, How We Tread Right, our ambitious five year sustainability roadmap, which also identifies the 11 of the 17 United Nations’ sustainability goals which we will continue to contribute to and benefit. And, when we travel again, we will be introducing many more special Make Travel Matter (MTM) experiences over the next several years.

As you consider your future travels, I further invite you to think of the many ways to ensure your travel has a positive impact. Start by bringing your own water bottle and cutlery, as encouraged by our single use plastics elimination initiative. Rather than shopping for new clothes before you travel, buy them when you arrive, thereby supporting local businesses in these destinations. Give back to local initiatives when you can as well.

Most of all, when you do travel, take the time to really connect with the people you meet. Listen to their stories, then bring them back to share with others. So you – like my grandfather and I – can be an ambassador for our planet, helping others learn to love and protect it – when we travel again.

Sarain Fox – TreadRight’s People Ambassador

Born in Batchawana First Nation in Canada, Sarain Fox is an Anishinaabe dancer, broadcaster, and activist and one of Canada’s most prominent Indigenous voices. She has worked professionally as a dancer and is a graduate of the New York Film Academy. Sarain’s work is rooted in her passion to represent and lift up Indigenous people and her commitment to climate justice, which includes her position as a board member for the Center of Biodiversity. Sarain believes that everything we do in our lives should contribute to positive change.

When I was two years old, my mother did something radical. She gave me a name. Not the kind of name that goes on your birth certificate – a name to connect me to our people, who are storytellers.

Wabunangokwe.

It is a name with many meanings – Truth teller. Reconciler. The star in the East. Light at the end of the dark.

As TreadRight’s People Ambassador, it is my privilege and responsibility to be all these things, starting by telling you the truth about how this pandemic has impacted native communities we support. While not an easy truth, per the other meaning in my name, there is light at the end of the dark.

For my people, this is not our first pandemic. As with so many indigenous tribes just a century or two ago, those early settlers arrived with diseases including tuberculosis and small pox that killed many of our people. Some of these were intentional, offering infected blankets as “gifts.” Our grandparents tell stories of these times. They therefore make us sensitive to what we may bring with us, whether we know it or not, when we travel.

Covid-19 is a virus that teaches us all this same lesson. We must all become more conscious of what we carry with us when we travel. As the name TreadRight implies, this is our purpose. While I’ve always tried to be a conscious traveler, these past months have given me an even greater understanding and appreciation of what it means to have the privilege of visiting another person’s homeland, knowing the harm we can do if we are not careful.

TreadRight exists to make travel a force for good, as in the example of a project I have worked with here in Toronto, Manitobah Mukluks Storyboot School.

Based at the Bata Shoe museum, the project is a win-win situation. Artisans create beautiful footwear, and receive one hundred per cent of the proceeds from their work. What’s more, they teach traditional methods to indigenous students and visitors from around the world, so the culture is passed on. It has been a regular stop for guests of TTC companies such as Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Contiki, and Costsaver. The picture above is of me learning from my dear friend Sage Petahtegoose, a craftswoman and teacher at the school. You can also see a short video we made about the school here.

The arrival of Covid-19 instantly ground the classes to a halt, shutting down the program. Very soon, sixty per cent of the staff, including Sage, were laid off. I think of the challenges that Sage and others have faced with the loss, both of income and of shared culture. This is just one of many such TreadRight programs around the world promoting indigenous culture through crafts, including Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco, (Peru), Ock Pop Tok Village Weavers (Laos), and Tria, Etc. (Greece). All these programs await the return of travelers, though I am pleased to confirm that TreadRight did fund all of its projects this year.

And yet, such challenging times bring gifts as well. I have noticed that with offices closed and people working from home, vulnerability has become more acceptable. We are becoming more honest about who we are – our race, our gender, our diversity. Now is a time when we are invited to see the truth. This attitude toward openness and honesty is good for the world. It lets us open our doors to the world and share our stories.

This has been the case for me, personally, as a storyteller. I have long meant to make a documentary telling the stories of my Auntie Marie, the oldest living matriarch in my family. I have just completed “Inendi,” which tells her story. What’s more, as you can see in the picture below, I was able to hire Sage as camerawoman for the film, another outlet for her creative spirit.

This is the way it is in hard times – even when doors are closed, the creative spirit finds a way. That is the spirit which keeps me optimistic. It is the star in the east, the light at the end of the dark, and the one that will guide us – when we travel again.

Ami Vitale, TreadRight’s Wildlife Ambassador

Ami Vitale’s journey as a photographer, writer and filmmaker has taken her to over 100 countries where she has witnessed civil unrest and violence, but also surreal beauty and the enduring power of the human spirit. Ami is a founding member of Ripple Effect Images, a collective of scientists, writers, photographers and filmmakers with a mission of creating powerful stories illustrating the very specific issues women in developing countries face. She is also an Ambassador for Nikon and a National Geographic magazine photographer, explorer and speaker. Her talks shed light on the conservation value that tourism holds for wildlife – when done right.

Nature has sent us a strong message with this pandemic, reminding us just how small and deeply interconnected our world is. This is a powerful moment to reimagine our relationship to nature and to one another.

In the early days of the pandemic, we were hearing heartwarming stories. It seemed that wildlife was getting a much needed break from humans and thriving in the era of lockdowns. Finally, we thought, animals were able to roam freely in our cities and national parks!

Unfortunately, the reality was much different. Tourism is what has largely funded major conservation projects around the world, protecting wildlife, restoring habitats and creating awareness. When travel crashed this past spring, so did the much needed protection for these animals and ecosystems. Contrary to popular belief, an empty national park is not always a good thing for wildlife. During this pandemic we have seen a dramatic rise in poaching in wildlife parks. What people need to understand is that tourism is what keeps wildlife alive in many parts of the world – including giant pandas, as in my photograph below – and international travel is essential for that. You can see examples of this connection in TreadRight projects such as Wildlife SOS, the WCS Big Cat Fund, and The Endangered Wildlife Trust.

When we travel again, I hope people will focus on traveling responsibly, to destinations that act to sustain wildlife areas, choosing companies that put money back into supporting habitats and ecosystems. We may also wish to think about the range and pace of our travels. When we go abroad, rather than trying to see it all, we need to slow down and really engage with one place at a time. In addition to reducing our environmental footprint, this kind of travel is what allows us to truly build relationships with people and places, creating authentic connections.

My own travels have slowed dramatically since the start of the pandemic. I have lived out of my suitcase and on the road for many years, and for the past few years have been home no more than 21 days in a year. The pandemic changed all that overnight, as it did for the rest of the world, when my work came to a grinding halt.

Difficult as this has been, there has been an upside as well. Like so many these times, I have turned my attention to exploring my own back yard. For me, that is Montana, which is rich in wildlife, as you can see in this TreadRight video and the photograph at the very top of this blog, as well as the one below, taken in Centennial Valley.

While this pandemic has been devastating in so many ways, it has also shown us how we are able to unite and act as individuals for the collective good. This is a moment when we can look outside ourselves and take individual action for the good of the planet. With the sudden stopping of travel this year, I wanted to find a way to raise much needed funds for communities and conservation. I reached out to some of my favorite photographers and asked for their support to start a fine art prints sale. Have a look at Printsfornature.com, where you’ll see stunning prints by some of the most acclaimed photographers in the world, who have all donated their work. All these prints are available for purchase for holiday gift giving, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting Conservation International. It is a unique way to collect fine art for a fraction of what it normally costs, and your purchase will be helping wildlife around the planet.

In the end, saving nature is really about saving ourselves. Our fates are linked and interconnected. We all need to do all we can to care for the plants and critters that inhabit the earth. They are fellow travelers, and our only friends, in this cold dark universe. Our future happiness depends on them.

Let us keep that in mind – when we travel again.

When We Travel Again

We shall go forth

with renewed gratitude

for the amazing gift that travel can be –

and the awe that comes from

finding ourselves at home

in places we have never been.

When We Travel Again…

We will see the world through new eyes

and deepened appreciation

for this truly magnificent planet we all share.

Not only will we take in the sights,

but we will hear the sounds. Breathe in the smells.

And savor the tastes – all waiting to be experienced.

When We Travel Again…

We will do so with renewed joy and purpose –

Joy as we create memories that last a lifetime,

and purpose that comes from knowing our travels

play a crucial role in the recovery

of communities we visit

around the world.

When We Travel Again…

We will venture forth with open hearts,

letting ourselves be guided

by wonder and curiosity

ready to connect to those we meet along the way –

our hosts, our guides, and our fellow travelers,

joined together in a journey of discovery.

When We Travel Again…

We will make travel matter more than ever before.

Knowing that how we travel

is just as important as where,

As we explore this wild and precious planet we call home,

Meet people around the globe who welcome us into their homes.

And discover magnificent wild creatures whose homes we visit.

