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Mary Jean Tully on Why She’s Been on Safari 50 Times (and Counting)

If there is one person you can trust with your next itinerary, it is Mary Jean Tully.

By Kim Ayling

As the CEO of Tully Luxury Travel, which she founded over three decades ago, Mary Jean Tully has forged a jet-setting career dedicated to crafting bespoke experiences around the world — from once-in-a-lifetime expeditions to one-night staycations for tired parents. With over 120 countries ticked off her list, ‘well-traveled’ is a serious understatement when it comes to Tully.

But then, with virtually the whole globe at her fingertips, where does Tully find herself returning, time after time? “To Africa — on safari ,” she tells me via call from Toronto, where, when she’s not off gallivanting, she lives with her husband. “I typically go twice a year, but I’ve been up to four times a year — I’ve been on so, so many safaris but, if I found out today I only had one trip left, it would be to Africa. “

A safari trip is unique, it’s special and it touches your soul. It’s like nothing else,” she says. “It’s on most people’s bucket list, but even if it’s not on their bucket list, if they’ve gone, they come back and say it was one of the best trips of their life and want to go again.”

[See also: The Top Adventure Travel Experiences for 2024]

What truly enchants Tully about safari is the sense of total immersion — and a disconnect from the trials of life back home. “It’s the one place where you don’t want to sit there and have your phone,” she says. “You’re not going to be texting your friends, you’re so caught up in the moment.” The safari even puts the infamous trope of ‘iPad kid’ to bed: “I can’t tell you how many parents and grandparents I speak to who are sick to death of the kids being on their phones and iPads — [safaris] are something that, as a family unit, you see together, you learn together.”

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the raw purity of a safari vacation would have city-dwelling Tully roughing it; au contraire — the bush and all of its inhabitants have the pleasure of seeing her in full glam. “I’m a very girly girl,” she tells me with a giggle. “I’ve never camped a day in my life — I’m not a roughing-it kind of person at all. In fact, I wear full makeup when I’m on safari. And I always wear a sundress… I have clients say they’re worried about the bugs or they don’t like camping, and I say: ‘Really?! Look at me! Do you think I do [either]?! No way!’”

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To this end, luxury remains a priority to Tully — even out in the bush. “I want a nice duvet, I want a nice pillow, I want nice towels. I want an indoor and an outdoor shower — I don’t want a bucket shower. Some people do want that, but it’s not me. I want a plunge pool, too. Nothing beats coming back to your room after a morning game drive and getting in your private pool… there are so many little extra touches that make it more special.”

[See also: Jean-Michel Cousteau on a Life Below the Waves]

On safari, luxury takes on different guises, too; it’s not all about amenities. One of Tully’s top tips (and something she always recommends to clients) is to prioritize staying at a safari camp in a private concession (meaning access is limited to guests staying at camps within the boundaries) for the best viewings, if budget allows. “You don’t want to go somewhere where there are 15 other vehicles at every sighting and you have to move on — I want to be able to sit for as long as I want,” she says. “A first-timer might not know the difference to begin with, but once you’ve been, you do.”

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While Tully has been on safari upward of 50 times, there is one camp that continually calls her back: Wilderness Mombo . Primely located in the heart of Botswana’s wild, thriving Okavango Delta — where a rich ecosystem is home to a myriad of species including giraffes, lions, crocodiles, rhinos and baboons — Wilderness’s flagship camp is elevated from the ground, with nine tented suites sitting atop stilts. It’s widely regarded as one of the best wildlife-watching destinations on the continent: “You’ve got everything right there and, because of the location, the game viewing is [amazing],” Tully says. “And the people, they just understand it — they’re some of the best guides in the world… I just love it so much. I’ve been around 40 or 50 times and people say, ‘You’ve been so much!’ But no two times are the same.”

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Tully’s love of Wilderness Mombo goes much deeper than the average favorite hotel relationship: “I don’t have children, but my husband and I built the bridge that goes over the delta into Mombo, and that is my legacy,” she tells me gravely. “It is in my will that when I die, my ashes will be spread at Mombo.”

