We got a taste of luxury with Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold

Yesterday afternoon at Toronto's Estia restaurant, Brad Ford, president, Luxury Gold, raised a toast to suppliers and media, or the family, as he put it, for their continued support of Luxury Gold, Insight Vacations, and The Travel Corporation.

"Today is a very historic occasion, because it's the first time that we have Brett and Ulla together, to help us celebrate this wonderful launch," Ford said, raising a glass. "Your partnership means the world to us; it's the reason that we're here, and we really do want to celebrate you."

To mark the official launch of Insight Vacations 2019 launch, and an update on Luxury Gold's newest products, Brett Tollman, CEO, The Travel Corporation; and Ulla Hefel Böhler, CEO Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold Vacations were present to share news and stories with the audience, which included the scoop on a new trip to Scandinavia, and a brief overview of the more than 100 itineraries now available to book on the 2019 Europe and Britain brochure, and the luxurious offerings inside the Chairman's Collection.

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The Chairman's Collection

"The Chairman's Collection was started by my father a couple of years ago, and Luxury Gold is really his vision and ambition to take our family's heritage of almost 100 years of being in the hospitality business, between the likes of Red Carnation Hotels, and Uniworld, to bring the best of those experiences and expertise together with Luxury Gold," Tollman told PAX in an interview.

He continued: 

"Within Luxury Gold sits these particularly unique experiences which occur on a number of the itineraries on select departure dates which are identified by a 'CC', which stands for the Chairman's Collection."

In order for an experience to classify as a Chairman's Collection, Tollman explains that it must meet the criteria of an opportunity that wouldn't otherwise be met from a regular standpoint. One example he provided was to walk through the castle gardens with Princess Anita von Hohenberg, a descendant of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, whose assassination sparked the beginning of the First World War.

Tollman's family's close personal connections with highly-distinguished individuals directly enables guests of Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold to have one-of-a-kind experiences that they simply can't find anywhere else, or do with anyone else.

New experiences on the way

Back in February, Tollman took a trip to Jordan where he met with members of a local women's corporation, called Iraq Alameer, which was founded by Queen Noor of Jordan, back in 1993. 

"The co-operative was started specifically for women to improve their stature within the community and to provide them with employment opportunities," Tollman said. "They hadn't been earning any income for the last several years and were buried in debt, and so through the TreadRight Foundation and TTC, we've been able to provide them with some grants that alleviate the debts. My wife and I personally funded the restoration of their kitchen, and beginning next year, Luxury Gold and a number of other brands will be bringing travellers to Jordan to meet with the women, where they can help cook a meal, learn about the pottery-making and weaving, and paper-making, all of which they do in the co-operative. All of these women are amazing to meet and spend time with, and it's a truly immersive experience."

Böhler added: 

"We felt that we weren't really doing Jordan justice, so we had to revamp the itineraries. We have dramatically enhanced our itineraries by adding to more nights to the itinerary, and we're actually overnighting in Wadi Rum. We do things in style, but you get to spend a night there, have a dinner under the stars, and really be a part of the destination."

According to Tollman, travel to Egypt is also making a comeback. 

"We've just met with our partners there who we've worked with for more than 30 years," Tollman told PAX. "They've endured some difficult times since 2011, but they are one hundred percent back in business. We're certainly talking with them about creating some new Chairman's Collection experiences there, so we certainly look forward to Egypt being as popular with Canadians as it was before 2011."

Spain, Portugal, South Africa, and Jordan are additional destinations where new CC experiences are being created.

Luxury: it's not just about the price tag

According to Böhler and Tollman, there are seven reasons as to why travellers should consider a luxury holiday with Luxury Gold or Insight Vacations. They are:

• The opportunity to enjoy exclusive, VIP experiences
• Exceptional dining venues, often in places that require special access
• Staying in luxury hotels with guaranteed 5-star accommodation
• Your personal Travelling Concierge, offering guests 24/7 support with absolutely anything they need along the way
• Luxury travel experiences in every sense
• A commitment to giving back, through the TreadRight Foundation
• Travelling with a company that has strong family values

"Luxury doesn't have to be about price, or stature, it's about those local experiences," Tollman said. "As a family-run business, we take this all very seriously. We're not publicly-traded, we don't have any bank debts or financial pressures that make us look good for a short period of time. We really take a long-form view, from our team to our brands, to putting our customer at the heart of everything there is. A customer should expect and demand the very best."