APT may be celebrating its 85th birthday this year but the privately-owned Melbourne-based travel company retains all the innovation and vitality of its formative years, the company’s North American Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Nicole De Wilde said today.

“We’re not sitting still, that’s for sure,” said Ms. De Wilde. “We’re a solid, exceptionally fit company.”

APT’s program for 2012/13 to Australia and New Zealand has just been launched and APT intend to offer new products to North American clientele in the future.”

“We have an enviable 98 per cent customer satisfaction rating, which we intend to protect and improve,” she said. “As a result of that satisfaction, we have a band of loyal customers who return for new experiences and they also generate very positive word-of-mouth referral. We know what is important to our customers, a facet of our business that we closely monitor.”

Owner Geoff McGeary is known for his own market research, opting to dine and meet with as many customers as possible when ‘road testing’ an APT cruise or tour. In an exotic location, in a relaxed environment over great food and wine, passengers tend to be unrestrained when offering an opinion or comment, he says.

De Wilde said she believes that the company’s product diversity, financial security and 85 years of experience were integral elements of the continuing support APT receives from both trade partners and consumers. Being a privately owned company, APT also enjoys the freedom to create and innovate, and deliver operationally. “We make decisions and can act quickly on them and we take special care of the business partnerships we have forged all over the world,” Ms. De Wilde said.

“Most large travel companies have been swallowed up by large corporations. At APT we continue to be faithful to the core family values that built the business in the first place,” Ms. De Wilde added. APT had its beginnings in 1927 when Bill McGeary built a bus body on a tray truck after a tram strike affected the city of Melbourne. Through Bill’s son, Geoff, APT pioneered Australia’s dynamic travel industry in the 1960s and 70s via a diverse range of modes. APT Group today, now a multi-brand business with an extensive global portfolio of touring and cruising products, is still owned and controlled by the McGeary family, including the third generation, Rob and Lou.

APT Touring, www.aptouring.com