When We Travel Again…

We will journey to places both near and far with those we love –

our partners, our parents,

our children, and grandchildren

and dear friends, some we’ve known for years –

and others we have yet to meet,

making memories all over the world.

When the time is right,

We shall go forth again.

Until then, we shall do what we have always done –

and dream of distant shores.

For while something deep inside us sleeps,

We know the sleeper will awaken –

When We Travel Again.

CEO of Trafalgar, Costsaver, and Brendan Vacations

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore! Dream! Discover!”

– Mark Twain

No business makes it through a century without constant innovation, and that is especially true in the world of travel. The drive to innovate must be endless, which is why I keep an old roll of film front and center on my desk. This serves as a constant reminder to me – while Kodak made the best film, they failed to innovate as times changed, and ten years after the invention of digital cameras they went bankrupt.

As part of the third generation of this family business, I have learned a great deal about innovation from my grandfather, my uncle, and my father, who have brought together TTC’s amazing family of brands. Another constant source of inspiration for me is the late Steve Jobs, whose attitude and vision is summed up in the quote in my office here in Geneva:

“Some people say give the customers what they want, but that’s not my approach. Our job is to figure out what they’re going to want before they do. I think Henry Ford once said, ‘If I’d asked customers what they wanted, they would’ve told me a faster horse.’ People don’t know what they want until you show it to them. That’s why I never rely on market research. Our task is to read things that are not yet on the page.”

True innovation, I believe, takes listening, team work, and courage. My job is to listen to our guests, to my team, and to people I trust – both for what is said and what remains unsaid, for the challenge of an innovator is to give people what they want even even before they know it. When it comes to turning dreams into reality, teamwork is absolutely essential. I am incredibly fortunate to work with an extraordinary group of individuals, in all facets of our business, who never focus on can’t but rather on the why and the how it takes to get things done. As for courage, as everyone on my team knows, I believe we must dream big and take bold steps in order to push beyond existing boundaries and change the world.

You can see how all these elements came together in the story behind Be My Guest, one of Trafalgar’s signature programs. Back in 2009, travel meant ticking off the highlights of a destination, seeing the sights, and tasting the local foods. While Trafalgar was the market leader then, as it is now, and travelers were certainly enjoying their holidays, we knew we wanted to take it to a richer, deeper level. We began by asking the big question: Why do we travel? While there are many reasons, the most important seemed to be in order to grow, to learn, and to connect. And what better way to do this anywhere you go than through the eyes of a local? How could our travelers be invited into their houses, to break bread with them, hear their stories over a bottle of wine, and truly experience the world they live in as they see it?

Of course, many at first thought this was a crazy idea. After all, as an individual traveler you would hardly be inclined to knock on a random door and invite yourself in for a meal. But “crazy idea” is often a starting point for innovation, and when I mentioned this to my team one of our Travel Directors smiled and said “You know, I have a couple of aunts who live in Sorrento….”

And so, in May of 2009, we found ourselves climbing up winding cobblestone up a hill to the Espositos sisters’ lemon farm, where we were welcomed with open arms and a feast from their garden.

Though their English was minimal, they offered us the kind of hospitality that goes beyond language – along with homemade limoncello and pasta pomodoro from tomatoes they’d plucked from their garden that morning. We came away full and delighted – and all we could think as we left was how much our guests would love this.

This is how Be My Guest was born.

It was an instant hit, providing exactly the sort of authentic experiences travelers craved, whether they knew it or not. Sadly, the Esposito sisters have since passed on, but the spirit of hospitality they embodied thrives. The program has grown rapidly, as we’ve found hosts all over the world. There’s a tremendous variety, some incorporating music, wine, or olive oil tasting. It’s always something sensory – and we always finish it off with a meal, typically cooked onsite by the family. Be My Guest experiences are now included on every Trafalgar vacation. Depending on the destination, guests might marvel at Andalusian horse riders performing at a rural Portuguese stud farm or visit the Provence home of Poppy Salinger, whose late husband Pierre served as advisor to both John and Robert Kennedy. Travelers to Alberta, Canada, will visit and dine at the Guinn Family Ranch in the spectacular Kananaskis Valley, with pristine views of the Rockies, alpine meadows, and wildlife, while visitors to Alaska can learn first hand about dog sledding from musher David Monson. It would be hard to pick a favorite, as each Be My Guest experience is one of a kind, but a few that spring to mind are…

… foraging with Oonagh on Liscannor Bay on the Wild Irish Way in County Clare, Ireland.
She’ll lead guests through the place she knows so well to discover flowers and delicacies that will be transformed into an Irish feast.

…….in England’s Lake District, where you’ll travel to Hesket Newmarket to meet “Farmer John” as he’s known by locals, in the village where he’s lived his whole life. He’ll show you his farm and introduce you to his dogs – and then his wife, Christine, a brilliant hostess and cook, will welcome you for an amazing spread of cream tea, sandwiches and a jaw-dropping dessert spread.

…..on a farm outside of Dubrovnik, Croatia, where you’ll meet Anton Muhoberac and his family, including his son who will play accordion for you as you cook over an outdoor fire, eat figs, drink the local travarica and dance to traditional music.

…..and at Grove 41 in Paso Robles, California, where Karen will guide you through her olive groves and the oil making process – along with tasting – then tell you her story over an alfresco lunch with local wines.

While our travelers are enjoying these rich experiences, they are also doing good, supporting over 100 local families around the world – all of whom look forward to the return of our travelers as we recover from this pandemic.

For another great TTC innovation, there’s our Brendan Vacations, (which operate in Ireland, Scotland and Great Britain) Chauffer Driven vacations, where we merged our knowledge of touring the British Isles with escorted independent travel. By partnering with Pat Keogh’s chauffer car business, we are able to offer travelers fully customizable hand-crafted vacations bringing together a professional chauffeur and the finest of accommodations.

Another innovation for Trafalgar was in how we tell about what we do. We knew we offered the finest travel experiences available – and so did our guests. We wanted to let them tell the story in real time. We also wanted to make sure their reviews came through with 100% transparency, which is why in 2014 we were the first travel company to post reviews through Feefo.

Now, six years on, we have a 4.7/5 global rating, and have been awarded Feefo’s Platinum status – their highest ranking. The desire to showcase what we did also had a powerful unintended consequence of letting us see how our trips were performing in real time. Our operating teams monitor their Feefo reviews and adjust on the fly, allowing for continual improvement and instant innovation.

Looking back, I remember how much anxiety this caused before going live, as the founder of Feefo later told me. Having never taken on a travel company, he was wary of negative reviews – obviously, he had never traveled with us. “You can’t put this genie back in the bottle,” he had said.

We wouldn’t want to, and we are proud that we were the ones who brought that genie out first.

Of course, any guided holiday company is only as good as their Travel Directors. Ours have always been great, but the spirit of innovation is about constant, relentless improvement. Thus, working alongside our sister TTC companies Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold, we hired the best in the business, a woman who had been head of training for Virgin Atlantic. Then we designed, from scratch, a rigorous, in-depth, multi-tiered experiential training program that would really place the travel directors into the guests’ shoes. The results have been fantastic, and one of the factors that has led to over 50% return rate of our guests.

In travel, personalization is everything, and our innovations in this area have been bolstered by the values of TTC. You can see this in our new phone system that supports all of us, Genesys. While I say “phone,” it is much more, as it will transform the ways all of TTC’s companies interact with travelers, including text, chat, and so on. Using data, we are able to connect our present and future guests with just the right sales consultants, so we are able to answer faster, deliver easy callbacks, and utilize natural voice responses instead of complicated and annoying click through systems. We know that in today’s world of instant contact, high touch points and personalization, this is the next step in us innovating into the future. And yes, we are available 24/7, 365, because that’s when our guests need us.

This drive to personalization has also led to My Travel Portal, which supports every guided vacation brand at TTC – for us, it is My Trafalgar, My Costsaver, and My Brendan Vacations. Available to guests as soon as they’ve booked, they can actively engage with their Travel Director, and tell them anything they may need to know – dietary requirements, physical limitations, birthdays, anniversaries they’re celebrating, things they like, as well offering a place to securely add passport and other contact details, all making for a seamless experience.

In addition to being helpful for the traveler, My Travel Portal lets your Travel Director begin to craft a personalized experience for guests, working behind the scenes, long before the journey begins. This includes special experiences you might like based on your interests, so we can surprise and delight you along the way, exceeding your expectations. I was once on a Trafalgar trip where the Travel Director surprised one of our American guests. He knew that the guest’s father had come from a small town in Italy, and the Travel Director not only surprised him with a visit to that town, but to the very house where his father had been born. Now that is special.

