Every December, Living Tours organises a special event, perhaps the biggest of all - the Galos D’Ouro. At this famous gala, we celebrate the entire Team, highlight individual and collective merit and remember all our achievements and our entire journey.  After the ceremony, we also hold our Christmas Party, with lots of fun, joy, originality and stories to tell. It's an essential Living Culture event.

And why is this celebration so important within the Living Tours family? According to our motto "Work Hard. Have Fun. Make a Difference", we give everything in our daily work and we also know how to celebrate our victories and achievements. The Galos D'Ouro statuettes, hand-delivered by Founder and CEO Rui Terroso, honour and celebrate the people and teams that have stood out the most throughout the year.  And they recognise the merit of their work and contribution to Living Tours' continued growth as a unique company in the tourism sector.

The Galos D’Ouro also emphasise camaraderie, made up of mutual help, positive thinking and empathy between colleagues. Some of the awards are precisely those for "Best colleague". And they link the present with the past and the future, establishing a temporal continuum that situates Living identity.

The Galos D’Ouro therefore celebrate our people, meritocracy, the memory of the Founder and the organisation, and the inspiration for an even better future. It is therefore a concrete expression of Living Culture's excellence.

Galos D’Ouro 2023

This year's 2023 theme was Shine, which represents the brilliance that each of us brings to Living Tours' day-to-day through our impact and potential. This year's gala took place at WOW - World of Wine, in Gaia, on 15 December.

Before his introductory speech, our CEO, Rui Terroso, welcomed everyone at the entrance to WOW's magnificent space, with an attractive stage with micro, intense lights, a themed setting with lots of chairs and good humour. Everyone was dressed in gala clothes appropriate to the theme chosen for each year - in this case, glitter.

Something that is common to all celebrations, but particularly special at Galos D'Ouro, is the start of the ceremony. It always begins in an almost ritual manner, with a speech by our CEO, Rui Terroso, who presents a personal and collective retrospective, takes stock of the situation and shines a light on the achievements of the present, and ends with a look to the future. It's the motto for celebration, and this year was no exception.

We ended 2023 with a turnover of approximately 16 million euros (in 2022, it was 8.4 million euros), very close to 400,000 guests and with a total team (with freelancers) of approximately 200 employees, almost double that of 2022.

In this way, at Living Tours we remind our employees that they are part of a winning team. And they, in turn, feel part of every victory. This raises the self-esteem of the entire company.

The individual and collective awards are announced to suspenseful music and the winners are called to the stage, cheered on by rounds of applause, where they receive their prize and hear the words of our CEO, Rui Terroso. They give a short speech and return to their seats, always with the noisy and warm affection of the rest of their colleagues. A curious fact is that the CEO doesn't receive awards, only presents them. The only exception was in 2022, when an award was presented that honoured (and surprised) the unavoidable figure of the Founder and Leader of Living Tours.

In this way, the Galos D’Ouro bring new motivation and energy to teams: this celebration recharges employees' batteries and makes them feel refreshed.

A total of 40 awards were presented at a ceremony that lasted around 3 hours (with a coffee break). Some of the honours awarded during the ceremony celebrated Growth and Profitability, Living Culture, Multitasking, Perfect Hosts, Innovation, Sustainability, Best Colleagues, Creativity, Proactivity, among others.

The Galo D'Ouro Excellence went to Cátia Castro, in what is the highest honour and the last statuette of the evening, celebrating her leadership, motivation, assertiveness and professionalism throughout the year.

It was, therefore, the expression of the Living Culture, which is very much alive, built by our people: Rui Terroso CEO, leaders and all the colleagues in the teams. The greatest value in the success of this company!

Christmas party

After the awards ceremony comes the Living Tours Christmas Party, a celebration full of joy and fun, with lots of music and dancing and a contagious good mood. In a space set aside for enjoying free musical moments, the opportunity arose to show our true selves, unique and authentic. There was also quality food and drink to accompany the sparkling atmosphere.

The pulsating energy on the dance floor was palpable, as the classmates gave themselves over to the infectious rhythms and uninhibited movements. Laughter echoed through the hall and the outdoor terrace with its beautiful view, blending in with the lively music.

Between lively conversations and festive toasts, people connected in a spirit of camaraderie and joy, creating unforgettable memories that lasted beyond the festive evening. As the party progressed, it was clear that the gathering was not just an end-of-year celebration, but a true moment of unity and celebration of the family that is Living Tours.

Building a strong, united culture is the first step towards really making a difference in the world. All this investment and human strength will surely continue to result in a winning team and build sustainable long-term success.

So the Galos D’Ouro offer a great opportunity to build relationships and trust, giving a sense of history with an eye to the future.

Congratulations to all our Livingtourianos for taking Living Tours to the next level of excellence every day!