From the January 10, 2003 print edition
Though America's waning interest in travel has stifled the industry since 9-11, several local entrepreneurs have found their niche, capitalizing on Americans' renewed passion for self-improvement.
Two Baltimore companies have turned the average European tour into a cultural experience — offering art, wine, cooking and photography tours — and have seen a steady growth in their business. Both Picture Provence Tours and Italian Gusto use expert instructors and guides to give clients tours of Italy and France.
As Americans experience a renewed sense of their own mortality, a renewed appreciation for the arts has blossomed as well, said Deborah Patterson, co-founder of Italian Gusto (http://www.italiangusto.com).
Patterson has combined her background as a professional painter and art historian with her passion for travel in the business she began with college roommate Josianne Pennington.
"We're really talking about beauty," Patterson said. "I think our souls are yearning for it."
Patterson and Pennington organize two trips to Italy a year for groups of up to 20 clients. Patterson, who lived in Italy for a decade, has used her network of friends there to create a diverse experience for Italian Gusto's travelers.
The trips feature guided tours of well-known museums and architectural landmarks, cooking demonstrations from some of the country's top chefs and wine tastings at Patterson's favorite vineyards.
"For a traveler who probably already has some experience traveling by themselves and wants someone else to do the work for them, our [tour] sort of fits the bill," said Pennington, who in her previous life organized financial seminars in international destinations like Africa.
The trips, not including airfare, cost clients about $2,395.
Satisfied clients abound and even return for more.
"This was an opportunity to revisit a place I had already been to before," Lynne Smalley, a client of Italian Gusto, said of her trip. "It was very well-paced, an easy, fun, unstressful, relaxed time."
© 2003 American City Business Journals Inc.