Tauck celebrated its 100th anniversary in Florence, Italy at the start of the month with general plenary meetings, focused breakout sessions, daily sightseeing excursions, gala evening events, and various volunteerism activities.
The group of over 700 Tauck employees, family members, Tauck Director guides, board members, and sponsoring partners travelled from 32 countries and assembled in 13 hotels across the city.
For Tauck chairman, Dan Mahar, the celebration was an opportunity to reflect on all those who have contributed to the company’s success over the decades.
“Tauck has thrived, and we continue to thrive because we have a shared vision and a deep sense of purpose, to enhance our guests’ lives by providing truly meaningful travel experiences,” Dan Mahar said. “At Tauck we speak of our ‘One Global Family,’ which starts with our loyal guests, and we’re grateful beyond words to them for entrusting us with their travel experiences. And of course, our ‘One Global Family’ also encompasses our amazing employees, our worldwide network of trusted supplier-partners and our incredible travel advisor partners, all working together to go the extra mile for our guests. We’re filled with gratitude for their dedication and shared commitment.”
Besides having plenty of chances to celebrate, the Tauck event also provided the company with an opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way to the city of Florence, a featured destination on some of Tauck’s most popular tours since 1993. Over the course of two days, attendees participated in an afternoon of volunteer work, contributing more than 1,400 hours of labor to projects around the city.
Activities included an array of restoration and beautification projects, an initiative designed to integrate the English language into educational programs offered by the city’s museums, and art-themed projects that “upcycle” discarded items and employ marginalized members of the local community. As part of its 100th anniversary gathering, Tauck also provided a generous grant to help restore the historic Madre Terra floor mosaic in the Duomo’s famed Baptistery of San Giovanni, dating back to approximately 1200 AD.
It was Florence’s rich history that resonated with the Tauck family and executive team and prompted the company to celebrate its milestone anniversary there, explained Tauck CEO Jennifer Tombaugh.
“Florence is regarded as the birthplace of the Renaissance, which propelled Europe out of the Dark Ages and time of the Black Death into a new era of humanism and stunning achievements in art, architecture, science, literature and more,” Jennifer Tombaugh said. “Throughout the Renaissance, and thanks to the patronage of the Medici family, creativity and innovation flourished. In much the same way our family-owned company has emerged from the challenge of a global pandemic and is poised to achieve new levels of success. 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.”
Innovating into Tauck’s second century
Although Tauck is guided by principals and a sense of purpose first articulated by company founder Arthur Tauck Sr., the company has evolved and enhanced its product offerings in ways he couldn’t have imagined. As Tauck enters its second century, that commitment to innovation is stronger than ever.
“It’s no exaggeration at all to say we’re 100 years young,” Dan Mahar added. “Although our values are timeless, we still have an incredible thirst to keep exploring and innovating, whether it’s new destinations, new modes of travel, or new ways of delivering lifechanging experiences to our guests. At the same time, we’re rededicated to supporting a thriving world by having a positive impact – environmentally, socially and economically – on the people and places we visit, and in the places where we live and work. It feels like we’re just getting started, and we can’t wait for the future.”
