Latest news with #JenniferTombaugh
Travel Weekly
2 days ago
- Business
- Travel Weekly
A new tour brand, Roam by Tauck, caters to travelers in their 40s and 50s
As Tauck celebrates its 100th anniversary, the company is launching a new brand for travelers in their 40s and 50s. Roam by Tauck is the company's first new brand in more than a decade and will offer small-group journeys averaging 16 travelers. The brand will debut next year with at least five itineraries, which will expand to at least a dozen by 2027. The Roam brand comes after two years of research involving over 4,000 travelers, the company said. The itineraries were created for younger luxury travelers who lead busy lives, said Tauck CEO Jennifer Tombaugh. The itineraries, which will be announced and available for booking this winter, will launch in August 2026. The trips will range from five to 11 nights and include land, river and small-ship journeys. Though not yet available, the brand teased examples of special activities woven into the itineraries, such as a hot air balloon ride above the pyramids of Teotihuacan in Mexico, private dining in an Icelandic cave, canoeing beneath Dordogne's castles or hiking through the Douro Valley to a wine tasting. One aspect of these trips will be the "less structure, more choice" approach to itinerary planning. Tauck said the itineraries would include "abundant time" for solo exploration with optional excursions. Guests will stay at each property for three to four nights, enabling them to "fully unpack, unwind and savor their surroundings," Tauck said. Each trip will include at least one "retreat-like" setting. "Because these guests lead busy, high-paced lives, they're looking to indulge in a way that feels seamless and not over-scheduled," Tombaugh said. "Roam by Tauck meets these expectations by blending luxurious stays, signature moments, and active opportunities with ample free time for guests to explore, savor and recharge on their terms."
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How One Luxury Brand Is Designing The Future Of Immersive Travel
Luxury used to be about the big and the bold. Today, it's about the intimate, the thoughtful, and the highly curated. No brand embodies that shift better than Tauck, a family-owned luxury travel company that's quietly shaped the high-end group travel experience for the past century. I recently sat down with Jennifer Tombaugh, Tauck's CEO, who brings a deep well of perspective—and passion—for how luxury travelers are evolving. The conversation was rich with insight about everything from solo travel to river cruising, to how group experiences are being reimagined to feel deeply personal. From Pause to Passion: A New Era for Luxury Travel As Jennifer shared, 'We've gone from pause to passion.' In the wake of global lockdowns, travelers aren't just returning to the world—they're returning with urgency, purpose, and increasingly, a desire to travel better, not just more. Tauck is having its best year ever celebrating its 100th anniversary with double-digit growth, sold-out Christmas market cruises in 2025 and on pace to do the same in 2026, and the upcoming christening of new river ships on the Rhône and Seine. That doesn't happen by accident. It happens when a brand listens carefully and adapts boldly. Acropolis at sunset. Small Is the New Big Jennifer explained a simple yet powerful idea that sits at the heart of Tauck's strategy: 'Small is big.' On Tauck's European river cruises, for example, ships max out at 130 guests. On Portugal's Douro, that number is even smaller. The focus isn't just on comfort—it's on immersion. The rivers of Europe were once its highways of commerce, philosophy, and art. Tauck brings that cultural history to life, often docking right in the heart of town, where guests can step off the ship and into living history—be it a local tavern, cathedral, or seasonal celebration. And this isn't just a river cruise renaissance. The brand has seen a 140% increase in demand for small group land journeys since 2018. In response, Tauck recently launched even smaller groups—just 15 guests per departure in some cases. 'People are willing to pay more to travel with fewer people,' Jennifer noted. 'It's about intimacy, access, and connection.' The Rise of the Wellness-Luxury Hybrid One of the most important luxury travel trends Tauck is responding to? Wellness. That doesn't mean green juice and hot yoga on a Danube deck (though those options exist). It means flexibility, choice, and a conscious design for how travelers feel throughout the journey. On Tauck's new ships, 'The Retreat' area includes spa treatments and expanded fitness spaces. Travelers can bike at port stops or opt for leisurely museum visits. 'We're seeing more demand for movement and agency,' Jennifer said. 