6 Things To Look For When Hiring An Adventure Travel Company

If you are reading this article, chances are 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 an adventure travel company to sign up with for a future family vacation.  How do you find the organization that will be best for you and your fellow adventurers?  Here are 6 essential guidelines to finding the organization that will serve you best.

Enlightenment is Essential

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 transformed?

Customized for the Traveler

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 either.  Does the organization take time to understand you and your concerns?  Do they work hard to educate you in the travel process? 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.

Respect is 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 and out of a location. It is important to choose an organization that is committed to serving local communities through local agencies, so you get the most out of your dollars invested.  As we often say at Wonder Voyage, ‘Did you leave the places you visit better than when you arrived?’

Authentic at the Core

Your travels should be an authentic encounter rather than a canned experience. Find an organization that celebrates local culture, including food, festivals and the arts. Look for a company that has a reputation for finding spontaneous moments that are catalysts for life-changing discovery.  This means the organization must work hard at creating conditions where authentic experience can flourish.  Remember, only authentic leaders lead authentic trips.

Trust the Experts

The whole reason you are looking for an organization to work with is to be able to release someone else with the details.  It is freeing to engage in the adventure of travel, secure in knowing the details of the trip are being taken care of by travel experts.  You must be able to trust that the company is not only a location expert but a travel expert.  If you are not willing to trust the company, look elsewhere or plan the trip yourself.

Community

One of the coolest aspects of a good travel organization is the ability to foster, or even create a community vibe on the voyage.  Go with an organization where you feel like you are part of an extended family.  The guide should work hard at building a rapport with the individuals on the trip and challenging them with the joys of the adventure.  Do they communicate with you as the leader?  Do you leave only wanting them to lead your future trips?

Choosing an organization is like choosing a good pair of hiking boots.  They need to handle the terrain, be supportive, create a comfortable fit, and hopefully remain affordable. Once you find them, you’ll never look for another.