The emotional impact of safaris on Tully caused her to become a longtime supporter of conservation efforts. “I remember sitting there on my very first safari and hearing stories of elephants being poached for ivory… and you think, ‘Oh my God, what? How can I make a difference? What is it that I could do?’ Being in Africa makes you look at things through a different set of eyes.”

“I own a travel business and I have a voice that people listen to — there is a responsibility,” she says. To this end, Tully, and by default Tully Luxury Travel, is committed to encouraging responsible tourism. “Africa is a place where you have to be careful — I don’t mean from a danger standpoint. You want to go somewhere where they are ethical, sustainable, care about conservation and give back to the animals,” she explains. “And I’ve never had a client come back from a safari and be disappointed.”

tullyluxurytravel.com

[See also: Helen Walne on Going Below the Surface at Kisawa Sanctuary]

This article appears in the 27 Aug 2024 issue of the New Statesman, Fall 2024

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Tully Luxury Travel: when “luxury” is defined by you

Mary jean tully’s story is fascinating. ceo of tully luxury travel, she established her company in 1987, and knew from ....

Mary Jean Tully’s story is fascinating. CEO of Tully Luxury Travel , she established her company in 1987, and knew from the tender age of nine that she wanted to work in the travel industry. Many decades of hard work later, her business is now recognized by Forbes and Condé Nast Traveller, and Tully has been named one of the most powerful women in her industry by Travel Agent Magazine. She proudly continues to employ her first hire from 32 years ago and has grown the business to a staff of more than 80 employees.

Tully Luxury Travel is more than just experiences. It’s about incredible, one-of-a-kind moments that are curated by Tully and her team. Just some of the highlights over the years include: organizing a meeting with a member of the Royal Family for high tea in London; organizing a dinner in an exclusive Bedouin tent under the stars in front of the Pyramids (including a private chef, musicians and belly dancers); discovering the secrets behind the renowned Sacher Torte recipe in Vienna; and participating in conservation and wildlife efforts to protect rhinos and elephants in Africa.

Tully herself also sits on advisory boards of many leading cruise lines, hotels and travel suppliers, and has received numerous accolades identifying her agency as one of the best luxury travel providers in the world. More importantly, she is committed to protecting the environment, and advocates for travel practices that are sustainable and respectful to nature. Ahead of World Elephant Day on Aug.12, she chatted with FAJO about luxury travel, her life and tips on how to have the ultimate unforgettable travel experience.

You’ve said in the past that, as a child, you had a neighbour who was a flight attendant and she inspired you to do what you do today. What was it about her that attracted you to the career in travel?

She changed my life! When I met my neighbour, who seemed to always be coming back from a new adventure, she encouraged me to become a global citizen. Despite not having the required experience, I took a chance, applied for a position at a travel agency and talked my way into an interview. Not only did I get the job, but I was promoted to a management position within eight months!

What, to you, is luxury travel?

“Luxury travel” is one of those phrases that means something different to every person. It could be the tranquility of a private beach, the adrenaline rush of an African Safari, a fabulous spa or exploring castles in the Loire Valley in France. The choices are endless! We say “luxury is defined by you” at our company and, for me, luxury travel can be as simple as turning off my phone and enjoying some uninterrupted downtime. Luxury does not have to be “expensive”, but rather something that saves you time, unnecessary expenses and enhances the overall quality of your experience.

London, U.K., is one of the many destinations that Tully works with.

When someone is planning a trip, where would you recommend they start?

We live in a digital space where we are overwhelmed with apps, information and social media. A person can find so many different ways to book their trip online, but what you need is someone to help put it all together. It is very time-consuming to try and do this all on your own, which is where a travel expert comes in, providing valuable insight that is greater than information posted on a website.

I always say “no one posts a bad selfie”—a hotel or tour operator, for example, is not going to share a bad photo or tell you that there is loud, intrusive construction happening next door. However, our travel designers will! We have inside knowledge and relationships around the globe, and can provide the most up-to-date, accurate insight into various locations and the benefits. While you might find, for example, a “third night free” promotion at a hotel online, we have the leverage to not only get you that promotion, but also apply extra amenities, such as a complimentary breakfast, spa credits and room upgrades. It is the small details and the special nuances that will enhance your trip.

You have been all over the world. What are some of your favourite spots?

