Goway's Melissa Buttril & Don Forster
Pisco restaurant's Alessandro Colombaro with Consuelo Miller of PromPeru
Goway's Maria Cassanello, Anita Emilio & Eliza Wallace
TravelOnly's Barbara Morrison & Jim Marsh
Sandy Matthews of Expedia Cruiseshipcenters
Pisco sours, anyone? The refreshing cocktail had agents smaking their lips as they circulated around Goway’s recent Peru event. 30 guests were invited to Toronto’s newest Peruvian eatery, Pisco restaurant, located down the street from Goway’s Toronto office. It was the ideal setting to showcase the diverse destination. The main message of the evening’s agenda… how there’s more to Peru than Machu Picchu.
“To persuade your clients not to see Machu Picchu on their 1st trip, it’s not going to happen. It’s an impossible task,” said Don Forster, Goway’s Marketing & Product Manager for Latin America. “But send them to Peru again. You can easily send your clients there 3 times and they’ll discover something different and new each time.”
Forster led agents through a thorough presentation beginning with a brief history lesson on Peru’s Incan culture. Although Forster included information on the famed Machu Picchu, he also highlighted the destination’s many other attractions including the Amazon and Lake Titicaca. From Goway’s best selling itineraries, to booking tips and travelling tips, the presentation was truly informative and agents were nodding their heads intently as well as taking notes.
“I do not sell a lot of Peru at the moment, but it seems like it’s the “in” destination that people have on their bucket list,” said Sandy Matthews of Expedia Cruiseshipcenters. “Even though we specialize in cruising, clients often want a pre/post land package. People taking a cruise in the Galapagos could easily include Peru in their plans.”
As soon as Forster concluded his presentation, guests enjoyed some samplings of traditional Peruvian cuisine and took in a lesson on how to make their own Pisco sours at home. Peru wasn’t named South America’s Leading Culinary Destination by the World Travel Awards for 2 years in a row by accident. According to Forster, because Peru is so multicultural, it has resulted in a fusion cuisine like no other with Chinese, Italian and Spanish influences.
Guinea pig anyone? …but, if you’d prefer a Pisco sour, here’s the recipe:
2 oz. Pisco
1 oz. key lime or lemon juice
¾ oz. simple syrup
1 egg white
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
Shake the Pisco, lime juice, simple syrup and egg white with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into an old-fashioned glass and finish with the dash of Angostura bitters.
