DUCO Travel Summit has embarked on a new era following its acquisition by an entrepreneurial investment fund led by incoming President and Partner Rebeca Pinheiro and backed by a distinguished group of private investors.
The acquisition ensures strategic continuity for the boutique luxury travel platform, with founder Carolina Perez retaining a stake as a shareholder and continuing to guide long-term strategy and portfolio expansion as a Strategic Board Member. Pinheiro assumes day-to-day leadership of the organisation alongside the established DUCO team.
Our priority during this transition is to preserve everything that makes DUCO unique: carefully curated experiences and a destination-focused approach
- Rebeca Pinheiro
Addressing the brand’s relevance and continuity for regional stakeholders, Pinheiro shared exclusively with TTN:
"This next chapter is about continuity. Our priority during this transition is to preserve everything that makes DUCO unique: carefully curated experiences and a destination-focused approach. As we position the company for the future and study new regions, our hospitality partners and travel advisors - including those across the Middle East - will continue to benefit from the same trusted platform for building meaningful relationships and creating long-term opportunities across the high-end travel industry."
While DUCO works with an international network of elite buyers and suppliers across mature and emerging markets, participants from the Middle East and GCC continue to represent an integral, highly valued segment of the event's high-net-worth travel community.
"From the very beginning, DUCO has been about people, relationships and creating meaningful connections across unforgettable destinations," said Perez. "As the company's sole founder, I have always believed my greatest responsibility is to ensure DUCO continues to evolve while preserving the essence that has always defined it. I feel incredibly fortunate to have found a leader in Rebeca who shares this vision, has earned my complete confidence, and is deeply committed to preserving DUCO’s identity."
Pinheiro, who brings an extensive background in international business and leadership alongside academic credentials from MIT, emphasised that operational stability and sustainable growth remain paramount.
"It is a privilege to build on the remarkable foundation Carolina and the DUCO team have created," Pinheiro noted. "My priority is to preserve what makes DUCO unique while supporting the talented team that has earned the trust of our partners around the world. Our goal is to bring the same commitment to relationships and destination immersion to every new market we enter."
DUCO confirmed that its existing core team remains entirely in place to lead day-to-day operations, event logistics, and partner relations, ensuring travel designers and hoteliers maintain their regular points of contact.
Founded in 2016, DUCO has earned a distinct niche in luxury travel trade events through its single-destination, highly immersive format. The brand's portfolio includes DUCO Italy (moving to Rome in 2027), DUCO France in Paris, and DUCO Spain & Portugal in Marbella. Looking ahead, the summit is preparing for its UK & Ireland debut in London in 2027 as it continues to assess further global destination rollouts.