While there are innovations that surprise and delight, there are those born of necessity – especially now. These days, some of the most exciting innovations at TTC are in the realm of traveler wellbeing. Of course, the health and wellbeing of our travelers has always been our top priority, but right at the start of the pandemic, we quickly realized the magnitude of the affect this was about to have on our industry. We would have to bring it to another level. Our chairman, Mr. Stanley Tollman, who has just turned ninety, is sharp as a tack and always leads from the front, called myself and my cousin, Brett, CEO of TTC, back in May this year –

“Our Travel Directors need to focus on delivering exceptional travel experiences,” he said, “and our Drivers need to focus on the task at hand when we travel again. We need a third pair of hands on our trips to take care of all the wellbeing needs of the guests and reassure them.”

Thus, the concept of a Wellbeing Director was born. As you prepare for travel in 2021, Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, and Luxury Gold trips in all regions (apart from Australia, New Zealand and Japan) will have a Wellbeing Director. They will ensure spacing on coaches and keep supplies available and stocked, and call ahead to destinations and liaise with suppliers and hotels to ensure that our stringent protocols are followed, to name just a few of the tasks entrusted to them on the road, with you every step of the way to answer questions and address concerns. (Please watch our new video on this innovative, unique new on tour position, to understand more.)

Another amazing innovation at TTC involves hygiene at Red Carnation Hotels and all ships owned and operated by Uniworld. It’s called Premium Purity, and while we have come to it as a response to COVID-19, it is a fantastic and completely effective approach to cleaning that will serve us long after this pandemic is over. It is both 100% non-toxic and chemical free, removing viruses, bacteria, and microbes with no toxic residue, so it’s healthier for you, for our staff, and our planet.

This leads me to one more area of innovation, which is perhaps the most important, as it affects all of us and this magnificent planet on which we live. As TTC celebrates the success of our first century and the beginning of our second, we are acutely aware of how our travels impact the world. Travel can – and must – be a force for good. This belief shapes everything we do at TTC. It also drives TreadRight, the foundation we founded to ensure that travel has a positive impact on Planet, People, and Wildlife.
We invite you to visit their website to learn the amazing projects they do, many of which we visit and support on our itineraries. Also, if you have not yet taken the TreadRight Pledge to Make Travel Matter, we invite you to join us in doing so. (We also just launched a five year sustainability strategy last month, How We Tread Right, which establishes a detailed, trackable plan for us to be carbon neutral across our entire company before 2030.)

As we prepare to resume travel, we are aware that we are at a crucial time in our history. Many of the ways in which things have been done in the past are simply not sustainable, and must change. Again, it’s worth recalling what Steve Jobs said: “Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity – not a threat.”

As a member of the Tollman family, the head of these three brands, and part of the TTC family as a whole, I am grateful for that opportunity.

Sincerely,

Gavin Tollman

CEO of Trafalgar, Costsaver, and Brendan Vacations

We set off on our travels with dreams, and return with memories that last a lifetime.

Now, as we near the end of what would have been the 2020 travel season, we have all been through a year like no other. While the global pandemic has resulted in so many delayed travel plans and trips, it has not stopped us from recalling the magic of our past travels – nor dreaming about where we will go in the future.

Over these past months we have heard from many guests who have been flipping through their scrapbooks and photos, reliving those memories, recalling places they’ve visited and people they’ve met through their travels with TTCs brands. That inspired us, in turn, to look through letters, emails, shared comments and postings that have come through on social media, from our guests sharing the stories of their journeys.

This month, in honor of World Tourism Day on September 27 and TTC’s 100th anniversary, we thought it fitting to share a few of those stories from several of the brands (those not included in our September video – please have a look directly below this post if you’ve not seen it yet) – tales and pictures that remind us why we do what we do.

Much as we have missed you this year, we very much look forward to serving you in the coming year – and for generations to come.

Sincerely,

Brett Tollman

Chief Executive – TTC

Our time in Tanzania in the bush and on game drives was spectacular! We saw all five of the big game animals: African elephant, leopard, lion, Cape buffalo, and Black rhinoceros. Witnessed the wildebeest migration along with herds of zebra, elephants and impalas. Our driver Salim was amazing as he traversed nearly impossible roads because of the rain. He was knowledgeable about flora and fauna as well as spotting animals in the wild. He could identify any creature be it winged or footed.

Because of COVID-19 our visit to Victoria Falls was cancelled due to closed boarders and cancelled return flights. We are most grateful to Meggan and her team at African Travel, Inc., John and Erick, Salim, Mohamed, and Leopard Tours for securing our flights and transfers and getting us to the airport in time!

Erick went above and beyond, staying at the hotel and sleeping in his car to be sure he learned of any flight changes in a timely manner. We couldn’t possibly say enough to thank all who made sure we arrived home safely – thank you all!

– Cathy and Fred

From Brendan Vacations – #MyBrendanStory

Adventurous hikes and perfect views. You’ve got to go the Great Glen Way.

– Stephen 

One of my happiest days yet… Ireland is a country I’ve always dreamt of visiting and I’ve completely fallen for.
– Biankka 

The Celtic Isles of Ireland and Scotland are home to centuries of myths and legends, and all who visit here write a chapter in our story. What will yours be?

– Brendan Vacations

I have always longed to travel to India but travel on my own terms and see the real India, exploring the paths less traveled. Being a solo traveler, I was a bit apprehensive, but I was so delighted to find Adventure World Travel. Your team listened and gave so much expert advice to create a trip just for me. The boutique hotels I stayed at were so unique and beautiful; and my private guide Ananya was beyond amazing. I will cherish this trip…

– Thelma

Our trip was fantastic! Hands down, the best part was our guide Sheila, she was hilarious, extremely knowledgeable, and really made this trip special for us. It was also very well organized, safe, and hygienic during the Covid-19 pandemic. Highly recommend Evan Evans day tours from London…. 10/10!

– Tim

Mel was a wonderful tour guide! He was very knowledgeable, witty and just an overall gem! We have booked plenty of tours in other countries and cities we’ve visited but this one was by far the best! Everything ran smoothly, we learned so much about the history of London and beyond and we are super thankful to Evan Evans for providing us with such a lovely time on our first trip to London! We will definitely be recommending to our friends back home!

– Jessica

Our trip was amazing! We had the best time – all of our accommodations were fantastic and we cannot wait to go back to Africa – I am already planning a tentative time to go back :). Cape Town was great – we visited Table Mountain and the Botanical Gardens. The suggestion to stay in Franschhoek was really appreciated – we loved it so much. It was so beautiful there and all of the wineries were incredible.

Kapama was an amazing safari experience – we saw the Big 5 (multiple times) and lots of other animals and our guide/tracker went above and beyond for our group. Mozambique was beautiful and Dugong was a perfect relaxing quiet way to end our trip. Thank you for everything! We will definitely contact Lion World when we plan our return trip to Africa!

– Margret

The trip to Egypt was fantastic! Every aspect was incredible and we really appreciate the time you took to help us put it all together. The accommodations were all first class, the transfers and personal attention from your team was friendly and efficient. Mohammed in Cairo was fantastic and incredibly helpful as was everyone we met from the team. A very well-run organization.

Wa’el, our guide, could not have been better. His knowledge of Egypt, both historical and current, was beyond compare – not to mention he’s also a pretty good iPhone photographer! We trusted him right away once he told us that we had to leave at 6:30am to get to Giza and the Pyramids. We were the first people there and had the incredible experience of being the ONLY PEOPLE inside the Great Pyramid burial chamber. We even beat the guard who was supposed to be in there! Overall, I’d rate our trip with 5 stars out of 5. This is our second Lion World Travel excursion, we certainly consider ourselves “repeat customers” and will book with you again.

– Ryan & Jess

Just came back from Beaches and Reefs trip in Australia and would fly back tomorrow if I could! It’s the best time I’ve ever had on a holiday and could not believe how much we did. Our trip manager Jayne was just brilliant, she was so friendly, helpful, and just such a great person to be around! Jayne’s knowledge and history of Oz was just fantastic and just showed how passionate she was about her job. If you want to see as much as you can in Oz in a small amount of time, I would 100% recommend this trip! Thanks, Contiki, for the best holiday of a lifetime – and can’t wait to book again!

– Carla

Contiki Asia was The Best Holiday I have ever had! Amazing places, people, and trip manager! Ole was absolutely fantastic. She was so helpful and lovely and honestly could not do enough for you. She was really informative and clearly knew a lot about the different areas we visited… I also liked that we had a choice of activities such as the elephant sanctuary or the temples. The nightlife in all locations was great and the weather was exceptional every day. It was so amazing to meet like-minded people from all over the world – people I will stay in touch with forever!

– Shea

Having been born a Tollman, I suppose it’s no surprise that travel has been such an important part in the first twenty years of my life. Though I grew up and currently live in Los Angeles – while Zooming into college at NYU – my earliest memories are of time spent with my family exploring the bush in South Africa, then later visiting cousins around the world and on family trips like the one above, in Paris.