'People want to maintain their wellness routines but not feel like they're on a regimented retreat.' Luxury That Flexes With You One of the quiet innovations Jennifer highlighted is 'personalized group travel.' That may sound contradictory, but Tauck is threading the needle. Travelers move together through an itinerary, but each day offers choices—bike or hike, guided museum tour or free afternoon, history lecture or wine tasting. It's all designed to make you feel like an individual within a group. 'We've worked really hard so that people don't feel like part of a herd,' Jennifer said. 'No name tags. No flag-waving guides. Just seamless, curated moments that adapt to the guest.' The Solo Luxe Boom and the End of the Supplement Another macro trend Jennifer sees. Solo luxury travel—especially among women. From Tauck's Christmas market cruises to land journeys in Europe and Japan, solo travelers—many of them women over 60—are becoming a bigger slice of the customer base. So Tauck is responding in kind. On their newest ships, Category One cabins are now designed specifically for solo travelers—with no single supplement. 'That's a huge shift,' Jennifer said. 'We're seeing solo travelers not just welcome but celebrated.' Cold Is Hot: The Rise of Arctic Luxe Tauck's fastest-selling product for 2026? A Northern Lights voyage through the Arctic Circle. 'That itinerary sold out before we had even priced it,' Jennifer shared, still a bit amazed. 'Destinations like Tromsø and Hammerfest are suddenly in demand.' She's not alone in observing that trend. Cold-weather destinations like Iceland, Norway, and Finland are becoming coveted luxury escapes—where scarcity, spectacle, and serenity collide. The Resilience of Luxury Amid Uncertainty Despite headlines of macroeconomic volatility, Jennifer is bullish on luxury travel. 'In our space—front of the plane, premium accommodations, experience-first demand is thriving,' she said. 'Luxury travelers tend to be more insulated from market noise, and they're eager to explore now, not wait.' Indeed, Tauck's Japan product has become one of its top sellers. Greece is trending upward. And the company's family-focused 'Bridges' line is growing as multigenerational travel continues to surge. Luxury as a Conduit for Human Connection Jennifer left me with a simple yet profound insight: the most important luxury may not be a suite or a sommelier—it may be belonging. 'In this age of digital overload and social disconnection, people are craving human connection,' she said. 'That's what group travel offers—not in spite of its structure, but because of it.' And if Tauck's next 100 years look anything like the last, luxury travel won't just be about where you go. It'll be about how you feel—and who you become—along the way.
Travel Weekly
29-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Tauck will offer glamping in the American West in 2026
Tauck will expand its North American land tours next year with a new collection of itineraries in the West, offering glamping for the first time. Guests booking Paradise Valley, Yellowstone & the Tetons will spend two nights glamping at Under Canvas West Yellowstone, which features safari-like tents near Yellowstone's west entrance. The eight-day trip starts in Paradise Valley in Montana and ends in Grand Teton National Park. The eight-day Wild, Wild West Family Adventure, which is part of Tauck's collection of itineraries for families, will include a three-night stay at ULUM Moab, an outdoor resort with suite-style tents that have king-size beds outfitted with heated mattress pads and Parachute brand linens. Western Horizons: Mesa Verde to Moab includes one night at Far View Lodge inside Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. The new trip marks Tauck's return to Mesa Verde for the first time in more than 10 years. Highlights include riding the historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and visiting Durango's hot springs over the course of nine days. Tauck CEO Jennifer Tombaugh said, "For 2026, we're thrilled to raise the bar and feature some truly fun and unique accommodations to help our guests connect more deeply to the places we visit." Tauck will offer stays at Under Canvas Yellowstone in 2026. Photo Credit: Tauck New tours in Mexico and Nova Scotia Tauck also is introducing Mexico City and Oaxaca, an eight-day trip that explores Mexico's history, art and cuisine. Itinerary highlights include a private visit at Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul, a trip to Teotihuacan's pyramids and visiting Xochimilco's floating gardens. A Week In … Nova Scotia will take travelers on an eight-day journey of the seaside Canadian province, including visits to Lunenburg and Baddeck and a whale-watching cruise on the Bay of Fundy. Tauck will operate 29 itineraries in North America next year, including four designed for families. The brand is expanding its Small Group journeys, which average 24 guests, and Even Smaller Group trips, which average 15 guests.
