Tauck
Encyclopedia
Tauck is an operator of guided tour
s and cruise
s; in 1925 it became the first tour operator
to be awarded a federal Tour Broker’s License by the U.S. government. The company, which celebrated its 85th anniversary in 2010, is owned and operated by the Tauck family and is based in Norwalk, CT. Tauck offers approximately 100 guided land journeys, small-ship ocean cruises, European river cruises, safaris and family travel experiences in more than 60 countries, and has received numerous accolades.
and southeastern Canada
. The all-inclusive, six-day trip covered 1,100 miles and cost each guest $69. The group traveled in the mornings and guests relaxed in the afternoons while Tauck made sales calls to local clients.
At first Tauck planned no additional tours, but when word-of-mouth recommendations from his six passengers resulted in numerous inquiries about additional trips, he reconsidered. Tauck soon launched Tauck Tours and began promoting his guided journeys in earnest.
In 1958 Arthur Tauck, Sr. was succeeded by his son, Arthur Tauck, Jr.
, who expanded the company by adding additional domestic and later international destinations to its portfolio. The younger Tauck is widely regarded as a travel industry innovator, and he is credited with a number of “firsts” including combining motorcoach tours with air travel in the 1950s, offering the first international charter air tour packages in Nova Scotia
, bringing many of the first East Coast travelers to the U.S. National Parks of the American West, and introducing “Heli-Hiking
” in the Canadian Rockies
.
The Tauck company is still a family-owned and operated enterprise. Arthur Tauck, Jr.
serves as Chairman. Four of Arthur Tauck's five children have worked for and run the business to varying degrees. Dan Mahar is Tauck’s current CEO and a Board Director.
Tauck is active in philanthropic efforts and holds annual employee volunteer days which typically benefit U.S. National Parks and other sites associated with the tourism industry, such as Plimoth Plantation
in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Tauck is a member of both the United States Tour Operators Association
, and the National Tour Association, which was founded by Arthur Tauck, Jr. in 1954 as the United States Tour Brokers Association.
and his longtime collaborator Dayton Duncan
. Working with Burns and Duncan, Tauck is creating new land journeys and special events that explore the topics covered in Burns’ films, including the Civil War
, America’s national parks, and jazz
.
According to news reports, the partnership has three components:
The Tauck web site lists some 70 additional awards that the company has received over the years. Notable honors have come from the White House
and U.S. Interior Department, as well as other travel magazines including National Geographic Traveler
, TravelAge West and Travel Weekly.
Tour guide
A tour guide provides assistance, information and cultural, historical and contemporary heritage interpretation to people on organized tours, individual clients, educational establishments, at religious and historical sites, museums, and at venues of other significant interest...
s and cruise
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
s; in 1925 it became the first tour operator
Tour operator
A tour operator typically combines tour and travel components to create a holiday. The most common example of a tour operator's product would be a flight on a charter airline plus a transfer from the airport to a hotel and the services of a local representative, all for one price. Niche tour...
to be awarded a federal Tour Broker’s License by the U.S. government. The company, which celebrated its 85th anniversary in 2010, is owned and operated by the Tauck family and is based in Norwalk, CT. Tauck offers approximately 100 guided land journeys, small-ship ocean cruises, European river cruises, safaris and family travel experiences in more than 60 countries, and has received numerous accolades.
History
Tauck was founded in 1925 by Arthur Tauck, Sr., then a 27-year-old traveling salesman, when he brought six paying guests along on one of his sales trips through New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and southeastern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The all-inclusive, six-day trip covered 1,100 miles and cost each guest $69. The group traveled in the mornings and guests relaxed in the afternoons while Tauck made sales calls to local clients.
At first Tauck planned no additional tours, but when word-of-mouth recommendations from his six passengers resulted in numerous inquiries about additional trips, he reconsidered. Tauck soon launched Tauck Tours and began promoting his guided journeys in earnest.
In 1958 Arthur Tauck, Sr. was succeeded by his son, Arthur Tauck, Jr.
Arthur C. Tauck, Jr.
Arthur C. Tauck, Jr. is the Chairman of Tauck, a travel industry company that is a leading provider of upscale guided land tours and cruises. He is widely regarded as a tourism industry innovator and pioneer, with a career spanning 50 years...
