Since the onset of COVID-19, the phrase ‘new normal’ is getting a lot of use and for good reason. Much has changed across the globe, and the travel industry has been hugely affected. This includes all the people on-the-ground in destination countries that normally have relied on making an income from travellers. The language of  ‘new normal’ highlights our need to adapt. This is, after all, what humans have done for millenia: adapting. The meaningful difference now, in modern times, is that adapting is more than just “going with the flow”: it carries the potential to choose with intention.

In order to adapt we have to be aware and informed so that we can decide what direction we wish to go in the coming years. Since our start in 2004, Latin Excursions has been a proponent of sustainable travel—having minimal impact on the environment and the communities we come in contact with. And so, while tourism went on hiatus with the start of the pandemic, we couldn’t help but ask ourselves: Are we doing enough?

With the sudden switch from days of over tourism to months of no tourism, we are clearer than ever that responsible travel is … less about making the least impact, but rather, more about generating the greatest benefit for travelers and destinations.

By working with on-ground partners and like-minded organizations, Latin Excursions aims to be a part of ecological conservation; meanwhile, we will continue to provide rare and transformative experiences to travellers who, we hope, will return home with a greater understanding of the natural world and the communities who nurture it.

This is eco-tourism, a term that we hope will be put into action by other travel companies in order that it becomes the ‘new normal’ for our industry.

We will continue to find inspiration in thoughtful partners such as Petit Maribel, owner of Sol y Luna, whose authentic casita-style accommodations in the Sacred Valley of Peru continue to promote values of social and environmental sustainability; and eco-entrepreneurs like Reyna Oleas and Roberto Plaza who, with their completely sustainable projects in the Galapagos, have proven that luxury travel can be rooted in conservation of wildlife and natural resources, as well as many other eco-visionaries, expert guides and local projects throughout Latin America.

So while our definition of travel is evolving with the times, Latin Excursions’ continues to be committed to the planet and people. Are you ready to experience something extraordinary?