My favourite place in the world is Africa and I travel there at least three times a year. I’ve been so lucky to travel all over the world, but Africa is the one place that I go back to time-after-time and that holds a little piece of my heart. It is where I have become a passionate conservationist and wildlife activist. I have participated in darting and releasing rhinos and, most recently, I assisted with a release from a probable poaching situation in South Africa, where we relocated the rhino to Botswana, allowing a much greater chance of survival. I have also collared elephants with the Singita Grumeti Fund to help save them from poachers, and I am also an active supporter of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust that operates the most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation program in the world.

One of my other favourite travel destinations is India—the culture and people are incredible, and it is a country that I always look forward to visiting. One of my favourite activities that I look forward to is the shopping! Whether it be for the beautiful silks, or the great cottons (especially the men’s shirts), India’s shopping is endless! The jewels that can be found in Jaipur are some of the greatest in the world. But what I really love most about India is the “organized chaos.” As you drive down the street, there is a man with a goat cart, or a camel walking on the side of the road, or a band of people celebrating a wedding. The streets are always filled with all sorts of chaos!

With World Elephant Day around the corner on Aug.12, what makes this day extra important to you? 

To be in the company of elephants is truly remarkable. These gentle giants are so very protective of one another, and they display such affection and respect in the most tender of ways.

Elephants are on the very top of everyone’s list when they travel to Africa, however, many travellers are not aware of the torture that these beautiful animals are put through in order to satisfy our vacation bucket lists (i.e. elephant riding).

Over the past decade, the elephant population has declined by more than 62% and they are facing extinction within the next decade. It is important for me to spread the word and encourage travellers to not support any location or excursion that allows elephants to stand on their heads, do tricks, have their faces painted or permits guests to ride on their back. At Tully Luxury Travel, we only partner with ethical companies committed to wildlife conservation, and will only support trusted elephant sanctuaries and excursions that protect and preserve the well-being of wildlife conservation.

Please share a little more about your work with The Giants of Africa Foundation.

Personally and professionally, I am honoured to support this incredible organization and share its passion for helping Africa and its communities. Co-founded by Toronto Raptors president, Masai Ujiri, The Giants of Africa Foundation created a pathway for youth through sport, and uses basketball as a tool to educate and enrich the lives of African youth to help them accomplish their dreams. Last December, I was honoured to attend the Foundation’s annual fundraiser, “Mandela 100” and show my support by purchasing an exclusive and unique work of art by Ajiri Ujiri. The evening celebrated the legacy of Nelson Mandela and marked his 100th birthday – something that I hold close to my heart, as I had the most wonderful privilege of meeting Nelson Mandela on two separate occasions, which I will always cherish and remember.

Masai Ujiri of The Giants of Africa Foundation and Mary Jean Tully.

Do you have any other advice for our readers?

Become a global citizen! At Tully Luxury Travel, it is a priority for us to educate our clients on ways that they can have a positive impact and not cause any harm to vulnerable species. Take risks and try something out of your comfort zone. If you truly have the passion and drive, you will succeed. Who knew answering a classified ad over 30 years ago would lead me to where I am today! Oh, the places you’ll go…

All images courtesy of Tully Luxury Travel.

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Seeing a Beloved Slice of Southeast Asia Anew on an Oceania Cruise

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It's 10 p.m. and I'm riding pillion on a vintage Vespa through the traffic-choked streets of Ho Chi Minh City . Hair is lashing my face and sweat is pouring off my brow. My baby-faced driver doesn't speak a lick of English, nor I Vietnamese, but I know my euphoric smile says it all: I'm having the time of my life.

A younger me might have recoiled at the idea of whizzing through this buzzy hornet's nest of motorbikes on an organized tour, sampling frogs' legs with fish sauce in one district and wood-fired shrimp crepes in another. Back then I lived out of a 35-liter rucksack, pinballing through dozens of countries as a “digital nomad” a decade before Instagram made the label so loathsome.