, who expanded the company by adding additional domestic and later international destinations to its portfolio. The younger Tauck is widely regarded as a travel industry innovator, and he is credited with a number of “firsts” including combining motorcoach tours with air travel in the 1950s, offering the first international charter air tour packages in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, bringing many of the first East Coast travelers to the U.S. National Parks of the American West, and introducing “Heli-Hiking
Heli Hiking
Heli Hiking is a recreational activity in which a helicopter is used to access remote areas of the back country for hiking that would not normally be accessible....
” in the Canadian Rockies
Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...
.
Today
Today Tauck offers nearly 100 different all-inclusive, guided journeys in more than 60 countries worldwide. Travel categories offered by Tauck include land journeys, small ship cruises, Tauck Bridges family travel packages, and Tauck Culturious trips. Launched in 2009 to serve boomer-aged travelers, the Culturious journeys provide an active and immersive exploration of smaller geographic regions. Tauck’s entry into European river cruising in recent years has also been well received.The Tauck company is still a family-owned and operated enterprise. Arthur Tauck, Jr.
Arthur C. Tauck, Jr.
Arthur C. Tauck, Jr. is the Chairman of Tauck, a travel industry company that is a leading provider of upscale guided land tours and cruises. He is widely regarded as a tourism industry innovator and pioneer, with a career spanning 50 years...
serves as Chairman. Four of Arthur Tauck's five children have worked for and run the business to varying degrees. Dan Mahar is Tauck’s current CEO and a Board Director.
Tauck is active in philanthropic efforts and holds annual employee volunteer days which typically benefit U.S. National Parks and other sites associated with the tourism industry, such as Plimoth Plantation
Plimoth Plantation
Plimoth Plantation is a living museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts that shows the original settlement of the Plymouth Colony established in the 17th century by English colonists, some of whom later became known as Pilgrims. They were among the first people who emigrated to America to avoid religious...
in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Tauck is a member of both the United States Tour Operators Association
United States Tour Operators Association
The United States Tour Operators Association is a 501 registered nonprofit professional association representing the tour operator industry. Its members are made up of companies whose tours, vacation packages, and custom arrangements encompass the entire globe but who conduct business in the U.S...
, and the National Tour Association, which was founded by Arthur Tauck, Jr. in 1954 as the United States Tour Brokers Association.
Ken Burns Partnership
In September, 2010, Tauck announced a partnership with the documentary filmmaker Ken BurnsKen Burns
Kenneth Lauren "Ken" Burns is an American director and producer of documentary films, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs...
and his longtime collaborator Dayton Duncan
Dayton Duncan
Dayton Duncan was the writer and co-producer of The National Parks: America's Best Idea documentary produced by Ken Burns, and has also been involved for many years with other series by Burns including The Civil War, Baseball and Jazz...
. Working with Burns and Duncan, Tauck is creating new land journeys and special events that explore the topics covered in Burns’ films, including the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, America’s national parks, and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
.
According to news reports, the partnership has three components:
- Two new 10-day tours designed by Tauck, Burns and Duncan, one exploring the Civil War in the mid-Atlantic region, and a second, “Spirit of the Desert,” that visits several iconic National Parks in the southwestern U.S.
- A pair of themed “one-off” events, which will each feature a personal appearance by Burns. The first is a five-day Civil War experience based in Washington, DC and the other (also five days) examines the birth and evolution of jazz in and around New Orleans.
- A series of approximately 30 short films produced by Burns and Duncan that provide their perspectives on places featured in their films. These original vignettes will be shown to Tauck guests during the course of their travels, while they are visiting the areas being discussed by the filmmakers in the vignettes.
Awards
In 2011, Tauck was voted the “World’s Best River Cruise Line” by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine. The company was also voted to the magazine’s list of the “World’s Best Tour Operators & Safari Outfitters” for the 14th consecutive year.The Tauck web site lists some 70 additional awards that the company has received over the years. Notable honors have come from the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
and U.S. Interior Department, as well as other travel magazines including National Geographic Traveler
National Geographic Traveler
National Geographic Traveler is a magazine published by the National Geographic Society in the United States. It was launched in 1984. Local-language editions of National Geographic Traveler are published in Armenia, Belgium/the Netherlands, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Latin America,...
, TravelAge West and Travel Weekly.