Luigi Iannello, ACV; Francois Choquette, Air Canada; Sandra Ferreira, Groupe Ferreira and William Delgado
Sandra & Claudia Ferreira with Melissa Iantosca, Air Canada and Valeria Windsor, ACV
Luigi, Claudia, Selma Filali, Senior Director, Marketing and E-Commerce, Air Canada Leisure Group and Sandra
Have you flipped through the pages of the Europe 2019 Air Canada Vacations brochure?
A gastronomic gem that will allow your clients to experience authentic Portuguese cuisine is tucked away between its pages.
ACV has partnered up with the Ferreira family to create two independent escapes in Portugal: Flavours of Portugal and Tastes of Northern Portugal. The itineraries were curated by Claudia and Sandra Ferreira, the sister duo behind the Portugal Gourmand web series. Claudia and Sandra are part of the second generation of the Ferreira Group, founded by their father, Carlos.
Carlos Ferreira founded Café Ferreira in Montreal over twenty years ago. It has come to be known as one of the best Portuguese restaurants in the world. His family now operates the Ferreira Group, which owns four authentic Portuguese restaurants, all of which are located downtown Montreal: Café Ferreira, Café Vasco da Gama, la Taverne F and Campo.
During a celebratory launch of the ACV x Ferreira partnership in Montreal on Tuesday night, William Delgado, Country Manager of the Portuguese Tourism Office in Canada, affectionately referred to Café Ferreira as “the unofficial embassy of Portugal in Quebec.”
The trips are offered as autotours: flights, hotels, car rental, tastings and activities are included in the package, but travellers maintain the flexibility to follow the proposed itinerary at their own rhythm. Wine and port tastings, kayaking, olive gardens and a dinner cruise are just a few of the activities proposed over the course of these 10- or 12-day food-centric vacations.
“We at Air Canada Vacations search high and low for the best vacation experiences for our customers,” said Selma Filali, Senior Director, Marketing and E-Commerce at Air Canada Leisure Group. “A few months ago, we met with Sandra and Claudia Ferreira to find out more about their web series, Portugal Gourmand. [...] As we discussed, we realized that the Ferreira Group are not only experts in Portuguese gastronomy, but also have a deep knowledge of Portugal, and what Portugal offers in the most authentic way; like a local, which is what everyone wants.”
By combining Air Canada Vacations’ 37 years of experience in building unique vacations with the Ferreira’s deep knowledge and passion for food, they were able to create products which are a perfect pairing of both. “Untado uto o redavo” says Delgado; joining the useful and the fun.
“We think that we can create more itineraries with the Ferreira family. Portugal has so much to offer for so many people, and this is just a start. It has already been very successful.” says Filali.
Watch the video to see Sandra Ferreira speak about the Ferreira partnership with Air Canada Vacations.