This picture is one of so many photographs from our travels, which my parents compiled into the beautiful albums that I pore over time and again as I relive those adventures. It has been through these albums that I discovered my love of photography, which has so influenced my experiences of the places we have been and will shape those to come, in places I dream of discovering.

While I love photography of all kinds, my passion is film photography – the kind everyone did before digital cameras came along. You remember – rolls of film you would load into a camera, keeping them safely from the light? You would wind between shots and think carefully about the pictures you took, as each one used up a 35 millimeter rectangle of film. And while you might plan out a shot, you would never know exactly what you got until you either developed the film yourself or picked it up from a lab. It’s so different from a digital photo, which you see instantly. But there’s something about that waiting period that brings a sense of anticipation, which is so key in photography and travel.

Photography has taught me so many lessons that shape how I view life, travel, and the future. One I have been thinking of lately is about “depth of field.” Though a technical term, it’s something we all recognize, about which objects are in focus, those that are close or those that are far away. I love photographs where the foreground is a blur while the distance is sharp and, right now, that pretty much sums up how I feel about travel. The year 2020 has been about the blurriest and most challenging year for travelers since my grandfather, Solomon Tollman, opened the Paternoster Hotel in a fishing village on the coast of South Africa, launching the family business, exactly 100 years ago this month.

With a global pandemic that has brought travel screeching to a halt, we are just now beginning to take our first steps forward, looking for clarity on the road ahead. And yet, blurry as the present moment may be, I feel the vision for the future has never been clearer. Far from diminishing my interest in travel, this pandemic has made me all the more enthusiastic about experiences that await, discovering new places and meeting new people. My friends feel the same way – there’s a sense of urgency and excitement. Why put your life on hold? Quoting my Papa – as I call my grandfather – who is so very wise and has seen so much, “The world will keep on spinning, and there is a time in the not too distant future when it will be full speed ahead.”

He also says to make the best of this time, so I’ve been looking back at some of my photos, thinking about lessons learned that will shape my future travels.

In 2017 my family went to Kenya with Me to We to help build a school in the Maasai Mara. I took this photo with my new Pentax (well, new to me, though already old when I got it). When the photo came back from the lab I could see that there was some light bleed, but I just loved this group of kids, with whom I really bonded while I was there. With all that’s going on in the world there is still such a desire to connect, and in the photo you can feel the real warmth they sent us off with as they said goodbye.

My father often quotes a Maori saying “It’s the people. It’s the people. It’s the people.” Like my grandfather says “You can’t do anything without people. It’s what makes the world go round.”

For the past three years in December my family has traveled to stay with friends in Carayes, Mexico, about two hours down the coast from Puerto Vallarta. Part of that trip includes helping newly hatched sea turtles find their way to the sea. They’re an endangered species, and very few of the ones that go into the sea survive to be the magnificent sea turtles we know. The scramble from their eggs on shore down to the water is one of the most perilous parts of their journey, and by giving them a head start by carrying them to the water we’re helping the species to recover.

I had intended to take a picture of the turtle, but when it came back I saw that the focus was on my brother’s hands. But the more I looked at it, the more I liked it – the shape of his hands, and the way you can see the individual grains of sand. To me, this picture echoes the message of TreadRight – that it is people who make travel matter.

One of the greatest gifts of travel is the chance to step into in someone else’s shoes. In 2018 we went on another Me to WE trip, this one to Rajasthan, India. As we had done in Kenya, we went on a water walk, seeing how far the women carry water each day.

Later, we met this woman who so kindly brought us into her house to teach us how to make naan, the traditional bread of that region. She was quite proud of her dog, and asked if we would take a picture of the two of them. That’s what I love about this picture – while it’s the picture of her and the dog, it is also of my mother taking the picture, as you can just her see on the left.

Afterwards I went downstairs and outside where I saw this girl sitting. She was kind of shy, but flirty, too, and I asked if I could take her picture. I love the composition and whatever she was sitting on. It’s nothing I could have planned, just a found picture. There are lots of travel experiences like that, moments you could never expect, but turn out just right.

While my last name is Tollman, my middle name is Lurie, which is the maiden name of my grandmother – you know her as Bea Tollman, president of Red Carnation and guiding spirit of Uniworld. I know her as Nana, and it is from her that I’ve inherited my love of design and fashion, which are shaping my studies at NYU. It’s a love that runs throughout my family. I see it in the way my Aunt Toni works with Nana to design and furnish all of Uniworld’s ships, and in all the countless ways my Aunt Vicki works with her to make Red Carnation Hotels so beautiful and welcoming. I also see that same aesthetic spark in my cousin Andrew, Toni’s son, who is Global Creative Director for The Travel Corporation.

I suppose this passion for design is the source of my long-time fascination with Japan. I love the aesthetic. The sense of presentation. And the sushi. I had long dreamed of traveling there, and when my family went there in 2019 it was all I hoped for and more. Once again, however, it was the surprises that struck me. I remember traveling to Kyoto to see all the things one might hope to see, which we did. But then my brother and I took a detour from the temples and found the most amazing Vintage Western Cowboy store. Though I have no picture of it, it’s clear in my mind, and was absolutely perfect. It was also a wakeup call for me, a lesson to keep my eyes open for the unexpected.

That’s what happened with this shot in an art museum in Tokyo. When we went in they told us I could take pictures but not use my flash. At first it was a disappointment, as I thought of the shots I’d miss. But then I saw my brothers and mother framed against this window with the Tokyo skyline in the background. They were looking at an exhibit of miniature doll houses, and there was this wonderful way, for an instant, they all became part of the exhibit.

More than anything, these photos help remind me how fortunate I am, and what a gift it is to be able to travel and discover the world. The more places I travel, the more connected I feel. That comes from my family – here we are in Jerusalem, for my Bat Mitzvah.

We live in a truly amazing time. It seems like yesterday that we were free to travel the world and discover how we all are connected. Currently, having to put that on pause for now, merely makes me appreciate it all the more. I hope to give the same to my children some day, the chance to discover the world, to open doors for them that my family has opened for me. I can see that same drive in my friends. They’re hungry to see the world and have experiences, excited, willing, and eager to tie service and travel together, and there’s no better way to see the world than while having a positive impact.

Philosophical as I may be about this pause in travel, I have to say how much I miss visiting my grandparents. I love this photo I took of them in France. There is truly no one like them, and I would give anything to be able to snap my fingers right now and be with them. For now, I hold on to our weekly zoom conversations, as well as those with my mother’s mother, and treasure every word they say.

Looking through my photos I came across this one, on my dad’s shoulders, which has always been a favorite of mine. Looking at it, I can see that my attitude toward life now is very much the same as it was then, with the same Tollman outlook: I don’t know what tomorrow brings, but I’m excited nonetheless.

Sincerely,

Ella Lurie Tollman

Dear Traveler, 

For those of us who love to explore the world, friendship and travel are intimately connected – asking a traveler about friendship is like asking a fish about water. It’s all around us. There are the friends with whom we set off on our journeys and fellow travelers we befriend along the way. There are guides with whom we build relationships and locals who we meet as strangers and leave as friends. For those of us at TTC, looking back over our first century, friendship has shaped so much of who we are and what we do, in the connections to our guests, our partners, and to each other. The bonds we make stretch through time, across cultures, and around the world.

As we all know, friends are especially important in difficult times, and this year has been the most difficult in recent memory. As we look toward International Friendship Day on July 30, we are particularly appreciative of the friends we have made through travel. To celebrate, those of us at TTC have reached out to our guests and to each other, searching through our memories and our scrapbooks for photographs, stories, and sayings to remind us of friends we have made along the road – and inspire us for the new friends we will be making when our travels resume.

For now, we share these with you hoping they’ll inspire you to recall friendships you’ve made in your travels, and perhaps take the opportunity to reach out to a friend this year on July 30. While circumstances may prevent us from being physically together, we can look forward to the time when we travel again (#whenwetravelagain).

 Until then, we’ll get by with a little help from our friends.

“In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, for in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.”

– KHALIL GIBRAN

“My love for travel has taken me from the Philippines across the world and to all seven continents. On our annual school reunion trips, my friends and I have been to Spain,
Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore – and Egypt! Our next destination: Croatia!”

Jocelyn Uygongco

Insight Vacations Traveler (and food blogger)
@thewingedpalette

“A sweet friendship refreshes the soul.”

– Proverbs 27:9

“Aboard the Ganges Voyager II with my dear friend Mo, on a Uniworld cruise of India’s Golden Triangle and the Sacred Ganges. We were dressed for a dinner on deck with dancing and fireworks. Afterwards, the crew released hundreds of lanterns into the water. Seeing them drift off was magical – we will treasure the memory of that evening for the rest of our lives.”

