Our hosts Nikita, Vikas & Anu
Tres Lobo, Suvara Travel; Danny Ang, Amex; Sonia Kotzen, TravelOnly; Ravi Kumar, Tour East & David Pearce, Collacutt Travel
Adie Matus-Schlossberg, New Wave Travel &
Anu Vittal, GM Vasco Travel, Canada & U.S.
The dancers
Vikas Abbott, 3rd generation Managing Director of family owned India-based DMC Vasco Travel paid his annual summer visit to Toronto this week to meet with his growing band of supportive operators and agents.
Since Vikas engaged the charming Anu Vital to build relationships in the Canadian market, their distinctive style of “un-touristy” trips specializing in Indian sub-continent itineraries have been reaching a broader base and increasing sales.
Vikas says that they are always seeking new opportunities to provide experiences that don’t concentrate on the busiest attractions and tourist traps. They utilize boutique style hotels that are off the beaten track and this year have added tours focusing on bird watching, yoga and luxury train travel.
After spending much of the past 40 years (yikes, omg... how is that possible) living and breathing travel products, I have not exactly become jaded... but, I have seen an awful lot of travel brochures... and not too many of them inspire a travel decision like Vasco’s does. The issue I can foresee you having with your clients is trying to narrow the choices down to 1 or 2.
The select group of tour operators and travel agent invitees were all greeted with the application of a bindi, delicious Indian inspired snacks and sliders (sliders go with everything!) as well as dance performances by several very talented artists. They even threw in a little horse dancing to diversify the culture and geography of their show.
The pitch was subtle – it was the experience that made this such an upbeat event.
