The Collaboration between DeSalvio Travel and Exclusively Italy

A Partnership Built Over Four Years

We have been working with Exclusively Italy for four years now, and one of the reasons we went to Bergamo in May 2026 was to finally spend time together in person. We had dinner together and talked about much more than the trips we were already working on. We spoke about our businesses, future work, personal things and where we wanted the relationship to go. It made a difference.

Travel partnerships can become very transactional when everything happens by email. Sitting together changes that. You understand each other better, and you begin to know how the other person thinks. We saw that again recently when we had a late booking and were becoming increasingly nervous about the availability. Italy was extremely busy and hotels were close to being sold out. The Exclusively Italy team worked through the weekend to secure all the rooms and categories we needed.

In the end, the client received everything we had hoped for. For us, that said a great deal about the kind of partnership we have with them.

The People Behind the Journey

One thing that comes back again and again in our clients' feedback is the quality of their guides.

We experienced this ourselves in Bergamo. Sara Cologni was our guide, and she listened carefully to what interested us. She could move between subjects instantly, always with an incredible level of detail and passion. I had actually known Bergamo from visiting regularly ten years ago for my studies. Yet I discovered a completely different side of the city through Sara. That is what we look for in a guide. Someone who is not simply repeating information, but is listening to the people in front of them and responding to their interests.

One client recently described their Florence guide simply as "lovely" after their half-day tour of the city's highlights. That kind of feedback is something we regularly hear about the guides Exclusively Italy provides. They also take care of the transfers and know the local companies and drivers personally. That knowledge matters, particularly with our American clients, because the quality of the people handling the logistics becomes part of the experience.

A Creative Conversation

The other reason this partnership works so well is that we can challenge each other. Exclusively Italy has the local knowledge and connections to suggest what might work. When we come to them with our own ideas, they give us a mirror. They tell us what they would do and, importantly, what they might change. We saw this while developing our Piedmont group journey. We had originally planned more museums because we were enthusiastic about everything we wanted to include. Exclusively Italy discussed the plan with us and pointed out that it was simply too much for the flow of the trip. We immediately understood what they meant.

That kind of conversation is exactly what we want from a partner. We bring our own ideas and our cultural perspective, and they bring years of local knowledge and connections. Alessio, one of the co-owners, works with us in particularly on the creative side of our work. We like finding connections that are not immediately obvious and creating experiences that people might not have thought to ask for. They are open to those ideas and give us honest feedback. Several times, those conversations have resulted in very happy clients.

Piedmont, Before We Send Our Clients

In October, we are going to Piedmont to vet the journey ourselves. We want to experience the hotels, food, private experiences, guides, venues, wine, truffles and the overall experience before our clients do. Marisa especially wants to see everything for herself so she knows the standard is there. I already know many parts of Piedmont very well. I have been to the truffle festival four times, have performed concerts in the halls we are using and have visited the museums many times. So there are parts of the trip that I already know intimately. But that doesn't mean we simply assume everything will be right.

Marisa still wants to see it herself. And fortunately, her visit happens to coincide with her birthday. White truffles and wine in Piedmont seems like a fairly good way to spend it. We know Italy well, but Exclusively Italy has something different: the local contacts and connections that turn a good itinerary into a very special one. After four years of working together, there is a genuine trust between us. That is what we want our clients to feel when they travel with us.

Experience Piedmont With Us

Our Piedmont journey brings together places we already know personally with experiences we are continuing to explore with Exclusively Italy. We are taking the time to vet the details ourselves before welcoming our guests. If you would like to hear more about the journey, its private concerts, cultural experiences, food and wine, we would be happy to tell you what we are planning.

Private DeSalvio Travel Piedmont Italy Journey with Music, Wine and Cultural Experiences

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Book your call here.

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Robert Poortinga  
Travel Booking Assistant  
River cruise & Europe destination expert  
Culinary and art travel specialist

Concert Pianist