Wanda Kowalczyk (right)

Vice President, Product Development
Uniworld

“A good friend is like a four-leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have.”

– Irish saying

“Our friendship dates back to 1999; in fact we welcomed in the new Millennium from the same spot where we stand in this picture, on the roof of The Rubens at the Palace. Malcolm joined the company as Deputy General Manager at The Milestone in 2000, and in 2004 was appointed General Manager of The Rubens, Hotel 41 and bbar. We respect each other’s direct style and share a similar sense of humor and values. We both work hard and recognize the importance of being out front looking after our guests and our staff. We are extremely competitive – which means both hotels do better than competitors because of our wonderful guest loyalty.

Outside work we both have a passion for football, and although Malcolm has the edge by supporting the better team in the Premier League (Arsenal rather than West Ham), the tables are turned when it comes to supporting our countries of birth – England v. Scotland!”

Jonathan Raggett (right)

Managing Director
Red Carnation Hotels

Malcolm Hendry (Left)

General Manager of
Rubens at the Palace and Hotel 41

(Malcolm was recently named
Top General Manager Worldwide
by Luxury Travel Advisor)

“We are all travelers in the world and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.”

– Robert Louis Stephenson

“I met my best friend, Naomi, on a Contiki trip in Australia in 2015. We had both been through difficult times before booking, and bonded on a night out in Cairns. We see each other as much as we can, have traveled to places all over the world. We have decided we will go on a trip every year to celebrate meeting. She is my soul mate!!! Everything happens for a reason
and meeting her topped of my already amazing trip!”

LAURA MARSHALL

Contiki Traveler

“We didn’t realize we were making memories, we were just having fun.”

– Winnie the Pooh

“I befriended a group of school kids in Murghab, Tajikistan. We didn’t speak a word of each others language, but the welcome and connection was as warm as it could be.”

Michael Unrath

Trafalgar’s Head of Product for Europe and Great Britain

“The road to a friend’s house is never long.”

– Danish Proverb

“Since my husband, Richard, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2013, we have had the good fortune to be on six Uniworld Cruises. The care of your crews and support of fellow passengers have made for wonderful experiences and friendships – here’s Richard with Henk Jan Plaatje, Captain of The River Empress. As we look through the albums we will
treasure these journeys for a lifetime.”

NATHELLE TOGNI

Uniworld Guest

“Many people will walk in and out of your life,
but only true friends leave footprints in your heart.”

– Eleanor Roosevelt

Finally, we invite you to view this story of a Contiki adventure in Rome where a group of young travelers learned the truth of Helen Keller’s words:
“I would rather walk with a friend in the dark than alone in the light.”

“Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.”

– Albert Camus

Dear Traveler, 

It has been said that while appreciation happens in the moment, gratitude comes only over time. These days, those of us at TTC – like travelers all around the world – are spending our time very differently than we had expected nor want to be doing right now. 

With our travels put on hold, we would like to use this time to step back and reflect on the gift of travel, recalling some of the amazing places we have been, the wonder we have experienced and the people we have met.

This coming in the midst of the celebration of TTC’s first 100 years, is unfortunate, but there will be another time for that in the future. We know that the gates of travel will open again, hopefully soon, and we very much look forward to that day, and to traveling again with you. For now, we would like share some of our stories and memories of ways travel has enriched our lives. We invite you to join us, recalling travels of your own, letting collective appreciation blossom into gratitude.
 

Brett Tollman

Chief Executive – TTC

A few years ago, I was planning a trip to South America, which was to be my partner’s first time to the continent. Having been there several times, I had made a list of iconic destinations: Peru, Argentina and Brazil. Seeing the list, my partner asked if we could also visit Easter Island.

I was perplexed, for beautiful and historical as it is, Easter Island rarely features on the itinerary of a first-time traveler to South America. 

He explained that his father, who had passed away tragically in his early 40’s, had been an ‘armchair traveler,’ living out his travel dreams perusing copies of National Geographic. He had been fascinated by the stories of Easter Island – or Rapa Nui, as it was originally known – and had theorized over how they moved the gigantic ancient Moa statues. A miniature Moa had always adorned their fireplace mantle, and after his father’s passing, my partner kept as a memento.

This opportunity to travel to Easter Island became a pilgrimage for my partner in honor of his late father. I am so grateful to have joined him as he explored Rapa Nui. We will both remember that journey for the rest of our lives. 

Neil Rodgers – Managing Director
Adventure World Travel

Greece, September 1988.

The plane doors opened. Walking down the steps engulfed in warm air, I squeeze my mother’s hand in excitement! Our first journey abroad for what seems like an eternity. 

Our destination? Lindos, Rhodes! Why? The simple turn of a glossy travel brochure page and the sight of an unforgettable single image. 

Finally, on our way to the village of Lindos, eagerly scanning every detail of the landscape speeding by, I spot the outline of a fortress standing on a hill in the distance.  It catches my breath. My heart races. I hug my mum so tightly. As we approach a large curve in the road high above the sparkling sea and there it is… No words can describe that first glimpse, the first journey, the first love. 

Who was to know I would be sitting here in my kitchen 32 years later reliving that very moment, overflowing with sentiment and gratitude? 

Forever will I be grateful for my first trip to Greece. Grateful to the Greek people and my beloved Greek husband, family, colleagues and friends for embracing me – a Scot from the isle of Mull – as one of their own. Grateful to the Greek nation for its solidarity in the fight against Covid-19 and its ongoing efforts to ensure our esteemed international travelers can once again realize their dreams, and travel to Greece, just like I did 32 years ago.

Fiona Thomson Spanoudaki – Operations Senior Manager

Siva Travel Services 

Over many years of traveling, I’ve developed a deep sense of respect for authentic cultural and nature-based experiences. With that respect comes gratitude for the rich and diverse cultures that we are so fortunate to visit. 

A perfect example occurred recently when I was in Finland researching new adventures to add to Adventure World’s Scandinavia program.  There I learned for the first time about the unique Sami culture – Europe’s only Indigenous Peoples – from the Lapland region of Scandinavia. While visiting the Siida Sami Museum in the village of Inari, I learned how the Sami culture had been maligned over generations through inauthentic and exploitive tourist practices.

As I came to understand this, I found an opportunity to provide genuine, immersive tourism experiences that help travelers gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of Sami culture, while providing the Sami with a sustainable source of income. 

I am deeply grateful to the Sami people, as well as other indigenous communities, for allowing us to respectfully share their rich and unique cultures.

Andrew Hutchinson – Head of Product & Operations

Adventure World Travel

Having spent 18 years as a Travel Director with The Travel Corporation, it’s hard to identify a single favorite place. If I had to choose, though, I would say Uluru Kata-Tjuta National Park.  Through my visits there I have become friends with the Anangu ladies, and recently I was invited to join them for a night camping in the bush to learn about Aboriginal Australian culture. It was truly an honor to sit with them around the fire, listening to stories that have been passed down for thousands of years.  

Sleeping out under the stars in a swag on a freezing cold night in May definitely gave me a greater appreciation of existence.  Seeing how the Anagu ladies connected with the land,  I came away from that experience with a much deeper appreciation of the need to stop and listen to the country.  I will be eternally grateful for that experience.

Nellie Sullivan – Travel Director

AAT Kings

Those of us at Red Carnation Hotels are fortunate to have the opportunity to get to know and serve our wonderful guests. In 2012, The Chesterfield Mayfair had the honor of welcoming His Holiness The Dalai Lama for a three night stay.  He was traveling in the United Kingdom with a group of eight monks who also stayed with us.  An early riser, he required a 4:00am breakfast in his room, which consisted of blueberry muffins and sliced papaya.  Prior to his departure he presented the staff who delivered his breakfast with a white scarf he had blessed as a token of his appreciation. 

He also presented the hotel’s team with another white scarf he had blessed before leaving, to thank them for looking after him as well as wishing them every blessing for the future.  The visit by His Holiness made a strong impression on the team. We were all deeply grateful for the opportunity to meet such an inspiring and iconic leader. 

Jonathan Raggett – Managing Director

Red Carnation Hotels

Having recently married and into life on the island of Mykonos, Greece, my husband took me to meet his extended family in the village of Agiasos on the island of Lesvos. I quickly learned that Mykonos and Lesvos are two very different islands; while Mykonos is quite cosmopolitan, Lesvos is very rugged. Arriving in this rural mountain village, I met his aunties, uncles and cousins. The local dialect they spoke was so different to the Greek I had been struggling to learn. Unable to comprehend their language, I wondered how I would manage, even for the length of our stay. 

And yet, somehow, as we sat at tables piled high with delicious foods, the sea surrounding us and ouzo flowing, their warmth and generosity came through with no need for words. Out came the instruments and we began to sing. Music and laughter are universal languages, and both were plentiful.  

