Many people, when they hear of my ongoing travels to places across the world, whether Asia, the Americas, or the Arctic, say I am a ‘wanderlust’, a German word from wandem and lust– a person with an irresistible impulse to travel. I see myself differently. I am a woman on a mission to ensure that travel remains a force for good, for all, for generations to come.
For me, travel is purposeful. I’ve visited almost 100 countries, and in each I appreciate the incredible diversity of mankind, and the hope for a better future.
Still, we all come from somewhere. I’m astrologically a Cancer sign who loves home yet is tenacious and resilient; wandering and highly intuitive to her surroundings.
MY GERMAN HERITAGE: TAUCK AND TAUCHNITZ
I was born in Fuerstenfeldbruck, Germany in Bavaria near Munich, to Lee and Arthur Tauck. Young Americans stationed at the Lufthwasa Air Force Base in 1955. My parents had a fondness for all things German and Austrian: The Alps, adventure, German ingenuity, frugal practicality. Our family of five was already on a path of discovery in the 1950’s in Bavaria.
Our Von Tauchnitz surname, hailed from Leipzig Germany, where Bernhard Tauchnitz founded Tauchnitz Printers and the famed first paperback novels circulated the globe on transoceanic immigrant passages in the 1890’s. Our family has copies of these fragile antique keepsakes; and that printing company surpassed 100 years. The family printing plant was bombed in the War.
Perhaps our German printing legacy led my family to be educational travel experts, pioneers and storytellers. Our surname was formally shortened to ‘Tauck’ in 1928 after the start-up of our American Touring company, founded earlier by my grandfather Arthur Tauck Sr, at just 26 years old.
MY YOUTH: BUILDING A LIFE ON THE SEAS
My first exposure to touring was going to New York City every weekend as a child to the famed Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Park Avenue, where so many Tauck Tours departed for points unknown and far away. Hundreds of adults with big suitcases and much excitement! I was “Little Robin” to many of the travelers, bellmen and others who gathered to “send them off!”
At 17 years old, my global wanderlust began with attendance at World Learning, and The Institute of International Living. I grew up in Wilton, CT, and in my high school senior year, I went away to study Spanish and culture in the real Mexico (not touristic Mexico).
For months I lived in Guadalajara, a World Heritage City; Saltillo, a major manufacturing town; and Zihuatenejo, a Pacific fishing village. This was long before the Cruise Industry docked on the Mexican shoreline. I was a young gal alone with a group, and I lived in homes of Mexican families and I felt safe, nervous yet excited in my learnings, speaking Spanish and exploring with the locals.
At 21 years old, in 1976, I met Peter Leth, a Danish American who loved ocean sailing and European architecture and design. He had many stories being on transatlantic ocean liners as a boy. For Peter’s thesis for Pratt Institute of New York, he built a 30’ Colin Archer traditional yacht on a Danish Island.
His heritage was Viking-inspired, and he had sailed from Denmark to the North Sea, Faroe Islands, Canary Islands as far away as Madeira; and his story was a Cover Story in Wooden Boat Magazine.
He fascinated me. We moved to California in search of jobs, a sturdy yacht and world charts. My interest in discovery was peaked, there in San Francisco Bay; searching the boatyards.
She was strong, seaworthy and fast. We chose traditional navigation, nothing dependent on electronics or satellites, and by 1980 I learned to use a sextant, to heave to in 15-foot waves, to strap in a harness, and to navigate solo. I fell into the sailor’s life.
In San Francisco, I gained global hotel experience at the Westin Hotel on Union Square, meeting visitors from Asia Pacific. Peter and I settled on building a Freya’ 39 sloop; an Australian design that won the toughest of ocean sailing regattas (the Sydney/ Hobart Race). The Freya Design was the California choice for solo sailors in the 1980’s. We built Hull #39. She was strong, seaworthy and fast. We chose traditional navigation, nothing dependent on electronics or satellites, and by 1980 I learned to use a sextant, to heave-to in 15-foot waves, to strap in a harness, and to navigate solo. I fell into the sailor’s life. Weekdays, I was a working hotel professional but on weekends I was offshore.
In 1980, we set sail under the Golden Gate Bridge, navigating together over 9000 miles to 32 countries, across five seas. A year-long journey started in the Pacific Ocean and ended in the Atlantic. We spent a month in 365 San Blas Islands and crossed the Panama Canal 25 times; and we sailed into the Galapagos, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, later into Cuba, the coasts of Colombia, Bahamas, Mexico, Jamaica, all during high drug trade years. All my senses were tested to survive on the seas, lack of night beacons and the goal of a safe arrival. It was raw adventure. This journey created my love of small ships and sailing; islands and archipelagos, discovering treasures and avoiding piracy. I learned resilience. They say, once you go to sea for a year, many never return. I learned so much about the World on that adventure, about nature and self sufficiency and even survival at sea.
