Luís Lopes
About Luís Lopes
Luís Lopes is a Lecturer at Viking Cruises and a Freelance Tour Manager, Cruise Manager, and Certified Guide with extensive experience in Portugal, Spain, and other countries.
Title
Luís Lopes is a Lecturer currently working at Viking Cruises as a Lecturer on the River Douro. He has held numerous positions in the travel and tourism industry, making significant contributions as a freelance tour manager, cruise manager, and tour director across various reputable organizations.
Current Roles
Luís Lopes holds several current roles in the travel industry. He works at Viking Cruises as a Lecturer on the River Douro and serves as a Freelance Tour Manager at Gate 1 Travel. He also continues to operate as a Freelance Certified Guide, Tour Manager, Cruise Manager, and Travel Writer and Photographer in Portugal, Spain, France, and Morocco.
Previous Experience
Luís Lopes has an extensive background in the travel sector. He worked as a Freelance Cruise Manager at Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection from 2019 for 11 months. He also served in the same role from 2009 to 2017 in Portugal and Spain. His previous roles include Freelance Tour Director at Image Tours, Inc. (2012-2015), Travel Director at Grand European Travel (1998-2015), and Acting Destination Manager and Freelance Program Director at Grand Circle Corporation (1988-1999).
Education
Luís Lopes studied at Instituto das Novas Profissões in Lisboa, Portugal. He also attended Primária in Alvalade, laying a solid educational foundation that supports his expertise in multiple facets of travel and tourism.
Course Design and Lecturing
Luís Lopes has a long history of course design and lecturing. He designed and lectured courses on 'Portugal Today (politics, social, economics) and the E.U.' and 'The Portuguese Discoveries' for Grand Circle Travel from 1994 to 1996. Since 2009, he has been designing and lecturing courses for UNIWORLD on topics such as 'History of Portugal and Spain', 'Iberia - Ancient Peoples, Cultural Roots', 'Portuguese Seafarers & Spanish Explorers', and 'Portuguese Lessons'.
Multilingual Proficiency
Luís Lopes is fluent in Portuguese, English, and Castilian, and has good proficiency in French. This multilingual ability enhances his effectiveness in international travel and educational settings.
Global Travel Experience
Luís Lopes's travel experiences include visits to countries such as Morocco, Switzerland, Holland, Russia, USA, Brazil, China, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Philippines, India, Nepal, and Turkey. These diverse experiences contribute to his comprehensive knowledge of geography, history, culture, politics, and economics.
Specialized Knowledge Areas
Luís Lopes possesses extensive knowledge in various fields, particularly related to Portugal and Spain. His expertise spans geography, history, culture, politics, economics, social situations, agriculture, music, gastronomy, wines, and food & wine pairing. This diverse background makes him a well-rounded expert in the travel and tourism industry.