The Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) is looking for tour guides who can regale guests with the stories usually reserved for the back of the bus.
CATO is planning a tour guide panel called ‘Tales from the Road’ as the centrepiece of its Christmas lunch in front of more than 500 travel professionals at Le Montage in Sydney on December 3.
The guides will reveal the funny, unexpected and unforgettable moments that happen behind the scenes of life on tour.
How guides get on the panel:
Each entry is a video of no more than one minute, telling CATO:
- Who they are and which company they guide for
- Why they belong on the Tales from the Road panel
- Why they will have 500 people laughing.
Entries go to [email protected] and close September 30. CATO will pick the panel and announce the guides before the lunch.
What the selected guides get:
- A complimentary ticket to the CATO Christmas Lunch
- A stage in front of more than 500 travel industry professionals, representing their company
- The chance to remind the industry exactly who makes touring work.
Selected guides arrange and cover their own travel and accommodation.
“Touring creates some of the most extraordinary and life-enriching travel experiences. It takes people beyond simply seeing a destination and gives them the opportunity to really connect with its people, culture and stories,” said Mira Yates, ATIA Director of CATO & Education.
“And who better to showcase the power of our sector than the guides who bring those experiences to life every single day? They are the storytellers, problem-solvers and personalities who can turn a great itinerary into a memory someone carries with them for years.
“We wanted this year’s Christmas Lunch to celebrate what makes touring so special. Putting our guides centre stage gives the broader travel industry a chance to hear the stories, the humour and the magic that happen on the road, directly from the people who make it happen.”
The 2026 lunch marks the event’s fifth year and the first since CATO’s integration into the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA).
This year’s theme is Sparkle & Shine, with guests asked to arrive in festive cocktail attire. The lunch runs from 11.30am to 3.30pm, followed by the official After Party.
Tickets and tables are on sale now at https://cato.travel/Xmas2026.
