A TravelManagers exclusive six night Italy educational was the perfect opportunity for TravelManagers’ personal travel manager Lisa Skaltsas, representative for Donvale in Victoria, to experience La Dolce Vita as if she was a client.
Trevi Fountain
“Being able to share my extensive personal travel experience and product knowledge with my clients is an absolute priority for me. With most educationals everything like transport, hotels and sightseeing is pre-arranged allowing little time to really experience the destinations as you would if you were travelling independently. Our Italy famil was completely different to this, we discovered and experienced each location just as our clients would and this proved to be invaluable,” she said.
TravelManagers personal travel managers stop for a photo opportunity while exploring the Camiano Piccolo estate’s accommodation near Montefalco with its expansive gardens and buildings that date back to the 16th century.
From back left, Helen Georganas, Kylie Luttrell, Linda Naake, Sylvia Holland, Antonella Damiano, Lisa Skaltsas, Jennifer Julio (Qatar Airways), local ground operator and Mary Anderson From front left: Carol Scalercio (CIT Holidays), Rosa Frigel and Irena Bryant.
Hosted by Carol Scalercio from CIT Holidays, and Melbourne-based Qatar Airways Sales Executive Jennifer Julio, Lisa was joined by fellow personal travel managers including Victoria based-Kylie Luttrell and Sylvia Holland; New South Wales representatives Antonella Damiano, Irena Bryant, Mary Anderson and Rosa Frigel; Western Australia’s Linda Naake, and Helen Georganas from the national partnership office operations team.
Montefalco, Umbria Personal travel manager Mary Anderson in Montefalco above the flood plain of the Clitunno River
“Experiencing the destination like a local is really the only way to go. Often it’s the simple things that really make a client’s holiday. Having enjoyed new experiences and destinations I’m completely confident in combining the Agriturisimo Camiano Piccolo [in Umbria’s Montefalco] with absolutely luxurious hotels in Florence and Rome knowing this will create a wonderful experience. I wouldn’t have looked at piecing these hotels together before this trip,” said Kylie Luttrell, representative for Black Rock in Victoria.
Lisa Skaltas said the famil provided so many highlights including a guided walking tour through the cobblestoned streets and alleyways of Spello in Umbria, learning about the town’s history and exploring boutique shops.
For Victoria-based personal travel manager Sylvia Holland, representative for Mount Eliza, it was the truffle hunting!
On the truffle hunt! From left personal travel managers Rosa Frigel, Antonella Damiano, Carol Scalercio (CIT Holidays),
Lisa Skaltsas and Mary Anderson
“The morning truffle hunt in Spoleto at Bartoli was such a wonderful and unique experience. After the hunt we enjoyed lunch with Feliciano and his family who run the farm. It is such a beautiful part of the world and having the opportunity to be welcomed into their home, enjoy local wines and fabulous authentic Italian cuisine was truly an experience of a lifetime.”
Linda Skaltsas admiring the view from the 12th century hill top town of Spoleto
TravelManagers acknowledge that their strong and effective business relationships with key airline, cruise and wholesale suppliers provide personal travel managers with the ability to experience exclusive educationals in a variety of worldwide destinations.
“Partner supplier relationships have been built over many years and support of our partner’s products is absolutely key to our business model. The ability for our personal travel managers to experience dedicated famils is a large part of this support,” says Executive General Manager, Michael Gazal.
“TravelManagers prides itself on providing exceptional and personal customer service which comes from firsthand knowledge and experience. Educationals that allow immersion into a destination, such as our co-created dedicated supplier famils, are so important and why we proactively work to provide as many exclusive educational opportunities as possible.”
TOP IMAGE: Personal travel manager Lisa Skaltsas enjoying the boutique stores in Florence
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