For the Russells—the owners of Art Events Travel—planning vacation packages is an act of love, excitement, and healthy obsession. Just ask them how they gather their information. Sure, they visit the places, they use guides, and they check out the internet, but they also take a personal approach: “I love to talk to people who’ve been on trips!” Margaret Mary admits, leaning forward in her chair. “I have a woman in my yoga class who is going to Barcelona next week. She asked me, ‘When I get back, what do you want to know?’ I said, ‘I want every bit of information you can share with me!’”
The Russell’s 12-year business has taken them and their guests all over the world. They succeed because their groups are small and special—they personally escort each trip, they keep costs low, and they tailor activities to travelers’ interest.
It’s an approach that can even change the perspectives of travelers, both LGBT and straight. More information is available at ArtEventsTravel.com.
Watermark: How’d you get involved in the travel business?
Russ: [Laughs] It’s a long process. Twelve years ago, we did something for a theater company; we put together several options for them, and they picked the trip to New York. So, we bought some show tickets. We purchased subway passes, hotel rooms, and airfare, and we put together a trip that we would like to do. We loved it!
Margaret Mary: The travelers were so engaged!
R: We call it cultural travel, which sounds a little snobby, but it isn’t. It’s meant to be a tour where we really dig into a city. It started with that one trip and we really enjoyed it.
Do you have favorite vacations or trips?
R: Every destination we go to, we’d definitely repeat for our groups. For us personally?
MM: I think, for me, it would be Tuscany.
R: Yes, we took 12 people to Tuscany a couple years ago and just went nuts over the region. It’s very modestly priced, the food and wine are amazing, the scenery is unbelievable, and there are these little hill towns all over the place. It’s so beautiful.
But if I had to pick only one city we were going to take a group: New York. You can do anything there, and you can do it anytime of the day or night.
Also, we took a vacation with our two sons to Paris; we rented an apartment, and that was pretty cool.
What’s next ?
R: Often, we find that our favorite place to visit is the one we’re going to next. For instance, we are planning a trip to Spain and we are so psyched. We’re explorers, too.
We’re planning a cruise on the Amazon, on the river’s only 5-star cruise ship, one of the world’s only. It starts in Manaus, where each of the two rivers that form the Amazon come together, so we’re starting at the source.
We’re going to Norway sometime next year, and that’s exciting.
Does any location start to feel too familiar?
R: No. We’ve been to Rome so many times, but still, we visit the Coliseum, and we round the corner, and you see our travelers get tears in their eyes because they didn’t believe they’d ever see something like that.
MM: That’s’ an exciting aspect of it for me.
R: One of the things Margaret Mary is really good at is finding something new or special for each trip, something we haven’t done before. For our travelers, it’s not unique—because the whole experience could be new—but it’ll be something special for us, and that also gets us fired up.
Why do people pick packages?
MM: You know, honestly, people are busy; they work 40-plus hours a week. When they go on vacation, they don’t want to have to think and coordinate.
R: They like us because we don’t herd them around and we don’t do bus trips. We take small groups—12, 20, 30 people is a big group for us. We’ve done a couple of larger groups: bands, orchestras… I bet we have 20 people who’ve been on at least four trips with us. We have two or three that are pushing 10 trips with us. One woman has been on 12 or 13 trips with us.
A lot of your clients are LGBT.
MM: Yes, we’ve never thought twice about it.
R: And, usually, after touring for a few days together, straight people who’ve never been exposed to gays or lesbians start to see the world the way we do. That’s what travel can do for you.
MM: That’s what getting to know people does for you. It opens your mind.
