Travellers are by and large adventurous people, always dreaming about and planning the next big trip. The constant desire to visit new and far-flung. Once the well-worn tourist trail has been explored, the focus shifts, and the desire to discover new frontiers and destinations that seem a little more off-the-beaten track begins to take hold. What we are seeing is more and more travellers going in search of adventures to places where it feels as though they’re breaking new ground – a first… amongst their friends and peers if nothing else! But they’re also looking for safety and peace of mind while there, and an important aspect is that comfort is key.
These days, it’s rare to see new and emerging destinations open for tourism so when they do, it’s extremely exciting! We saw that with Cuba and Myanmar a few years ago and now we’re seeing it with Saudi Arabia and Colombia. It is important for us to stay at the forefront of these emerging trends, delivering on new territory and in new ways, and with that, we are proud to announce the opening of offices in both destinations.
A few members from the A&K Australasia team recently returned from Saudi Arabia where they visited fellow team member Kathie Sikkes, who is supporting the setup of the A&K office there. As a country, Saudi Arabia only really opened for tourism in 2019 and much of that has been during the pandemic so we’re excited to help the team of locals we’ve employed, including our focus on female recruitment, utilise travel and tourism to deliver positive change and impact.
In a recent update from the A&K team in Colombia, our team were completely blown away by the destination. One of the most biodiverse countries per square metre in the world, Colombia classifies its geography into five natural regions from the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea coastal regions to the Amazon Rainforest, the Andes Mountain range to grassy Llanos (plains). Rich with history and culture, travellers will find everything that’s great about South America in the one destination – food, art, archaeology, music, wildlife and more. From the colourful Old Town of Cartagena to the cosmopolitan city of Bogota, from the haciendas and coffee farms to the more unusual like the Rock of Gutapé or the whimsical palm trees of Cocora Valley that you’d expect to find in a Dr Seuss book – Colombia is sure to impress.
Still in South America, A&K Philanthropy supports a project in Peru called the Children of the Rainbow. For some, it’s home, but for most it’s a centre providing warm meals and educational support to hundreds of the region’s most impoverished children, while nearby families can also receive medical and dental assistance there. A&K guests on Tailor-Made Journeys in Peru can visit the centre, and see firsthand how much hope, love and joy the centre brings.
To end this week with the title from my all-time favourite Dr Seuss book,
Oh the places you’ll go……
Debra Fox
Managing Director for Tour Operations (outbound) Australia and New Zealand
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