Back at home my family were busy building Tauck, the travel company, and little did I know that my 1980 ocean sabbatical would help shape my career, lifelong interests and a tourism path for decades to come.
FAMILY BUSINESS – TAUCK AND GLOBAL EXPANSION
Returning to the USA and dual careers in Tauck Tours and Architecture, we settled into the 1980’s-90’s global growth years. I worked alongside brothers Chuck and Peter, my dad Arthur, and so many close friends at our family company. I loved it all, particularly the development of small ship cruising and developing our unique Africa safaris. With a bold team, we took the adventures of 50,000 people exploring North America to 100,000, doubling our business, often under extreme pressure.
In a digital age, I was fascinated by cross-departmental linkages, especially operations and marketing. Trust was needed to assure clientele of the great value and access within over 100 itineraries. Customer service was always #1, integrity and honest communications are one of our greatest strengths.
In 1997 a baton was passed, and leadership of Tauck Tours changed to me and my brother Peter Tauck as Co-Presidents. As Co-President, I was travelling 130 days per year, some 28 trips per year. Business was built by personal relationships, trust and the confidence in building a following, principles set long ago by my grandfather.
DECADES OF EFFORTS: DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
I remember being in the Oval Office and Rose Garden with my father and the 44th President, George Walker Bush. We were awarded the Presidential Protection Award at the White House for our program, with 15,000 Tauck volunteers in Yellowstone National Park.
Sustainability was not fully embraced by tourism companies. And so, in 1998 as a Co-President of Tauck, I was determined to change this, seeing the enormous growth of US Tourism and positive impacts to places and peoples. So, I attended the University of Cambridge, Sustainability Leadership Course, and helped forge sustainability pillars at industry events; with hopes and dreams to always do better.
Beyond the Tauck business, in 1998 Tauck played a key role in starting Travelers Conservation Fund under the umbrella of USTOA. It was a new concept at the time. Tauck helped evolve this to Tourism Cares in 2003 and the first events at iconic sights including Ellis Island, Gettysburg and Plymouth. Tourism Cares grew to be the largest non-profit in the US travel industry, operating dozens of sustainability events and educational symposiums. I’ve attended over 30 Tourism Cares events with thousands from our industry, working together making a difference for an entire industry.
Good citizenship had always been a family value. In 1998 Tauck’s World of Giving was founded – a bold step to tell the story of our values; and take action steps and create impact programs.
With a department called World of Giving, we engaged many people, created public private partnerships and inspired employees, guests, and our industry in giving back. Including complex programs in our National Parks, and respect for our social heritage as a nation. In 2006, we were awarded the Presidential Preserve America Award at the White House for our program, with 15,000 Tauck volunteers in Yellowstone National Park. The 44th President, George Walker Bush invited us to the Oval Office and to a Rose Garden media event. I so remember that day with my father – what an honor for all of us at Tauck.
Year 2000 was the first Sustainable Tourism Summit, held prior to the Travel Weekly Pebble Beach Leaders Event. I launched this summit at the brand-new Institute at Golden Gate, including USTOA, ASTA, ICTA, CLIA over 100 sellers of travel. The Bay Area is innovative, with forward-thinking citizens, tech companies and some of the best and brightest philanthropists. We began a future of responsible travel in the 21st Century. It was, again, a new concept.
We launched “Global Impact” at Tourism Cares, a pivotal change-maker in helping social enterprises and tourism networking in emerging destinations, including “Turismo Cuida” in Peru, the first sister-organization to Tourism Cares. We made significant natural disaster recovery grants to Myanmar, Nepal, Mexico, Caribbean. We launched the Meaningful Travel Program with Meaningful Travel Summits of Jordan, Puerto Rico, USA, Canada, Colombia, Thailand and Panama.
GLOBAL GROWTH & RESILIENCY
The year 2000, the new millennium, was special for us: Tauck’s 75th Anniversary. We were operating globally and Africa and Antarctica became our 6th and 7th continents, a brave new world for Tauck.
Concurrently, the Y2K scare was a global threat of our national systems and technology infrastructure. It was my first foray into crisis management. We immediately created a crisis response network & team. From that turning point, we tested resiliency with new algorithms, analysis and ever ready with empathy and energy to face what ultimately became, the terrorism and crisis years of travel.
Tauck would always be ready, 100% committed to the safety of our guests and staff.
September 11, 2001 changed our world. America was shaken and nearly brought to its knees with the horrific 9/11 Attack on World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It shook our world and changed everything. My faith in cross-cultural peace was shaken. Living in the NY/NJ/CT area was traumatic. It took many years to rebound and restore hope, but America was strong.