Travel has given me so much, from the new family I acquired to the lifelong friends I have made to the experiences I will never forget. Discovering a new culture has opened my mind to a way of life so different from what I knew. It has shaped me into the person I am today, and for this I am deeply grateful.

Moraig Macgreggor – Travel Director

Siva Travel Services 

After a private viewing of The Doge’s Palace, our local expert Ana took us through the lesser known streets of Venice, giving us an insider’s view of the back alleys, canals, and hidden local traditions I had not yet experienced.  Suffice to say, had I tried to walk these streets without Ana’s expertise I would have been completely lost! Halfway through the tour, Daniele, our Luxury Gold Traveling Concierge, excused himself, leaving us in Ana’s capable hands.  At the tour’s end, Ana led the group into a tiny, locally frequented café, featuring locals reading local papers under a backdrop of local photos. I felt as if I was being treated to a little secret.   

Danielle had taken over the bar, lining up Venetian style aperitif sandwiches and Aperol Spritzes for the entire group. The spritzes, in true local tradition, featured an olive (not the usual orange slice), just the way Venetians like it! I am so grateful for the opportunity to travel to these amazing places in the role I am in.

Anthony Sollecito Rich – National Accounts Sales Executive USA

Insight Vacations & Luxury Gold

I love working in a job where we get to make people’s dreams come true. Living in working here in South Africa, it is such a great pleasure to welcome the world to our shores, showing them this remarkable country land. My work here has opened the doors to my own personal travels around the world, including Israel (above, in Jerusalem), destinations throughout Africa, India, and the United States. 

I suppose I’m something of adrenaline junkie. I’ve loved going micro-lighting (above, over Victoria Falls) white-water rafting, bungee-jumping, hang-gliding, fly-boarding, abseiling, a tandem parachute jump and shark cage diving – they all make me feel great to be alive. That’s the magic of working in travel – every day is unique. And for that, I am grateful.

Jonathan Gadiah – CEO

Thompsons Africa

I was just a teenager when I set off from my home in Bucharest, Romania to backpack around Europe. Travel was my first taste of absolute freedom. It has shaped my entire life since then, and for this I am deeply grateful.

Since that first journey, and now as a Wellbeing Coach for Uniworld, I have traveled to places I had never imagined, studying Yoga in India, swimming with turtles in the Indian Ocean, and living with a family in Sri Lanka (above).

When I think back over these travels, a collage of images comes to mind. I think of meals I have shared. I will never forget eating my first “croissant avec chocolat” next to the Eiffel Tower, Dosha Massala in Trivandum, Kerala, or drinking cappuccino with new found friends while admiring the endless views from atop the Burj Khalifa – the tallest building in the world, in Dubai.

Much as I love the food and the sites, for me travel is all about the people, my fellow travelers and the locals I have met. I am so grateful for the chance to get to know such fun and fascinating friends. And, when the time comes for us all to travel again, I cannot wait to see who I will meet.

Elena Lavinia Nejloveanu – Wellbeing Coach

Uniworld

Dear Traveler and Treasured Guest,

Wherever you are, I hope you and your family are safe and in good health. This May is certainly different from ones we have known in the past, but one thing that remains the same is that numerous countries around the world will be celebrating Mother’s Day this month.  Especially significant this year is the United Nations International Day of Families on Friday, May 15.

For this reason we decided to dedicate this post to the importance of family, as we navigate this perilous time in our world. Just as our families can be the source of our greatest joy during good times so, too, do they provide strength and comfort through challenging times. As Alex Haley, author of Roots, wrote so beautifully, “In every conceivable manner, our family is a link to our past, a bridge to our future.”

These days, I find his words ring partially true. As I follow the news and reflect on my own family, I find myself filled with gratitude for each day they are in good health and good spirits.

For me, the idea of “family” goes well beyond my immediate relations, as the word signifies so much more here at The Travel Corporation. While we are a fourth-generation family owned and run business, TTC is composed of many layers of families within families, one biological and so many others that have come together – and therein lies my story.

As you may know, TTC was founded 100 years ago this year by Solomon Tollman, who was my grandfather. You may have heard his story, of escaping from Lithuania and going on to open a small hotel on South Africa’s west coast, as recounted in January’s blog by my brother, Brett Tollman, who serves as CEO of TTC. Likewise, in February, you may have read a Valentine’s Day story from my father, Stanley Tollman, who spent his early years in that hotel.  A Tale of Love and Oysters told of the night he fell in love with my mother and the vision the two of them shared, which has since grown into The Travel Corporation we know today, over which he serves as Chairman. For International Women’s Day in March, my mother, Bea Tollman, wrote The Secret Ingredient, telling of the crucial role that women always have – and always will – play in the success of TTC. This year, I was honored to serve as TTC’s storyteller through monthly videos celebrating TTC’s first century. 

While the Tollman family is very much at the heart and soul of TTC, we are also a family of 42 of the most beloved travel brands in the world. Each is a family in its own right, with more families within each brand, all weaving these values into the amazing travel experiences they offer. Many Tollman family members work throughout these brands including, of course, my brother Brett, who a personal interest in everything that happens at TTC. I work with my cousins as well, including Michael, CEO of Cullinan Holdings in South Africa, and Gavin, based in Switzerland, the inspiring force who heads up Trafalgar, as well as Costsaver and Brendan Vacations.

While I am very much part of the entire TTC family, my greatest joy today is working in London for Red Carnation Hotels alongside my mother, who is both our founder and President. I feel privileged to work with many of our wonderful people, including the executive, operations, marketing, sales, and public relations teams. I also work with alongside my sister, Toni, a brilliant designer who oversees all our projects. It is her vision, combined with my mother’s, that has created and shaped the look and feel of each and every room of Red Carnation’s beautiful boutique hotels, as well as Uniworld Boutique River Cruises’ fleet of ships.

If you have ever stayed in a Red Carnation hotel or cruised on any Uniworld ship, I hope you felt welcomed as part of that family. We take great pride in making our guests feel truly cared for, important and looked after, because these are the values we hold dear. We are moved by an endless desire to welcome, helping travelers such as yourself to feel at home. This happens through tiny, noticeable touches that shape every aspect of service to our guests. More than anything, we are driven by the kind of passion one can only find in a family business, leading to obsessive attention to detail. While not the easiest way to run a business, it is who we are.

Passion, hard work, integrity, warmth, and care – these are qualities I have inherited from my parents and grandparents, which I see in my three beautiful daughters as well. They are strands we weave throughout our family tapestry and into every aspect of TTC.

My mother is the true Mother of Red Carnation. She is our daily inspiration, revered throughout all our properties, caring deeply for all of our team members. She loves them equally as she does her own children and, luckily, my mother’s heart is plenty big enough for all. Every year she personally chooses over 2,500 Christmas gifts for the RCH family and another 1,500 for the Uniworld family. It is quite a daunting task, but one she does with love and care. I have the pleasure of accompanying my mother to each hotel where we hand out the thoughtfully chosen gift to every member of that hotel’s team, then celebrate with champagne and our signature high tea for all to enjoy.

We also host the Staff Appreciation Party in March of each year, where we invite and fly in from all over the world over 1,000 members of our RCH family and host them for a week. It ends with a magnificent black tie evening at the Grosvenor House hotel in London, where we recognize and award our shining stars and teams in the collection and thank them for all they do to make Red Carnation hotels one of the most loved and cherished hotel companies in the world.

Sadly, this is the first year we were unable to host this event. The past months have greatly affected all of our lives, and it’s been an especially difficult period for those of us in travel and hospitality. Being in the midst of a global pandemic, all of our hotels are closed. So far, we’ve looked after many of our team and hope to be able to throughout this crisis. Luckily, each hotel is maintained by a small but dedicated skeleton team, working together at safe distances to ensure that our beautiful properties remain safe and cared for. 

For many years, my mother has begun each day by reading a daily report from every hotel, which includes details that make up the running of that property and includes guest comments, likes and dislikes. This is my mother’s true passion, caring for and worrying about her teams and guests, and taking the time to respond to every single guest comment. Right now, she misses this each day and awaits the time when we can open our doors again and get back to do doing what we do best, running our boutique hotels and serving our guests with care and love. In the meantime, she does stay in close touch with every manager and chef, calling them regularly to see that they are well, and to check on their families and teams too. 

Like so many other companies we are now conducting ongoing virtual meetings on Teams and Zoom. I am most grateful to have this technology because it allows us to remain close with everyone staying connected, so still feeling they are part of their hotel’s family. I also ensure that I visit every hotel in London if possible once a week, along with our inspirational Managing Director Jonathan Raggett, respectfully following the government guidelines as we spend time with and show support to those skeleton crews. 

