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When Libbey Tucker first heard about a chamber-led trip to Italy in 2023, she planned to go with her husband.
Then she mentioned the price to friends.
“It became a girlfriend’s trip,” Tucker said.
The trip, organized by Michael Gallops while he was working with the Rowlett Chamber of Commerce, took Tucker and other travelers through Tuscany, Florence, the Vatican and the Colosseum. They came home with something Tucker said lasted beyond the itinerary: new friendships.
Now Gallops, president of the Metrocrest Area Chamber, hopes to build a similar experience with a chamber-sponsored trip to Greece planned for Nov. 2-10, 2026.
The nine-day, seven-night trip, called “Greece – Land of Gods & Heroes,” is open to chamber members and nonmembers. It includes round-trip airfare from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, seven nights of accommodations in Kinetta, 20 meals, guided tours, a professional tour director and motorcoach transportation, according to the chamber’s trip materials.
Gallops said it is the first trip of its kind for the Metrocrest Area Chamber. The idea grew from his experience with the Italy trip, which drew about 20 people before the group was combined with another chamber’s travelers overseas.
Gallops said the Greece trip is part travel opportunity, part chamber fundraiser and part relationship-building tool.
“It’s a fundraising opportunity for the chamber,” Gallops said. “It’s a service we can provide. It’s an opportunity for anyone, not just members.”
Gallops said he and his wife chose Greece after traveling to Italy. He said he has long been interested in Greek and Roman mythology, and Greece offered cities, historic sites, islands and favorable weather.
The trip is based in Kinetta, between Athens and the Corinth Canal. Planned stops include Athens, the Acropolis, Ancient Corinth, Mycenae, Nafplion and Delphi. The itinerary also includes an olive oil tasting, an ouzo tasting and programs focused on Greek culture and society.
The trip costs $4,299 per person, based on double occupancy. Travelers who want a private room can pay an additional $899, and a two-night Santorini extension is available for $1,099 per person.
Gallops said about 10 people have registered so far. He said 20 to 30 travelers would make for a strong group, but there is room for more if people want to join.
The trip is not limited to residents of Farmers Branch, Carrollton or Addison. Gallops said the listed price is based on leaving from DFW Airport, but travelers from other cities could either fly to Dallas or work through the travel company on possible pricing adjustments from another major airport.
Tucker said one advantage of chamber travel was that much of the planning was already handled. Chamber staff kept travelers informed before the Italy trip through webinars, while the tour company arranged local guides and logistics once the group arrived.
At each destination, local guides explained what the group was seeing. Tucker said the format also helped travelers move through major sites more efficiently, including the Vatican.
But the strongest part of the trip, Tucker said, was the connection among travelers. Some participants came from a photography club, and another chamber group stayed at the same hotel.
“We got to know them really well, and we’re still friends on Facebook,” Tucker said. “When I’m back in the area, we get together sometimes.”
Elida Barfield, another traveler on the Italy trip, said she and her husband, Mark, decided to go because she had never been to Italy and liked traveling with people connected to the chamber.
Barfield said the trip offered a balance of group activities and free time. She and her husband used one open day to explore on their own.
“That was nice just to do our own thing,” Barfield said. “We also enjoyed being with the group.”
The Greece itinerary includes a mobility advisory. The chamber rates the trip’s activity level as 4 out of 5 and says travelers should be able to walk unassisted at a steady pace, including over uneven terrain such as cobblestones.
Gallops said that kind of shared experience is part of the point. Participants will spend more than a week traveling, eating together, riding buses and taking long flights.
“You’re absolutely going to have time to build new friendships and new relationships,” he said.
When travelers return, Gallops said he hopes they bring back more than photos.
“I think it would just be the experience, the camaraderie, the opportunity to get to know each other better,” he said. “A shared experience is something I think that will last longer and will ultimately help the community.”
More information is available through the Metrocrest Area Chamber.
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