The Insignia floats off the coast of Koh Samui

Taking in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from the back of a Vespa

Yet here I am: 41, married with a toddler, 80-plus countries under my belt, and more open-minded than ever. Eleven days prior I had boarded Oceania Cruises' Insignia , an elegant 670-passenger ocean liner refurbished in 2018, for a 15-day, 5-country tour of Southeast Asia that would end in Bangkok , where I had lived in my 30s. To amp up this already-ambitious itinerary, I reached out to cruise expert Mary Jean Tully , founder and CEO of Tully Luxury Travel and one of Traveler 's longest-running Top Travel Specialists . The Vespa tour in Ho Chi Minh City was her doing—as was the Raffles Singapore , which she recommended for pre-embarkation.

When I land at Singapore's Changi Airport , I am bowled over by the humidity; somehow it's always heavier than I remember. The Raffles's breezy marble colonnades are a welcome respite, as are the rosy pink Singapore slings, invented here at the Long Bar in 1915 by Hainanese bartender Ngiam Tong Boon. Flinging peanut shells onto the tile floor, punkah fans waving lazily overhead, I watch workers shake and strain sling after ginny sling and wonder if they ever get to make anything else.

Soon after, I'm aboard the Insignia, watching as the Lion City shrinks away. Roaming its corridors, I immediately notice the souvenir magnets (Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Dubai) on several stateroom doors. I'm intrigued to discover that only 150 of the 535 guests boarded in Singapore. Most everyone else are world cruisers, a.k.a. WCs, traveling 180 days from San Francisco . They're like The Real World at sea, with all the cliques and conflicts that suggests. “You learn quickly who the complainers are and how to avoid them,” one WC tells me over fresh sushi and a hand-carved roast. She tells me likes us segmenters, a.k.a. segmentarians, a.k.a. segmentalists, because we bring “fresh blood” to the ship.

The sun sets as the ship sails away from Brunei

Our first port stop is Bintan, a resort island in Indonesia's Riau Archipelago. Strolling the Chinese fishing hamlet of Senggarang, I wave to smiling uniformed grade-schoolers belting out the national anthem and spend a meditative moment inside Tian Shang Miao, a shrine that has been partially swallowed by the pretzeled roots of a greedy banyan tree. When a man as old as time asks me to join him for coffee, I regretfully decline; I have a boat to catch.

When the Insignia docks in Chân Mây, Vietnam, a few days later, Mary Jean has arranged a private outing to Huế, about 38 miles south. Once we leave the factory-cluttered coastline, the landscape takes a dramatic turn, as soft-focus emerald hills ripple across the horizon. Cows mosey through the streets, stray dogs nip at one another's soiled collars, and kids play badminton on cracked sidewalks. Our visit starts at the UNESCO-recognized imperial palace within a walled citadel once ruled by the Nguyễn dynasty. My guide, Dung, has been leading tours in this region for 36 years; he tells harrowing stories of his father escaping a Communist reeducation camp before delving deep into the Confucian and French colonial influences that helped to shape these sprawling grounds. Together we admire the enamel mosaics inlaid in triple-arched gates, run our fingers over the bomb scars left on bronze castings from the 1968 Tet Offensive, and smell the fetid flowers sprouting from the cannonball fruit trees lining the royal courtyard.

The view from Koh Samui’s Wat Phra Yai, also known as the Big Buddha Temple

Fresh fruit is served during a stop at Unicorn Island in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta

Afterward, Dung leads me to the craft village of Thủy Xuân, where upon spotting me, a vendor sets her phone down and begins to demo the ancient art of incense rolling—the kind of contrived setup that makes me wince. Sensing my annoyance, Dung has a better idea. At a nearby family home, half a dozen neighbors are chiseling away at sandalwood wedged between their bare feet. A sinewy man with a cigarette dangling from his lips tells me he's been carving for eight hours a day, seven days a week, for more than 20 years. He sells the sandalwood hearts to the Big Incense factories in Đà Nẵng and Ho Chi Minh City, where they are pulverized into sawdust, mixed with cinnamon, pressed into stick form, dyed lurid colors, and wholesaled back to vendors in Thủy Xuân.