While it is a big adjustment to see normally full hotels now empty, I have also seen something beautiful and touching shining in each Red Carnation hotel. These skeleton crews have become families of their own, and applying the same dedication, care, energy. Their desire to serve their hotel’s community has also driven deeper relationships and supporting others recently with those who live in the neighborhood. From the Hotel d’ Angleterre in Geneva I hear of a maid sewing hundreds of masks and a former fire-fighter serving on the volunteer brigade. From the Duke of Richmond Hotel in Guernsey I hear of the staff providing meals to local neighbors in their 90’s who have no family support and volunteering to deliver produce around the island. And here in London, at The Egerton House, I hear of the staff walking the dogs of elderly neighbors who feel unsafe leaving their home.  These are but a few examples I receive from our hotels, with more coming in each day. 

In addition to these local efforts, we have also begun a system wide initiative to recognize essential service workers in each community. Overseen by Jonathan Raggett and myself, we have begun to offer hotel vouchers to essential service workers for experiences at each property, including hotel stays, high teas, lunches or dinners. Each hotel’s management will choose the organizations that matter most to them, and to identify those heroes whose work might otherwise be overlooked. Each hotel team looks forward to welcoming them to their family.  

As we continue to serve our surrounding communities, we are also at work developing new protocols and systems to meet needed new standards of hygiene at our hotels, to ensure the well being of our guests and staff. Of course, maintaining excellent hygiene has always been our practice, but we will now take that to the next level. For a business that has always prided itself on being “high-touch,” this is no small challenge. How will we deliver those tiny, noticeable touches in ways that that let us properly show how much we care? I have no doubt that each General Manager and his or her team will continue to do it creatively, sustainably, and with style – it is what we do for family.

As I close, I would like to share a thought from my father, who will be turning 90 this year and has lived a life so rich in wisdom and experience.  Just as our hotel families have come to see my mother as their own, so they see my father as well, turning to him for sage advice during this trying time. When they do, he says the same words to them that he said to me and my siblings during difficult times when we were growing up, and still says to this day. They are the very same words his father, Solomon Tollman, said to him, which he, in turn, took from his namesake, King Solomon:  This, too, shall pass.

Indeed it shall. And, when it does, our families and I will be here to welcome you with the same generous hospitality and caring service. 

Until then, I send you and your families our best and warmest wishes, with special greetings and gratitude for mothers. While we may be unable to gather physically together this year, may the love we share bring us together in the spirit of family.

Vicki Tollman

Director of Red Carnation Hotels

Dear Traveler,

This year, Earth Month arrives with particular poignancy.  As The Travel Corporation celebrates its first 100 years, we also mark the fiftieth anniversary of the first Earth Day –  April 22, 1970 – which was the seed that grew into Earth Month.  Now, in 2020, Earth Month comes in the midst of a world-wide pandemic, bringing much of life – and virtually all travel – to a standstill.

Difficult as this is for all of us, it offers an opportunity to reflect on our relationship to this planet we all call home. This is especially true for those of us who have the great fortune to travel. If ever there was a time for a reset, this is it. With plans suddenly put on hold, it is a time to step back and ask ourselves some important questions. Why do we travel? What responsibilities come with our journeys? How do we want our travel to impact the planet we discover, the people we meet, and the wildlife we see?

While this pandemic is new territory for everyone, for those of us at TreadRight, these questions are not new. They are what led to TreadRight’s founding a dozen years ago, what drives us to do the work we do each day. For me, personally, these are questions that have shaped my career.

I am not exaggerating when I tell you I grew up in Paradise – just outside of St. John’s, Newfoundland, an island off the east coast of Canada.  For me, as a child, the name of the town fit – from my front door I could run through empty fields and make it to Topsail beach to maybe spot a seal or two.  Depending upon the time of year, every direction led to skiing, hiking, or paddling.

Back then, the economy of Newfoundland & Labrador was largely based on the fishing industry, particularly cod. That all changed in the summer of 1992, when years of overfishing by multi-national interests had reduced the northern cod population to near zero. The Canadian government banned the practice of cod fishing and, overnight, the industry was near collapse. By the time I was 16, the tourism industry was kicking off quickly, and I soon found myself working as a sea kayak guide along the island’s rugged southern shore, with jagged cliffs above, swarms of jellyfish below, and, nearby, pods of fin, and minke and humpback whales that returned to the Grand Banks each summer to feed.

Incredible a backyard as it was, what I saw in Newfoundland’s growing tourism industry left me perplexed.  The same boats that once fished for cod now arrived full of tourists, chasing whales and interrupting their feeding. It seemed that “fisheries” had been replaced by “tourism,” and guided by much the same attitude: Make money quickly, but turn a blind eye to protection. In the process of visiting paradise, tourists were trampling it. While not the intention, it was often the result.

It seemed to me there must be a right way to discover natural beauty – and this was not it.  Seeking to understand, I went to university where I studied Outdoor Recreation and Environmental Education, then on to graduate school for a Masters Degree in Tourism and Environmental Management, writing my thesis on “Codes of Conduct for Marine Ecotourism.”

Anxious to put my newfound understanding into practice, I joined the operations team of a niche tour operator, which allowed me to put sustainable practices into place. We worked hard, did most of the right things, and thrived. And yet, when I looked at the big picture, our impact was limited. We were one of many such well-intentioned small operators, each working in our own space – while the damage being done by tourism around the world was vast, and growing. From there I launched and built a tourism consultancy, where I was able to work with destinations worldwide to address the way in which they develop, sell and market their regions. And yet the projects I was working on were again, small, and I was eager to focus on sustainability at scale.

During this time TTC was a consulting client of mine, and as it came time for me to move beyond consulting, it was also clear that TTC wanted someone to take TreadRight and sustainability to the next level, looking to appoint their first Chief Sustainability Officer.  I was intrigued, although in any other scenario would have been more than a little wary. I knew full well that the C in TTC stood for “corporation,” and I’m a cynic when it comes to what corporations say and do in terms of sustainability – I’ve never wanted to play a part in corporate greenwashing. However, having worked alongside Brett Tollman and his team of executives for several years, I had seen the depth and sincerity of their commitment. We had worked closely on issues such as plastics in the travel industry, the impact of overtourism and support for micro enterprises. The passion they brought to the work had grown steadily more intense and focused, coming down to three words: Make Travel Matter.

 I took the job.

I’ve spoken of two P’s so far – the Power a large organization has to have impact at scale, and the Passion I saw from the teams at TTC.  But there is a third P that is most important – Partnership.  In order for travel to truly have a positive impact, we need coordinated efforts at every level, with all of us realizing that our efforts are part of the bigger picture.

We began by identifying the three critical areas in which travel has the greatest potential for impact: Planet, People, and Wildlife. With these as the three pillars of TreadRight, we looked to see who was doing the best work in each realm.  This has led to us partnering with over fifty-five projects around the world, and a new, soon to be released company-wide strategy aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

As you now take time to consider your future travels, I invite you to share in the inspiration I find each day from the people and communities with whom we partner, like Rosamira, Executive Director of Proyecto Tití, which protects the critically endangered cotton top tamarin in Colombia. Through WildlifeSOS in Jaipur, India, you will meet the truly impassioned people working to inform tourists and prevent the cruel practice of riding elephants. And nowhere will you find more impressive visionaries than Sam Judd and Camden Howitt, co-founders of Sustainable Coastlines in New Zealand. Last month – before travel was suspended, which now feels like a very long time ago – I spent an inspiring afternoon alongside other TTC volunteers, collecting and categorizing trash found on a New Zealand beach in the name of citizen science.

 In her blog posting last month for International Women’s Day, Bea Tollman wrote that supporting women and girls is essential, and many of our projects do just that. When you travel to Perugia, Italy, you’ll meet Marta at Laboratorio Giuditta Bronzzetti. When I was introduced to her, she was working in a crumbling church with a hole in its roof, as the very last in a lineage of hand frame weavers carrying on traditions dating back to the Renaissance. TreadRight partnered with her to restore the church’s roof and develop her gift shop, where she now trains the next generation of weavers. You’ll find a similar story in Peru, where Centro de Textiles Traditionales del Cusco preserves 10,000 year old Andean traditions while providing training and employment to women. And, at thirteen locations throughout rural Laos, you will find women and girls learning traditional techniques through Ock Pop Tock’s Village Weavers Project.

For now, I invite you to learn about all these incredible partnerships and more at TreadRight.org. When the time comes to travel again, you will have the chance to visit and support many of our partners around the world, through the amazing itineraries offered by TTC’s brands.

Some of TreadRight’s most important partnerships are with our ambassadors, who serve as our storytellers – and story listeners – around the world. Céline Cousteau, granddaughter of Jacques Cousteau and an accomplished activist, filmmaker, and explorer in her own right, serves as our planet ambassador – check out her beautiful video telling of the story of Iraq Al Amir Women’s Cooperative in Jordan. Sarain Fox, our people ambassador, is a First Nations activist and artist, helping preserve Canada’s indigenous culture through Manitoba Mukluk’s Storyboot School. Check out her tips on how we make our travel matter. This year TreadRight welcomed Ami Vitale as our first wildlife ambassador. An award-winning National Geographic photographer, she specializes in telling the stories behind the headlines. When travel resumes, she will be sharing stories from some of our projects in southern Africa, including those welcoming Red Carnation visitors to Bushman’s Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat, South Africa, and Botswana’s soon to open Xigera Safari Lodge – which, by the way will be nearly 100% solar powered.

