TORONTO — Make no mistake, Arts & Leisure Tours “is not a tour operator,” says owner and founder, Adriana Borghese.
Rather, the luxury boutique travel company is a “travel curator”, says Borghese, and almost exclusively B2B, working with travel advisors since the very beginning in 1993.
Borghese, along with her sister, owner Amelia Borghese, and more members of the Arts & Leisure team, had nothing but gratitude and praise for the company’s travel agent partners, including those in attendance at a dinner event last night at the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto.
“It’s been an amazing journey,” Borghese said of Arts & Leisure Tours’ 31 years in business. “We love working with you, and travelling with you. We do it for you and your clients. We make sure they come back happy, and they want more.”
Also on hand at the event were several of the travel company’s top hotel partners, including Desio Charming Hotels, Hotel Mediterraneo Sorrento, Regina Isabella and Palazzo Giovanelli, Gran Canal Venezia. All four showcased their properties as agents dined on antipasto platters and Mediterranean seabass.
“WE DO IT ALL”
Arts & Leisure Tours’ portfolio has grown considerably since the early years, and especially since industry veteran Pat Lista joined the company in 2020, bringing his decades of expertise and contacts.
Arts & Leisure now offers 60 countries in Europe, North America, Central America and the Caribbean, and more than 2,000 properties, all luxury and boutique four- and five-star hotels, villas, chalets, manor houses and more. The company plans to add even more product in the near future, including destinations in Australia and Oceania, Africa, Indian and Pacific Ocean, South America.
The top five destinations with Arts & Leisure clients? Italy, Spain, France, Portugal and Greece, according to Diana Harris. Harris heads up the company’s U.S. office as Managing Director and Partner, USA, based in Chicago. Arts & Leisure Tours is based in Toronto and also opened a third office, in Naples, Italy, just last year.
High-end clients are perfect for the company’s A&L Collection, a selection of partner hotels offering unique hotels and amenities.
“We do it all. Private villas, private residences, jets, yachts, private touring and excursions, cooking classes, VIP airport pickups and more,” says Lista, VP Product and Growth.
He adds that Arts & Leisure is looking to expand even further with product including luxury islands and luxury trains. “We want clients to say ‘I can do that? I didn’t know I could do that’,” Lista told agents.
Arts & Leisure Tours clientele includes affluent travellers who want to be personally and uniquely taken care of; luxury vacationers who want authentic connoisseur experiences; friends and family, multi-generational reunions and multi-family stays; honeymooners and romantic holidaymakers; experiential travellers; corporate retreat and incentive clients and more. The company also caters to special interest travel experiences, and itineraries for small to big groups.
The company is also affiliated with the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGTLA) and Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC). “Everyone deserves a wonderful and tranquil vacation,” says Borghese.
Not only does Arts & Leisure Tours work exclusively with agents, the company also offers invitations to events and FAM trips, educational seminars and webinars, 24-hour assistance for clients in destination, a competitive commission structure and more.
Team members at last night’s event included Chiara Fagnola-Chareun, Sales Manager, Canadian market, who is often the trade’s first point of contact with the company; Manlio Mulé, Managing Director, Europe; Simona Lista, Executive Assistant; and Piotr Liskiewicz, Sales & Partnerships Manager.
For more information email info@arts-leisure.com, call (905) 850-8984 or 1-800-387-4110 or see arts-leisure.com.
