Betsy Patton is no stranger to improving a good thing. That’s why she uses Florence, Italy-based Custom Italy, a Virtuoso on-site partner that provides her clients with the ruffles and flourishes that make a trip to Italy even more memorable.  

“Custom Italy is a very young, innovative on-site that comes up with creative ideas for clients looking for something out of the ordinary,” said Patton, a senior travel consultant at Betty MacLean Travel in Naples, Fla.  

For instance, Custom Italy can arrange private-entry trips to the limited-access Carrera marble factory in Carrera, where clients can see the type of marble that

Michelangelo used to create “David.” “It’s a very special day,” MacLean said.  

“Our program is not just getting a visit to the quarry,” said Pamela O’Shea, Custom Italy’s president. “These are highly specialized FITs. You have the quarry owner giving the tour while you watch artists sifting through the different pieces of marble as they tell their stories." 

O’Shea said that Custom Italy is dedicated to travel agents, noting that retailers save the company a significant amount of marketing dollars with their sales efforts.  

The company’s dedication to travel agents, said Patton, is evidenced in the type of service that clients receive when visiting Italy. 

“They take the client out of the box and give them different things to do,” according to Patton.  

For instance, another one of Patton’s customers, an interior designer, was taken to a host of local markets that would have been very difficult to find without the help of a knowledgeable on-site partner such as Custom Italy.  

In addition to private-entry programs such as tours of the Carrera marble factory, Custom Italy also specializes in villa rentals and itinerary planning. 

“Travel agents are everything to my office,” O’Shea said. “Virtuoso travel agents are a joy to work with. They do an excellent job, and they deserve their commission.” 

Hand in Hand highlights successful examples of agents and suppliers working together. Send suggestions to Agent Life editor Claudette Covey at ccovey@ntmllc.com.