The Italian concierge is one of the leading tour operators and trip planners in the country. Specify in personalized itineraries to Italy, a passion for owner Joyce Falcone
Falcone has been in business for over two decades, earning the industry’s highest recognition along the way. Among his prestigious accolades: several years as a Conde Nast Traveler Italy Specialist and Travel + Leisure A-List Agent.
About.com spoke with Falcone about his background, motivation and vision for The Italian Concierge.
Q: How did the interest in Italy arise?
A: I always had an intense love for Italian culture. My father instilled it in me. All four of my grandparents were Italian immigrants who came to the United States in the 1900s. I grew up listening to the colloquial Italian spoken at home. That inspired a curiosity in me. I went to school in Siena, which increased my interest. It was the typical junior year abroad.
Q: When did you decide to enter the travel business?
A: In the early 1990s, I became involved in travel through a fluke. I was in a job that I didn’t like. I found an ad for a tour guide for Country Walkers. I applied for the position, not knowing exactly what I had applied for. A week later they asked me to come to Vermont to interview.
I had a ticket to Argentina at the time. I had planned to go there for a few months. Instead, I went to Vermont and interviewed Country Walkers. I started with them in Italy shortly after.
Oddly enough, I was working in Aspen in a ski area that only had winter and summer jobs. The opportunity to be a tour guide during the spring and fall was a way to spend the year.
Q: What did that first job in Italy entail?
A: For two years I accompanied groups of Americans. Ten groups per year. I was a hiking guide throughout Tuscany, in the Lake District and in Sicily. It really broadened my depth of knowledge and I loved it.
Later, I interviewed some big San Francisco-based companies like Geographic Expeditions, Backroads, and Wilderness Travel. I worked with Wilderness Travel leading large groups. Eventually I worked with Smithsonian Study Tours and got into tour design. I helped create new itineraries.
Q: That must have helped you start your own business.
A: It became my own company. I started designing small group itineraries in 1999. I started selling them directly to consumers using a small list of clients. From that it expanded and grew. I did everything I could to make myself known. Internet Marketing, Agency Presentations, Small Group Speaking, and Power Points.
Q: What kind of marketing do you do now?
A: we make a blog. We are on Twitter and Instagram. It is important to get a lot of images with a destination like Italy. We redesigned our website and that has been very helpful. We also use Google Adwords, in combination with other tools.
Much of our business is repeat customers and referrals. We do a newsletter every month that is passed out to quite a few people.
Q: How big is your company in terms of staff?
A: I have someone who comes and goes to Italy for us. She spends half the year there. He is a specialist in the Amalfi and Campagna coast. And I have someone else who does the back office for me.
I get up at 5:00 or 5:30 am dealing with our contacts in Italy and doing paperwork. I’m on call most of the time. It helps to be bilingual.
In this business, you must be dedicated and love what you do. It doesn’t do it no matter what the economy is doing or what other operators are doing.
Q: Your Italian heritage must also play an important role in your success.
A: Part of the joy for me is being able to express myself and understand the perspective of the Italians. I can share that perspective with our clients because I have developed relationships with many suppliers in Italy,
The whole country works in personalized relationships. I go and meet everyone to make sure they know me. That forms a foundation of trust. I turn around and communicate with them in their language.
Q: Do you consider yourself a travel agent or a tour operator?
A: I don’t consider myself an agent. I learned the business walking across the country and invented the office part. I primarily consider us a boutique tour operator. We sell packages to clients and agencies for them to sell directly to clients.
One thing that makes us different is that we do not sell products from other companies. We design everything using drivers and tour guides that we know personally.
Q: Is that personal touch one of your main distinguishing points?
A: We really take the time to examine every aspect of the trips we organize. That means going to all the hotels, seeing what the beds are like, doing all the tours. We know what the roads are like in different parts of the country. We can provide the kind of details that people want. And these days people are looking for much more than a generic coach tour. They want something memorable when they travel.
We visit dark cheese makers, we go to secluded wineries. It is these kinds of findings that distinguish us. And that’s what people ask for.
Q: What kind of growth are you experiencing right now?
A: In recent years we have seen a steady increase of 25-30 percent per year. It’s been a really solid uptrend recently. We are very happy with that.
Q: What travel trends are you seeing for Italy?
A: The Amalfi Coast is a top seller, we have a lot of requests for that area. It has a lot to offer. In a few hours you can be in Capri, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Sorrento, Positano, Ravello and more.
We are also receiving many newlyweds.
Another trend is that people want active vacations. By that I mean not just a bus trip. They want to experience a little bit of everything from biking to walking. Most people don’t want to include a lot of history. But they do want a lot of food and wine. They want everything and all kinds of things, like the chance to drive a luxury sports car for a day.
Q: What advice do you have for anyone planning a trip to Italy?
A: Remember that Italy is very popular and you will need a long delivery time for much of the year. It can be difficult to get rooms if you wait too long. We deal with boutique hotels. Some have fewer than 35 rooms. My philosophy has been to find and promote small boutique hotels with less than 50 rooms. Most of our clients are in the luxury market, looking for four and five star properties. For the most part, I avoid American affiliates and try to go with smaller Italian properties.
These are properties that everyone loves. They have great character and architectural integrity. You want to reserve at least five months. Otherwise, you will find that they are sold out or only have suites left.
Winter may have a shorter window. A month away can still be fine sometimes. Once it’s cold, hotel rooms are easier to find. But remember that many hotels close for the winter, especially if they are near a lake.
Q: What kinds of things do you need to know before planning an itinerary?
A: We need to know where customers have been before and what kind of trip they are looking for in terms of quality. It does not need to be explained in dollar value. But it is important to know the types of travel experiences they have had and what they are used to.
For example, how much free time do they need? How much grip do they need? Is it your first trip to Italy or your 10th trip?
Also, if they can come to us with a budget that helps. If we are working with an agent, we do not speak directly to the client. The agent gives us as much information as possible about the clients, their ages, fitness levels, and the like. We want to suggest the correct activities.
Q: When is the best time to visit Italy?
A: Some of the best travel weeks start on May 15th. All students are not yet available, so there is not an influx of families that take up a lot of space. Actually, mid-May to the first week of June is a very good period. Otherwise, the fall is a good time. It is fabulous actually. You have excellent wine vintages from mid-September to the end of October. It is one of the best times to be in Europe.
Q: What are some of your most popular itineraries?
A: We design mini travel modules that can be combined. A popular one is three days in western Tuscany. We visited the Theater of Silence, in Lajatico, Tuscany. It is the hometown of Andrea Bocelli. He started the theater, which is an open-air amphitheater, to bring commerce to his hometown.
You’ll find pockets of beauty all over the country. Places that date back hundreds of years and still retain their ancient charm. But, there is a new high-tech Italy that is fine. Renovations that combine old architectural features with new high-tech design aspects are seen in almost every city.
Q: What about train travel? That really has come a long way in recent years, right?
A: yes, it is very convenient. The Italo and Eurostar high speed trains have really brought the country closer to the visitor. For those travelers who want foolproof logistics, they are an especially good option. It is very easy to visit the three cities of art by train. Florence or Venice can be done as a day trip or a spider trip very easily.
For first-time travelers, we offer an itinerary to the three cities of art and perhaps a day or two in the Tuscan countryside. Any agent can sell it.
For more unique destinations like Puglia or Sicily, it is more difficult for an agent to sell unless they have made the trip themselves. It really requires personal knowledge to embellish it with details.
