If you are reading this article, chances are good that you are an educated traveler. Let’s imagine that you have been put in charge of finding a great organization to lead a group of friends to a foreign or domestic location for a week of adventure and exploration. Or maybe you are looking for a great adventure travel company to sign up with for a future family vacation. How do you find the organization that will be best for you or your team? Here is a Boundless Expeditions guide to finding the organization that will serve you best.
Enlightenment is Essential
Make sure you choose an organization that doesn’t keep you in a tourist bubble. As travelers, we need to be stretched beyond our normal boundaries. Does the organization you are considering immerse you in local flavor including your food and housing choices? Do they put an emphasis on learning the history and culture that will surround you? Will you walk away from this experience merely informed or as a whole person transformed? Is the experience transformational or simply an escape?
Customized for the Traveler
You should partner with an organization that has a strong commitment to serving you. No two clients are alike, so no two trips should be the same. Does the organization take time to know you, to hear your heart and concerns? Do they work hard to educate you in the travel process? Can you reach them on the phone or via email when you need them? Are they a company that fulfills their word to you? Good old-fashioned customer service will save you a whole lot of grief. More than likely, the way you are treated before a trip is exactly how you will be treated on the trip. Let’s face it, you are spending a lot of money so you need to be treated well.
Respect in the DNA
Respect is an indispensable trait of a responsible travel organization. There are a lot of organizations that are ‘doing their own thing’ as they sweep in an out of a location. It is important to partner with an organization that is committed to serving local communities through local agencies, so you get the most out of your dollars invested. Does the organization have a solid reputation for respecting the places they visit (historical, environment, places they stay, etc…)? As we often say, ‘Do you leave the places you visit better than when you arrived?’
In our next e-newsletter we will finish our thoughts on how to find the best organization to partner with for future adventure travel.
A recent conversation with an old friend started with this statement: “Shawn, I wish I lived the life you live. Traveling the world; meeting unusual people; trying exotic food- my life is so boring compared to yours. I have too much responsibility and not enough adventure.”