John Rees

“We often try to push our clients to the very edge of their comfort zone in order for them to connect with local cultures.”

Regions of operation: Europe

Countries of expertise: Italy, United Kingdom

Special categories: Adventure, Miles & Points, Family Travel

What do you do that competing specialists can’t/won’t:

Every trip is necessarily different but at our core is the aim to open our travelers eyes to the big wide world out there. We often try to push our clients to the very edge of their comfort zone in order for them to connect with local cultures, e.g., lunch or dinner hosted by a family. There has not been an instance yet where this hasn't been a highlight of an itinerary and we haven't been thanked sincerely by our clients.

What is one of your all-time favorite experiences you've been able to pull off for guests?

Morocco, March 2022. A multi-gen family whose matriarch had not been in good health for a number of years and had not traveled herself since 2018. On Day 3 our client emailed me saying her mother's disposition had changed so dramatically for the better that it was like traveling with a new person and she went on to say that she and the whole family were incredibly grateful for pushing them to enjoy this experience. This brought tears to my eyes and it still does today just thinking about it. This is why I do what I do.

How do you deal with unforeseen issues on the ground?

On the ground is 75% of the time something that our DMCs would handle and those contact numbers are always provided to clients. The remaining time if it is an emergency we answer the phone and do whatever is needed to right the situation. We have learned to focus on the solution immediately rather than getting bogged down in who was at fault, whether that's the client, the DMC or even (very occasionally) ourselves.