What makes Different Travel different?
April 30, 2019
How did it all begin?
On 26th December 2004, a post-Christmas slumber was disturbed by a satellite call from the cruise ship for which our founder, Sarah Burgess, planned itineraries. The call informed of a massive earthquake and tsunami that hit South-East Asia. The next few days were a whirlwind of re-routing, planning and taking in the horror that had occurred.
Amidst the turmoil a plan was formed and 10 days later the Different Travel Company was born. Three months later our first group travelled to a devastated Sri Lanka to help with the massive task of rebuilding the country and its tourist industry. Over the following year, we built homes and businesses, cleaned beaches and refurbished schools. Not only did our teams bring hands-on help but also important tourism income to destinations whose communities were struggling to make ends meet as a result of the scarcity of visitors following the tragedy.
We are very proud of our team members who have travelled with us to over 40 countries since 2005. Not only have they supported hundreds of UK charities and raised millions of pounds, they have also embraced our ethos of helping communities at home and abroad.
What makes The Different Travel Company different from other tour operators?
Above all, we believe everyone should benefit from one of our trips. It’s vital that we support the community, for example by employing local support crew and eating at local restaurants. Importantly, we provide our team members with in-depth support so they’re informed and prepared. In addition we work closely with a number of UK charities who benefit from team members’ participation. Of course, underpinning everything we do is ensuring our trips are also safe, sustainable and fun!
Another thing that makes us different is that many of our tours include the opportunity to support a community project. Contrary to the perceptions that short-term volunteering is ineffective, we have proven the positive impact that short-term assistance has. When a team comes together to repaint a hospice or refurbish a school, the entire project can be completed in just two days. These outcomes are a credit to our project co-ordinators and team members who have such determination to make a difference.
Why should you pick The Different Travel Company?
As a small company we work tirelessly to be as flexible, competitive and supportive as possible in order to provide the best possible experience for everyone. We also offer something for everyone. Not only do we operate classic adventure challenges, but also short-term projects and our unique challenge and project combinations.
In addition to this we work closely with our charity partners to tailor make their charity challenges to the exact needs of the charity. Furthermore, on trips which include a project we ensure that the need of the community comes first. To achieve this we work with our local partners to identify the most urgent need in the community.
With your help we hope to continue supporting communities at home and abroad for many more years to come.
-Lexi-