Video: When the World Stopped, We Chose Family

When the World Stopped, We Chose Family Over Profit

When COVID-19 brought international travel to a complete standstill in March 2020, we faced an impossible choice. With guests having just paid their balances for our 2020 season and vendors depending on us, we could have followed industry standard: issue refunds, cut costs, and hope to survive.

Instead, we did something different. We chose to treat everyone - our guests, our vendors, our team - like family. In other words, we stayed true to who we have always been, even with the biggest test possible.

What happened next defied every business textbook:

• 100% of our guests chose to trust us with their payments rather than request refunds
• Every vendor honored our advance payments for future trips, strengthening bonds built over years
• We kept our entire team employed while officers took voluntary pay cuts
• We created an emergency fund for our seasonal workers
• We organized international sales drives to help struggling vendors sell wine, olive oil, and local products - taking no commission

But perhaps most importantly, we built something unprecedented: a virtual community. Through Facebook live streams, we brought together guests from around the world with our Italian and Portuguese vendors (read family) and team. Cooking classes with nonnas, wine tastings from family vineyards, even transparent business meetings - all free, all focused on keeping our extended family connected during the darkest time many had ever experienced.

When we became one of the first companies to restart European travel in 2021, we didn't just reopen - we revolutionized travel safety. Our comprehensive COVID protocols, including guaranteed full care for any guest who tested positive, resulted in zero cases across all our 2021 tours.

This isn't just our survival story. It's proof of what's possible when a company truly operates as a family.

Watch until the very end to see our entire Italian team's heartfelt message of gratitude—and discover why our guests don't just travel with us, they become part of our story.