Coach interior
Dee, Ray and Marta of New Wave Travel
Lunch at the Stratford Golf Club
Before the show at Tom Patterson Theatre
Mother Courage And Her Children performed at Tom Patterson Theatre
Wendy and Jennifer of CAA SCO
Avon River, Stratford
Some of the FAM participants with DeNure's luxury coach
Canadian owned touring company DeNureTours recently hosted a FAM to Stratford for a full day opportunity to be out and about experiencing first-hand what the well-established operator has to offer.
Comfy in our seats with our legs stretched out and great view of the road through large picture windows, we were ready to roll. The drive to Stratford from Toronto (the last pick-up stop for our group) was just over an hour - ample time to experience the comforts of the luxury coach. DeNureTours owns its own fleet which allows for excellent upkeep and the freedom to customize their itineraries. All coaches provide free Wi-Fi, satellite radio, movies and power outlets. With just 44 seats on Sunshine Express coaches and 42 seats on North American touring coaches, there is plenty of room to sit back and enjoy the ride. Shortly into our journey we were invited to close our eyes and imagine what an overnight ride would be like. DeNureTours has been taking clients to Florida and South Carolina since 1965 and continue to be popular destinations, especially during the winter months. Because the route is direct with no stop-over, comfort is an absolute priority.
A chat with my seat-mate Marta from New Wave Travel, revealed that selling DeNureTours has always been a positive experience. This sentiment was echoed from several other agents I chatted with throughout the day. DeNureTours boasts a recommendation rate of 98% from its guests (one of the highest in the industry) and repeat bookings are typical. According to Julia Bryan, Marketing and Customer Relations, the most common note that guests state on their post voyage questionnaire, especially from those who travelled on their own, is how happy they were to have met new friends. The DeNureTours team and their guests become true family. "They all seem very nice", said Marta about our hosts during this FAM. The warm and friendly hospitality was genuine and certainly one of many reasons why clients keep coming back.
Catering specifically to the 55 and older crowd (with an average age of 71), DeNureTours takes great measures to ensure that clients are comfortable, safe and taken care of from beginning to end. Complimentary taxi service to pick-up locations is available in many areas in Ontario, and accommodations at the destination are chosen for their proximity to sites of interest and that offer amenities that would be helpful to those with limited mobility. On a multi-destination tour, guests can expect a more casual pace, spending an average 4 or 5 days in any one place. Each trip is rated on an activity scale from easy (i.e., relaxing on the beach) to more active (i.e., exploring the ruins of Pompeii).
On arrival in Stratford, our first stop was the Golf Club where we ate lunch and learned about some of the popular DeNureTours itineraries. Stratford, for example, is part of the 3 day Shaw & Stratford Festival tour that takes guests to shows in each city and includes a tour of the Costume Warehouse in Stratford, and cooking demonstration and winery tour and tasting in Niagara. During this FAM we saw a production of Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children at the Tom Patterson Theatre.
Other close to home destinations such as Ottawa, Agawa Canyon, Saguenay, and the very popular Newfoundland and Labrador, are ideal for travellers who may not be able to attain out of province insurance or a passport due to medical reasons.
Guests ready for international travel can enjoy regular favourites such as the Hawaii Four Island Explorer or Taste of Europe. Tours introduced this year include The Best of Ireland, Downton Abbey and South Africa and Victoria Falls. For cruise tours, the operator has partnered with cruise lines that offer amenities and itineraries that are best matched to the DeNureTours guest. New this year is the Coastal Voyage of Norway, with Holland America Line, and the Enchanting Danube River, with Uniworld.
The Create Your Own Memories program offered on select tours, was introduced in 2014 and allows guests the opportunity to enhance their itinerary with a variety of activities. For example, the Coastal Voyage of Norway tour that begins in London can include a tour of Westminster Abbey, Kensington Palace or a ride on the London Eye.
An interesting perk for guests, especially for those who travel with DeNureTours on multiple occasions, is the Denuros Travel Rewards program. Guests earn and accumulate denuros at the start of each trip, that can later be redeemed for discounts or used as payment for future trips.
Before the day was done, Andrea Mendelsohn, Director of sales, National Accounts could not stress enough that DeNureTours always has the agents' best interest in mind. Whether it be a note on a flyer or conversation on the phone, potential clients are asked to contact their travel agent first to ensure the commission goes back to the agent. These words garnered a round of applause, and applause all around for a lovely day.
The DeNure team: Teresa Lirette, BDM Western Ontario, Rus the driver, Mary Ireland,
BDM Eastern Ontario, Howard Herman, Product Manager, Julia Bryan, Marketing
and Customer Relations DeNureTours, Andrea Mendelsohn, Director of Sales,
National Accounts