I present a similar challenge to my guide Đú'c in Ho Chi Minh City, where Mary Jean had set up a half-day tour in an open-top, ex-Vietcong military jeep. Đú'c, who moonlights as a fisherman and rice farmer, has been guiding here for nearly three decades. After visiting Giác Lâm Temple, where traditionally costumed worshippers are rehearsing for the Buddha's upcoming birthday celebration, we hit the 140-year-old Bình Tây market in Cholon. Half a million ethnic Chinese live in Ho Chi Minh City, Đú'c tells me, many with roots dating to the 1600s. They buy everything here: salted turnips, century eggs, dried kumquat, rolls of cinnamon bark as thick as Bible scrolls, even shark fins.

Outside Bình Tây, we pull up tiny plastic stools in front of a street vendor and order nem nướng, succulent pork sausage skewered on bamboo and grilled over an open flame. Afterward, we stumble across a family chugging Tiger beers, a mound of crumpled cans at their flip-flopped feet. They crack open a cold one and teach me the proper way to say “Cheers!” (“Mô.t, hai, ba—yo!”).

Brunei’s Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque

In Ho Chi Minh City's District 6, an artisan puts the final touches on a sculpture

A third of my trip happens away from terra firma, cruising the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. The beauty of a sea day is that it is entirely mine, to be as lazy or ambitious as I please. I delight in listening to the whiff-whiff-whiff of table tennis and the bony clacking of mah-jongg tiles, fielding Battle of the Sexes trivia questions on everything from scurvy to Silly Putty, sipping flat whites beneath flickering sconces in the ship's Italianate coffee shop, and sitting for high tea and scones scored by a string quartet in its lounge. I indulge in a caviar facial that leaves my skin as vulcanized as a Wellington boot and spend hours curled up like a fiddlehead fern on a leather wingback chair in the library—a Masterpiece Theater –esque sanctuary with a faux fireplace and an impressive selection of romance novels. Come evening, I treat myself to dinner with tuxedoed waiters chauffeuring fork-tender steaks beneath silver cloches and then settle in for the night's entertainment: Motown Showdowns, ventriloquist acts, oldies dance parties, and late-night karaoke sessions where, invariably, some passenger will belt out “Waterloo” or “Sweet Caroline.”

These days also give me time to study the ever-changing blues (royal, Prussian, Dodger, steel) of the vast, velvety sea. In the wee hours, wide-awake with jet lag, I plant myself on my balcony and watch lightning flash across silver swells, the bathwater-warm breeze sticking to my skin. I think about the passengers I've met: the widow venturing back into the world, the blind man waxing rapturously about the sounds he'd heard on shore excursions, the septuagenarians gossiping about good books and bad men (“What they don't know, they make up”). Then there are the crew members whose personalities roar to life if you just take a minute to talk to them: the Honduran waiter with impeccable taste in literature, the Ukrainian dancer conflicted over the war ripping his country apart.

Destination magnets adorn the door of a stateroom

A visitor pauses outside of the Thiên Mu Pagoda in Huế, Vietnam

It's fitting that my journey ends in Bangkok: the gritty city I adore so much, and the only home away from home I've ever known. What could Mary Jean possibly show me here, I wonder, that I haven't already experienced? After disembarking, I follow my affable guide Pok, a member of the Shan tribe from the northern province of Mae Hong Son, to Ban Baat, also known as Monk's Bowl Village, where a community of 50 artisans still make Buddhist alms bowls by hand. We hear them before we see them—the rhythmic clanging of hammers on steel echoing through the winding sois. The bowls have been forged this way since the late 18th century, and there is pride in every dent; it takes three days to produce a single vessel. Pok says you can tell the quality of a bowl just by knocking on it. The best ones, he adds, sound as melodic as bells.

Zipping through the streets of Bangkok in a tuk-tuk, dilapidated shophouses streaking across my periphery, I marvel again at the way the gold stupas glint under a fireball sun and strings of marigolds spill out of the wholesale flower market. Pok and I have plans to check out some galleries and a riverfront café in Charoenkrung, but we scrap them to summit the temple of Wat Saket. Dubbed Golden Mount, it is set atop the highest hill in Bangkok—344 steps up with 360-degree views of the city—and has a magnificent gilded chedi, a sacred marble structure enshrining relics of the Buddha.

