by Geoffrey Ravoire, Luxury Travel Advisor & Marketing Manager

Being a family business allows us to lead with values dear to us and to keep them alive even when times are tough. In a year that was challenging for our industry, to say the least, we took pride in keeping our commitment to “doing the right thing” and hope to have contributed to making tourism smarter and more sustainable. 

As a travel company, we find many ways to make an impact:

• Our team and its sensibilities are our greatest asset and an unlimited source of ideas to make the world better.

• Our donations (be they in time or travel) directly helped raise over $35,000 in 2020.

• Our careful vetting of travel partners we work with ensures that once in destination, you are taken care of by people who share the same level of care for our planet.

• Our recommendations and advice help you make smarter decisions on responsible travel – and it doesn’t have to take away from the fun!

Sustainable practices are not about cost-cutting attempts hidden behind feel-good actions: it is about investing in the right people and in the right places. Investing in our team, first, is our greatest pride and with 2020 bringing so many reports of companies collapsing or laying off, we couldn’t be happier to have kept our strong team intact and to have given each one of them the tools and resources to grow during this year of quasi planning pause. Our team is an unlimited source of ideas and passions; with those come new opportunities to do what we do best (plan travel), for a good cause. Be it medical research, education, or historical preservation, ideas of projects to support have emerged naturally, presented by the team. Thanks to incredible partnerships all over the world, our donations have directly helped raise over $35,000 in 2020. Wow. 

We even managed to grow this team of passionate individuals in 2020 and are so thrilled to welcome client and friend Lori Souder as a member of our team. It takes passion to join a travel consultancy in the middle of a pandemic that grounds airplanes and closes hotels! Through her conservation-focused trips, Lori has secured an additional $8,000 this year for programs that support the people, wildlife, and ecosystems of East Africa, with a special focus on elephants. In 2021, we are happy to dedicate some of our time, tools, and experience to help Lori and her travelers achieve an even greater impact.

One of the most rewarding aspects of our work is to make recommendations to you, our clients, and we take it as a very solemn responsibility when you trust us with your money, and maybe even more precious, your leisure time. More and more of you have responsible travel in mind and ask us if our partners “do good in their areas”, if they are “green hotels”, or if the destination is LGBTQ-friendly for instance. We are always happy to answer these questions, and are also excited to suggest a volunteering component to your itinerary. From helping finish a well in Southeast Asia to farming up in the Andes, service projects (when carefully selected and implemented) are instrumental for the local community, and more often than not, a lasting source of memories for you. 

If you’ve traveled with us in the past, you know how strongly we feel about having a local company oversee your arrangements once in destination, and how we prefer to recommend hotels where we know the owners and management. The main reason is…relationships. We grow with these hoteliers, guides, operators. We know them and their values, we share laughs, ideas, and issues. No matter what happens, we know they are there for you. The commitment they have to you, they have for their community too, and that’s why we are dedicated to working with them. Our partners employ and empower local people while ensuring the money they make remains within the community. From wildlife conservancy in Africa funded by your stay at Sarara Camp to running a carbon-neutral property in the Galapagos (Pikaia Lodge); from pioneering new ways to recycle waste and propagating the principle to neighboring islands with Soneva Fushi to building a biomass energy center to power Heckfield Place; and from fostering education and hygiene in the slums of East Africa with every Micato safari you take to natural and cultural initiatives led by Awasi in the jungle of Iguazu or pampas of Patagonia, these are just some of the projects you help advance thanks to your travels. Doesn’t it feel good to know your last trip wasn’t just about your enjoyment? And you do not have to travel far to find great initiatives: during the pandemic-mandated closure of the Four Seasons Chicago, the hotel’s management and ownership offered their staff full pay if they’d commit to 20 hours per week of charitable work in the Chicago area, right here in our backyard. We have tons of these stories to share, and every time we come across a new one, it strikes us just as much as that stunning view from the bedroom, or that champagne picnic that was shown earlier in the presentation. 

Here’s to a responsible 2021!