by Jim Byers
Last updated: 11:25 AM ET, Thu February 7, 2019
Industry leader Trafalgar has launched a campaign to honour a monumental 10 years of their exclusive 'Be My Guest' experiences, the original and most immersive local travel experiences that reshaped the travel industry in 2009.
Exclusively available to Trafalgar clients on every trip, 'Be My Guest' has become synonymous with what it means to get truly local, born from the knowledge that at the heart of a unique travel experience is people and human connections. Delighting every sense, since 2009 'Be My Guest' has grown from one to more than 100+ one-of-a-kind included experiences that see passionate hosts opening up their homes and businesses exclusively for Trafalgar's guests to toast, dine, explore and learn about the places visited, straight from the source.
"In a world where engaging with the authentic version of a destination has become of utmost priority for clients, 'Be My Guest' was a true world first and is now more relevant than ever. We recognized that clients wanted a deeper emotional connection with the local culture, people and places well before 'experiential travel' became a recognized term," said Trafalgar CEO Gavin Tollman.
Starting with an initial three trips, the story of 'Be My Guest' began on a lemon farm in Sorrento, where two Italian sisters, relatives of a Travel Director, hosted Trafalgar's guests for a locally home-cooked meal, great conversation, all finished off with the sisters' own delicious limoncello. Clients immediately loved it. The brand knew they were onto something special and the 'Be My Guest' journey began.
decade later, Trafalgar's 'Be My Guest' experiences continue to deliver on clients' increasing desire for experiential travel, whether that's through dining with Muhammad Ali's brother to gain insights into the legendary boxer's life, enjoying a three-course meal prepared by one of the former top 10 female chefs in America or connecting with a former champion jockey over tea on his dairy farm in New Zealand.
"When we launched 'Be My Guest' 10 years ago, we were the first to tap into the desire to find new ways of understanding the world by exposing clients to the day-to-day lives of locals - and we're proud to have pioneered this movement," said Tollman.
As the birthplace of Trafalgar's 'Be My Guest' experiences, Italy will hold pride of place in the 10-year anniversary celebrations and to kick things off, the brand is offering $500* per couple off Italy trips. With Italy offering no less than 11 individual 'Be My Guest' experiences across the country, there's guaranteed to be plenty of choice for guests, whatever trip they choose.
Clients can savour crisp Chianti and Tuscan farm to table fare with the Landi family at their 300 year old villa, delve into the history of the Pazzi and Medici feud in the 12th-century Castle of Trebbio and enjoy local cuisine with Count Miari Fulcis on his 15th-century organic olive oil estate, used as a location for many famous films like 'Room with a View' and 'Tea with Mussolini'.
"With our #AgentsFirst approach, Trafalgar continues to innovate and deliver the best travel experiences in the industry - 'Be My Guest' being the one of which we are most proud. Loved by our guests, we look forward to celebrating in 2019 alongside our loyal agent partners, and continuing to offer your clients the best possible travel experiences they cannot and will not get elsewhere," said Tollman.
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