Novice monks pad barefoot around the stupa's base, hands pressed together in prayer as they chant devotionals while sirens echo in the streets below. The cacophony is intoxicating, and that's when I realize: This wasn't just some cruise. It was a lesson in falling in love with a place all over again—fiercely, unapologetically, and when you least expect it.

The lively late- night scene in Hội An, Vietnam

How this trip was made

When I first mapped out this trip with Mary Jean Tully, founder and CEO of Tully Luxury Travel , I told her I had lived in Thailand and traveled extensively throughout Asia—and that I wanted to go beyond the usual tourist circuit. Several calls and emails later, we zeroed in on three marquee ports from Oceania Cruises ' 5-country, 15-day “Southeast Asia Array” tour—Huê′, Ho Chi Minh City, and Bangkok—where Mary Jean was certain her on-the-ground connections could give me a new perspective. She and her team also excel at arranging overland excursions. Had I not been to Angkor Wat twice already, she could have crafted a Cambodia extension that would thrill any first-timer. The drivers and guides she selected were friendly and knowledgeable; more importantly, they were willing to change up the itinerary on the fly. If a stop wasn't to my liking, we swapped in something better—like visiting Bangkok's Golden Mount at sunset. Those last-minute changes led to several of my favorite moments from the trip.

The highlights

The Insignia brings us to Brunei, one of the few Asian countries I’ve yet to visit. An absolute monarchy ruled by an almighty sultan, it’s a fleck of land whose astonishing wealth was built on petroleum and natural gas. While the gold-domed government buildings and extravagant royal mosque are undeniably photogenic, I’m more intrigued by Muara’s millenia-old water village and the people who inhabit it. Hop-scotching my way along its janky wooden boardwalks, I meet a boy fishing for anchovies in the crocodile-infested waters and nibble on traditional Bruneian sweets in the private family home of a Formula Three power boat racer.

Day 7 You know a port stop is good when crew members flock to the top deck, phones in hand, to document the landing for their families back home. That’s how it is the morning we pull into Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Centre in Vietnam’s Gulf of Tonkin. Jagged limestone karsts rise from the gray seawater like so many jagged, unbrushed teeth. A retired postal worker I met at high tea the day before is out there, too, gobsmacked by the beauty of it all. “Never seen anything like this,” he murmurs, then types the word karst into his phone so he can impress his “know-it-all kids” later. Today’s half-day excursion ferries cruisers out to Động Thiên Cung via junk boat. Tacky neon lighting aside, the cave looks like something out of Goonies : Its soaring caverns are 10 blessed degrees cooler than outside and the rock formations are pure drama. Day 8 On a cruise-organized stroll through Hoi An’s old town, a Disney-esque UNESCO World Heritage Centre illuminated with scores of paper lanterns, I slip away from the throbbing tourist scrum and down a network of lesser-trafficked laneways. A few streets removed from the vendors hawking conical hats and ‘Pho King’ T-shirts, this is where the real Vietnam springs to life — at a recital with tiny dancers twirling before a sea of beaming parents; in the scrawny old men with tank tops rolled up to their nipples, napping on motorbikes; and in the spatchcocked birds, beaks still on, roasting on spits.

Day 11 The Vespa tour that Mary Jean booked also included two late-night stops: an acoustic open mic at a coffeehouse where the only thing sweeter than the cà phê sữa da is a young crooner’s cover of Englebert Humperdinck’s “Quando, Quando, Quando.” This is followed by a packed club where an English-speaking Vietnamese singer dressed like a K-pop star brought down the house with a spectacular Spanish rendition of “Despacito.”

Day 12 An Oceania excursion plying the silty-brown waters of the Mekong Delta – first via river boat, then in a hand-paddled longboat with eyes painted on the front (a tiger deterrent back in the day, I’m told) — stops at a narrow island that is home to some 6,000 villagers and a bustling royal jelly trade. After sipping tea spiked with bee pollen, we are served trays of fresh-cut pomelo and dragonfruit and serenaded with traditional instruments like the đàn sến, which sounds like a twangy Vietnamese banjo.

