February 3-6 saw festivities in Florence to mark the 100th anniversary of the renowned guided travel company, Tauck. More than 700 employees, family members, directors, board members and sponsoring partners gathered to attend meetings, daily sightseeing excursions, gala evening events and an array of volunteer activities, travelling from 32 countries and assembling in 13 hotels across the city. Fondazione Destination Florence collaborated with Tauck in bringing the event to Florence, assisting in the curation of spectacular celebrations to mark the occasion.
The Foundation shares Tauck’s vision for ‘People, Places, and Planet’, the motto that summarizes the commitment to inspire sustainable travel experiences, preserve cultural heritage and support local communities, a message that is in line with the Foundation’s Enjoy, Respect, Firenze campaign, shared with all participants. Tauck CEO Jennifer Tombaugh explains more about Tauck’s high-end travel operation.
Tauck is celebrating its 100th anniversary in Florence in 2025, an extraordinary milestone for a family-owned company spanning four generations. What was Arthur Tauck Sr’s original vision when he founded the company in 1925, and how does that vision continue to inspire and shape Tauck today?
Arthur Tauck Sr. envisioned hosting a “congenial party” of culturally inquisitive travelers, and treating them to authentic, enriching and memorable experiences that would be difficult (if not impossible) to arrange independently. Arthur’s vision also included impeccable service delivered by a knowledgeable, expert guide and the ease and convenience of paying a single price. Most importantly, Arthur believed firmly in always doing the right thing for his guests, his suppliers and others. All of those elements can still be found in Tauck’s product offerings today, and while those fundamentals have remained steadfast, our actual product portfolio would be unrecognizable to Arthur today. In fact, we offer more than 170 land journeys, river cruises, small ship ocean cruises, safaris and family travel adventures to 70+ countries and all seven continents. For all that has changed, however, we are still governed by a resolute commitment to “do the right thing.”
Tauck has been recognized in Travel + Leisure magazine’s “World’s Best Awards” for 27 consecutive years. How has the company managed to maintain such a high standard of excellence and innovation in the competitive travel industry?
Underlying everything we do is a shared sense of purpose – to enhance our guests’ lives by providing truly enriching, truly memorable travel experiences. We recognize that achieving that goal requires the combined efforts of what we call our “One Global Family,” comprised of our incredible employees, our valued global network of supplier-partners, and our wonderful travel advisor partners. We are all committed to going the extra mile for the most important members of our “One Global Family” – our amazing guests who entrust us with their travel dreams.
Luxury travel is often defined by its exclusivity and attention to detail. What does luxury mean to Tauck today, and how do you balance tradition and innovation to create meaningful experiences for your guests?
Luxury can mean very different things to different people, and we actually avoid the term (in part because it can be synonymous with frivolous or overpriced). Rather than attaching the “luxury” label to our products, or engaging in what Arthur Tauck Sr. called “exorbitant advertising” or “high pressure schemes,” we focus intently on creating the very best travel experiences possible. That means a year or more of research and development for each new itinerary—and at least two practice “dry run” training trips – before our first guests travel with us on a new land journey or cruise. Our strategy has always been to invest heavily in the quality of our products (rather than in their marketing), and to rely on strong word-of-mouth endorsements and the loyalty of returning guests who travel with us year after year. It’s what Arthur Tauck called the “slower and more substantial method of building a following.” And for the past 100 years, it’s an approach that has worked very well for us!
Florence holds a special place in Tauck’s history, having been featured on your itineraries since 1993. Why did you choose Florence to celebrate this landmark anniversary, and how does the city’s Renaissance legacy resonate with Tauck’s journey and values?
Our company operates in more than 70 countries worldwide and on all seven continents, and we could have hosted our 100th celebration anywhere – and in fact, we considered many of the world’s top destinations when we first began thinking about this milestone. However, it was Florence’s rich history that really resonated with the Tauck family and our executive team, and compelled us to host our celebration here. Florence, of course, is the birthplace of the Renaissance that lifted Europe out of the Dark Ages and the Black Death and into a new age of humanism and breakthroughs in art, architecture, science, literature and more. And thanks to the patronage of the Medici family, creativity and innovation flourished in the Renaissance. In a very similar way, our family-owned company has emerged from the challenge of a global pandemic and is ready for unprecedented success as we enter our second hundred years. The theme of our event, “Destined to Flourish,” perfectly captures the wonder of the Renaissance and our optimism and excitement as we enter our second hundred years.
How did the collaboration with Fondazione Destination Florence influence the choice of this destination and the success of your 100th-anniversary celebrations?
We’ve operated tours in Florence for decades, and we knew that by hosting our 100th celebration here, we’d benefit greatly from strong local support. Fondazione Destination Florence was incredibly helpful in assisting us with the volunteer projects our employees are working on during the event, and introducing us to Firenze Fiera. And of course, our wonderful hotel partners, restaurants, attractions and more – we’ve worked closely with so many of them for years – provided us with immeasurable help as well! To all, we say a truly heartfelt “Grazie mille!”
Sustainability is increasingly important in the travel industry. How is Tauck integrating sustainable practices into its operations and itineraries, and how does this approach impact your 100th-anniversary celebrations in Florence?
Our commitment to supporting a thriving world is evident across the globe: on Europe’s rivers, where we’ve replaced single-use plastic water bottles with reusable insulated bottles; in Tanzania, where we’ve helped install 40 rainwater harvesting systems that provide safe, clean drinking water to more than 1,000 residents; and here in Florence, where our employees are donating more than 1,400 hours of volunteer work to local projects and organizations, and where we’ve also helped fund the restoration of the Madre Terra inlaid marble floor in the Baptistery of Florence. We’re entering our second century rededicated to having a positive impact—environmentally, socially and economically – on the people and places we visit, and in the places where we live and work.
What message would you like to send to your guests, partners, and employees as you reflect on this extraordinary milestone and prepare for the next chapter in Tauck’s journey?
Our message would be one of profound gratitude. For 100 years, we’ve delighted our guests with meaningful and memorable travel experiences, and we recognize that our success has been due to the combined efforts of many. It all comes back to our “One Global Family.” We’re grateful to our team of dedicated Tauck employees, our countless supplier-partners around the world, and our fantastic network of trusted travel advisors. And of course, we’re so incredibly grateful to our wonderful, loyal guests.
Fondazione Destination Florence thanks Tauck for the opportunity to work together, as well as the Città di Firenze and all the partners who contributed to this memorable event for the sector: Firenze Fiera, where the main event took place, Il Mercato Centrale, prestigious hotels in the area, Exclusive Connection Tours, Affresco Events, Baspi Bus, Officina de’ Tornabuoni, and many others, as well as the collaborations that brought real value to the city, such as with Angeli del Bello Firenze, Made in Sipario, and Opera del Duomo.
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