These are but a few of the places where we work, and I’ve told you why we do what we do – to Make Travel Matter. As TTC’s Chief Sustainability Officer, I also focus on how we put this into practice on a daily basis, ensuring that the positive impact of your travel begins long before your journey, through the practices of each of TTC’s 42 brands.  We are eliminating all unnecessary single-use plastics from our offices, in our hotels and on all of our trips. Each TTC traveler is encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottle on their trip and to receive documents electronically, and when you choose to do so, we plant a tree through our E-Documents Initiative.  This year, we will be planting in Australia, helping the recovery from the terrible bush fires there. TTC’s Toronto office – where I work – is powered by geothermal power, and a good number of our offices around the world have had solar panels installed.

As you can tell, when it comes to ensuring travel has a positive impact, there are a lot of moving parts – and a long way to go. But, as they say, Paradise was not built in a day.

I’d like to end with our most important partnership: You, our travelers. In addition to the visits you will be able to make with TTC’s companies to see and support these projects, a portion of every dollar you spend with every TTC company funds this work. And, please read and sign on to our travel pledge – which upholds the simple, key tenets of TreadRight and TTC – to help protect and preserve our planet, our people and their communities, and the wildlife of our beautiful fragile planet.

Just as I began this post with questions, I’ll end with one more, for you. The time to travel will come again – hopefully, soon. When it does, how will you make travel matter?

Sincerely,

Shannon Guihan

Dear Traveler,

Anyone who loves cooking as I do will know what I have discovered, namely that having the right ingredients is essential. Having spent a life in food, I have found that recipes often call for a dash of something unexpected – a secret ingredient – that makes all the difference.  This year, as we celebrate International Women’s Day and TTC’s first 100 years, I have been reflecting upon the secret ingredient that women bring to all that TTC does.

It is, in a word, passion.  A passion for welcoming guests, making them truly feel at home.  A passion for serving meals that are both beautiful and delicious.  A passion for helping travelers discover the world.  And a passion for leadership that that makes everything else possible. This is the something the women of TTC bring to everything we do – the power of passion.

I was quite fortunate to discover my passion for cooking at a young age,  shortly after meeting the love of my life, Stanley Tollman, whose lovely Valentines’ Day posting, A Tale of Love and Oysters, you may have read last month. The two of us shared a vision of running the finest and most welcoming hotels to be found anywhere in the world. We were married on March 6, 1954 – this week, we are delighted to be celebrating our 66^th anniversary. We put all the money we received as gifts toward the down-payment on our first hotel, The Nugget, in Johannesburg.  Stanley greeted guests and ran the front desk, while I worked in the kitchen. My training to that point had been as a nursery school teacher and a competitive tennis player, so I knew only the basics of cooking, but set about teaching myself whatever I could.

While the foods we served at The Nugget’s restaurant were quite simple, even then I could feel the beginnings of what would become my deep love of cooking. The following year we opened The Hyde Park Hotel, home to The Colony Restaurant. This was to be South Africa’s first world class restaurant. Of course, a world-class restaurant needs a world-class chef, but none were available. In those days it was unthinkable that a top chef would travel from Europe to work in South Africa, and so I took on the task.

It was at The Colony that I truly discovered the abiding passion that has carried me through my life, the delight of deliciousness, the thrill of sending out magnificent dishes to our guests and having the plates return empty. While the kitchen staff all called me “Mommy”, I was something of a secret to our guests.  I can still recall hearing the waiters, responding to guests who had enjoyed their meal and wished to give their complements to the chef: “We are so sorry, he has gone for the evening.”

Passion fuels a great deal of hard work, and we worked exceedingly hard in those early years, building our business as I gave birth to our four children. Each day I would be up early, get our children off to school, then work in the hotel kitchen, arriving home in time to serve the children dinner. After tucking them into bed, I would dress up for the evening and go back to the hotel, where Stanley and I would remain until the early morning hours, greeting guests and making sure each meal  was cooked to perfection.

Even as my passion for cooking grew, I discovered another, as I set about to decorate The Colony. Again, though lacking training on interior design, I did have a sense of what was beautiful, and from there I taught myself. I absolutely loved it. I took over the interior design for all our projects, and my love of creating beautiful spaces has only grown over the years.  It is the same with my passion for hospitality. To this day, I wake up each morning to review faxed reports from each Red Carnation Hotel, reading and responding to every guest comment. I do it because I love it.

This is something I have discovered about passion. Far from fading away, true passion glows ever more brightly. Happily, women of today need no longer hide that glow, as I did in the kitchen of The Colony. Rather, we celebrate it.

Today, over half of TTC’s leadership positions are held by women. This distinguishes us from much of the travel industry, which, while hiring many women, tends to promote fewer women to positions of leadership. I see TTC’s many female leaders as a key to our ongoing success, precisely because of the passion we bring to our work. I recognize my own passion reflected in kindred spirits such as Ulla Hefel Bohler, CEO of Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold, and Ellen Bettridge, CEO of Uniworld and U by Uniworld, with whom I have worked closely with over the years, developing the world’s finest river cruise line. Other impassioned kindred spirits include fellow ex-South African Lucille Sive who runs our North American-based African safari companies Lion World and African Travel, Melissa da Silva who leads Trafalgar, Costsaver and Brendan Vacations in the US, and whom I have seen grow and mature with TTC over the past several years. There are many more.

The glow of passion that infuses our women leaders also runs through the many, many women who work for companies throughout TTC, guiding guests on journeys of discovery around the world, and in the many women who welcome guests and prepare such beautiful rooms for travelers at Red Carnation Hotels, which I founded and continue to serve as president. I can feel the passion in the women who work in our kitchens too, many of whom I have had the privilege of mentoring, and our Executive Chef Jennifer Clifton, alongside whom I have worked for over 25 years.

The best thing of all about passion-driven leadership is what it inspires in others.  For me, this has been true both as an executive and as a mother. Looking at my son, Brett, Chief Executive of TTC and founder of TreadRight, I see boundless passion and an unwavering commitment to excellence. My daughter Vicki, who works alongside me at Red Carnation Hotels doing operations, marketing, sales and public relations, has also become our impassioned spokeswoman for TTC – you will have seen her telling our stories so beautifully in the monthly videos celebrating our centennial. My other daughter Toni, a brilliant interior designer and much more, shares my passion for design, decorating and refurbishing Red Carnation’s Hotels and Uniworld’s ships. And what a joy it is to work with her daughter, Alexandra, who is an outstanding senior sales executive with Red Carnation hotels. Of course, when speaking of the passion of my family, I must mention my nephews, Gavin and Michael, who are like sons to me.  As CEO of TTC’s most valuable brand, Trafalgar, along with Costsaver and Brendan Vacations, Gavin’s inspirational leadership is legendary in the world of travel. Michael oversees our businesses in Southern Africa and is also highly respected and renowned in the industry there.

Looking forward at the dawn of our second century, I am more optimistic than ever about the future of travel in general and of TTC in particular. This is due, in part, to the respect and opportunities we give women. As study after study has shown, the key to addressing so many of the world’s problems is to invest in and empower girls and women.  In a world that too often focuses on what keeps people apart, travel builds bridges. So many of those who book holidays are women, playing a crucial role in building those bridges. I invite you to do so today, either with your travel advisor or by visiting us at TTC.com. 

My optimism about the future grows when I see the passion of youth for travel. The next generation seeks to make travel personal and make travel matter, both of which are so beautifully served by our youthful brands, Contiki, U by Uniworld, and Busabout. These are, indeed, exciting times ahead.

In last month’s post, Stanley suggested that the romance of Valentine’s Day should extend through the year, and I quite agree. I feel the same about the world’s recognition of the contributions of women, which I believe should also celebrated year round. This is what we do throughout TTC, supporting and empowering women, every day, and it is what makes us strong. 

We look forward to sharing our passion for travel with you, your children, and your grandchildren, from generation to generation. Travel is a gift, meant to be passed on, and it is my family’s privilege to do so, from generations of our family to generations of yours.  

Sincerely, 

Bea Tollman

P.S.  Next month we will be sharing stories for Earth Day, and you will hear from another of TTC’s inspiring women leaders, Shannon Guihan, Chief TreadRight and Sustainability Officer at The Travel Corporation. So much of TreadRight’s work is about partnering on projects with amazing communities of women and girls around the world – stay tuned.