Tauck to Fully Restart its U.S. Tours by July 1
by Jessica Montevago /
Tauck’s plans to fully restart its U.S. tours by July 1, CEO Dan Mahar announced Tuesday in an email to guests and travel advisors.
Tauck has already resumed departures of “Southern Charms: Savannah, Hilton Head and Charleston,” and will be followed this month by “New Orleans & Mississippi River Country.” In May, Kentucky/Tennessee and Williamsburg/Washington will be running, joined by both Classic and Bridges tours like Cape Cod, The Islands and Newport, Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks, Alaska: Call of the Wild, and The Best of Hawaii this summer.
Operationally, Tauck has been working in close cooperation with its network of supplier partners on plans to restart its tours. Other tours across the country re-launching in the coming months.
Tauck ran several departures of its “Wonderland: Yellowstone in Winter” itinerary in January and February, and according to Mahar, the “overwhelming success” of those tours was a key factor in leading to today’s announcement.
“Guests told us they loved their tours, and their positive feedback proved conclusively that we can deliver a true Tauck-level experience while still following all of the appropriate health and safety protocols,” said Mahar.
A recent survey of more than 5,000 guests booked to travel with Tauck from now through September revealed that a full 95% of respondents have already been vaccinated, and another 2% have their vaccinations scheduled. And while a small proportion of guests remain undecided, the overwhelming majority – a full 88% – are eagerly looking forward to taking their upcoming Tauck trip as planned.
All of Tauck’s 2021 itineraries, and will include the mandatory use of masks and social distancing wherever possible, as well as enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures. Tauck is also requiring guests to complete and sign a Travel Well Pledge which confirms that they have either been vaccinated against Covid-19 or passed a PCR Covid-19 test within five days of departure, that they are free of virus-related symptoms, and that they have not been in close contact with anyone diagnosed with Covid-19.
The company said it hopes to provide an update on selected international itineraries in the coming weeks as it works with its partners to plan the restart.
“We know countries will not all open at once, and we meet on a daily basis to monitor changing entry restrictions and guidelines. We hope that many tours and cruises outside the USA will start operating sometime this summer, and we will be sharing more news over the coming weeks as we continue our re-opening efforts,” Mahar said.