Packaged Travel Insider - March/April 2008
April 13th, 2008Inside Wire
Noticing the growth in popularity of television cooking shows and culinary travel and the increasing amount of Americans choosing travel destinations based upon the concept of cuisine, Chris Donnelly, owner of Vermont-based Sugar Tours, was inspired to launch and develop a company dedicated to providing food oriented travel options to those with a taste for the culinary.
Donnelly began exploring new program ideas in 2003, “Vermont: A Week of Fine Foods” was born. In 2005, the company introduced Lobsters, Wineries and Fine Foods” a succulent adventure through New England. Both programs were created for Elderhostel in Boston and are being offered again in the 2008 season. Since then, Sugar Tours has set six additional programs in motion, which, due to their immense popularity have been consistently filled. According to Donnelly, “The idea of a culinary tour is not just a visit to a culinary school for a meal or to a winery for a wine tasting; it’s more about the total experience. If you visit a Rhode Island Winery, you don’t just do a tour and tasting - add a traditional Rhode Island clambake along with the tasting.”
Donnelly has established working relationships with many of the Northeast’s specialty food producers such as a water buffalo dairy, an organic cheese maker, and several boutique wineries; these have all been incorporated into his palatable programs. Two of Sugar Tour’s popular offerings include a six night culinary adventure of New England and a two night package in Vermont entitled Country Inn Cooking Weekends.” There’s also a “Celebrity Chef Weekend” at the Opryland Hotel, in Nashville, TN, which features noteworthy chefs as Alton Brown and Bobby Flay.
Courier Magazine - February 2008 - National Tour Association