Through Save America’s Treasures with the Clinton Administration and the National Trust, we gave a gift of the 1972 World Trade Center Model to the envisioned 9/11 Museum. I worked on the 9/11 Auditorium Capital Campaign to build programming of cross-cultural understanding and resilience, and I gave an emotional long oral history to the museum archives, about what happened to New Yorkers and Americans traveling abroad on that fateful day.
More terrorism years followed.
Crisis management and resiliency, diversification and new thinking became a priority. The resilience and dreams of the American people slowly gained confidence to travel again. All of this was vital to building a safer, stronger future across the global community.
PROTECTING WORLD HERITAGE
During the Obama Administration, I was honored to become a US-UNESCO Commissioner. I was invited by, then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to join the State Department’s World Heritage Commission.
Why? UNESCO inscriptions neared 1000 sites for the first time in 2010 and Secretary Clinton could see the importance of travel executives contributing to public needs. This led me to a decade of working on The Impact of Travel to 1,199 World Heritage Sites and Communities; under the U.S. State Department.
At that time, I had just returned from Egypt, Jordan, and Israel during the December 2007 Gaza War, a horrific conflict previous to the 2023 Israeli-Hamas War. Change was in the air as President Barack Obama’s Inauguration took place in January 2008 while I was concurrently in Cairo, Amman, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The outcry for religious freedom, respect and humanitarian agreements was heard from our new President to the world, asking for Change.
I attended global world heritage conferences with 193 national parties and I had experience on the Board of US- ICOMOS, and UN World Heritage Commission in Paris, New York & Washington DC. Imagine having the opportunity to testify for Tanzania’s Serengeti & Migration (from mining roads) the Galapagos Islands (from overfishing), and Iraqi & Syrian Sites (from war & destruction). Tourism sites could change forever without helpful intervention from the States Parties to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.
Today our planet is home to over 2,000 world heritage sites, and the list of endangered sites is at 53 treasured locations. It is up to us to set the direction for the future. Tourism, management planning and sustainability are imperative for each heritage site; and for the local communities to grow and prosper.
BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE TOGETHER
A great source of pride for me is the way in which my family has embraced the principle of being responsible for the Greater Good. Through my life, my family goals in stewardship, volunteering and working hard to make a real impact, have always motivated me. The Tauck Family Foundation (1994-2024) celebrates 30 years, three generations focused on critical climate, regenerative land use and community engagement, an urgent need.
Further, in 2007, I launched my own family foundation, TRIP Foundation (Tauck Ritzau Innovative Philanthropy) with a mission on Culture Matters. Our local, national and global efforts are often tied to think-tanks and partnerships in World Heritage Communities, Arts & Culture and Advocacy for Economic Development.
It is a particular joy working side by side with my daughter, as well as my family; as we take on new multi-year challenges; and do our part in convening cohorts and change-makers. Family foundations are one of the greatest sources of social and environmental resource and I am honored to meet so many other families and career inspired non-profits across the globe. I can only imagine the impact that lies ahead, with a respect for the time, talent and multi-national resource that is needed.
MY JOURNEY ACROSS THE GENERATIONS
Often I am asked, what is your favorite place in the world? My answer is not a country, nor a special region, but rather: “The Art of Navigating to Places Unknown”.
Now 50-years in my career, I take an opportunity for new balance and perspective. My path would take me to collaborating with the entire industry, on cross-cultural impact and the 17 UN Sustainability goals to dedicating more time to learning of multi-generational 100-year family businesses. Meeting global businesses with long term purpose and ideals is envigorating. Focusing on multi-generational work has become a next chapter of my life.
Yet still I am asked nearly daily, What is your favorite place in the world? My answer is not a country, nor a special region, but rather: “The Art of Navigating to Places Unknown”.
My journeys have taken me near and far, and yet I have always felt a deep sense of ‘home’ wherever I may be. One journey in particular, however, has been my proudest: becoming a mother. Returning to USA in 1986, we settled into a real home and soon welcomed our daughter. Since her birth, the journey of motherhood has been one of the richest and most rewarding adventures of my entire life.
Together we have undertaken discoveries across the globe that have elevated our love of art, culture and community. I am excited about all we still have yet to share.
Now, I embark on the next chapter. Starting in 2025, I am excited to call the iconic Waldorf Astoria in New York City, the greatest city in the world, my second home. The same hotel that fueled my childhood excitement and wanderlust will now be the base for my own journeys. It is truly a full-circle moment. I have no doubt that this legendary property, with its rich history and personal significance, will be the starting point for many new adventures in whatever comes next.
MY STORY CONTINUES
As with us all, my story continues. I am a firm believer of using our lives to help the lives of others. Now more than ever those words ring true.
I am confident that our great industry will always be a part of our lives. Our world needs travel, not just economically, but for all the good that it brings the lives of people. There has been a global awakening of the need to respect, understand and support those around us. Our travels will continue, and our story will continue, and I am grateful for all the fine people I have met across the miles and the journey.
Thank you for reading my story.