Day 14 A cruise excursion to Koh Samui takes us on a whirlwind tour of the Thai island’s campiest temple complexes. At the flamboyant Wat Plai Laem, we gawp at an 18-armed statue of the goddess Guanyin; at Wat Phra Yai, lorded over by a 39-foot golden Buddha, we shake fortune sticks until we find numbers and messages that resonate; and at Wat Khunaram, all eyes are on the Ray-Ban-wearing mummified body of Luang Pho Daeng, a monk who died while meditating 50 years ago.

Day 15 Post-debarkation, I check into a sleek suite at Banyan Tree Bangkok and head up to Moon Bar, a rooftop boîte perched 61 vertigo-inducing floors above the city. Hi-so Thais in bandage dresses take selfies with lemongrass cocktails while guys with popped collars slurp yuzu-laced oysters. It’s all terribly cheesy but, for once in my life, I withhold judgment and just enjoy the view — this Tetris'd skyline, shimmering against an inky-black night, in a city that will forever capture my imagination.

This article appeared in the December 2023 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here .

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Ensemble announces new luxury partnerships and programs

Post date: Jan 22 2024

Date: Jan 22 2024

By: Travelweek

TORONTO — Ensemble is expanding its luxury offerings with several new partnerships and programs.

These include a new preferred partnership with Crystal, a strategic relationship with Tully Luxury Travel, and the launch of Ensemble’s second member community, Luxe Circles.

Noting the changes in consumer preferences, Michael Johnson, President of Ensemble, said: “In today’s world, redefining luxury is about more than mere opulence; it’s about personalization, exclusivity, and authenticity. Modern luxury is not one-size-fits-all, but a tailor-made experience that resonates with individual desires and values. It’s a seamless blend of comfort, innovation, and meaningful experiences that transcend traditional definitions. As we update and modernize our understanding of luxury, we are committed to offering choices that go beyond elevating standards but lead to unique, memorable experiences that are as diverse as our members’ clients themselves.” 

Ensemble’s expansion into the luxury space follows an exclusive partnership with the Jamaica Tourist Board, first announced in September 2023, to spotlight the island’s high-end tourism products. This includes access to exclusive training programs and marketing materials on Jamaica’s luxury offerings, as well as curated fam trips to explore Jamaica’s upscale hotels, attractions and concierge services. 

The new partnership with Crystal will include an onboard amenity program for Ensemble-member clients, Ensemble-hosted sailings and access to travel advisor reduced rate voyages.  To celebrate the new partnership, Crystal is Ensemble’s featured Partner of the Month, which includes training webinars, enhanced marketing initiatives and additional benefits including a contest to win a free trip with Crystal for bookings made in January.

“Ensemble is an ideal partner with a great network of agencies across North America,” said Kim Guimaraes, Vice President, National Accounts of Crystal and Crystal’s parent company, Abercrombie & Kent. “We are excited to kick off our relationship as their ‘Partner of the Month’ and look forward to welcoming Ensemble advisors and clients onboard in the coming months.”

TULLY LUXURY TRAVEL

According to Mary Jean Tully, founder and CEO of Tully Luxury Travel, the company is committed to Ensemble as its consortium partner, noting that Ensemble has emerged as a leading travel partner that understands the needs of luxury agencies.

“At Tully Luxury Travel, we pride ourselves on offering our clients the very best travel experiences possible. We have always been able to differentiate ourselves in the marketplace with our exceptional service and access via our coveted travel partner relationships,” said Mary Jean Tully, Founder and CEO of Tully Luxury Travel. “As a member of Ensemble, we look forward to being able to further strengthen those relationships, forge new ones, and by extension be able to offer richer and more memorable luxury travel experiences to our global clientele. “

Ensemble’s membership specific to the luxury/premium market also includes Travel Edge Network, the largest luxury host agency that includes more than 1,000 advisors and affiliates.

LUXE CIRCLE

Ensemble first launched its Circles communities in 2023 with its first Circles group dedicated to members selling or looking to increase sales in the Adventure sector. The new Luxe Circle will be comprised of a select group of members in the luxury sector, along with a group of ‘Rising Stars’ who are working to grow their business in the luxury category.

Plans to expand the Circles communities include a group for advisors specializing in ‘Celebrations’ such as destination weddings and honeymoons, ‘Pride’ for those specializing in travel for the LGBTQ+ community, and another for Family travel.

Tags: Ensemble, Lead Story

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