Spotlight Adventure Champions: Explorandes

Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) Adventure Champions are the vanguards of the adventure travel industry having been members of ATTA and leaders in the community for a minimum of 15 years. They are true believers in the power of adventure travel and have made an impact on the direction of ATTA and on the industry as a whole. To honor their commitment to their ethos and lasting contribution to the adventure travel industry we are spotlighting Adventure Champions through a series of interviews.

Explorandes
Tour Operator
Headquarters: Peru
ATTA Member since 2007

Introducing Alfredo Ferreyros, President

Tell us about Explorandes: We have been pioneers of adventure travel in the Andes since 1975, when we started trekking, rafting, and sea-kayaking operations. We are the only National Tour Operator with offices in Huascaran National Park and have been certified over the last two decades with ISO 14001 and received the Rainforest Alliance Certification for complying with Sustainable Tourism guidelines. We supply all types of services, organize events, and support the production of documentaries and videos. Our efforts over these years have included the conservation of natural resources and living cultures as well as implementing carbon offsets on all our trips.

How has your company/destination changed over the last 15 years?

There are many more local, regional, and national tour operations on the market offering specialized adventure travel activities. In some areas, there are problems of over-tourism, but with the pandemic, things have slowed down, and some of the negative impacts have improved.

What is the greatest force that drives you to work every day?

Our country and its multifaceted ecosystems and cultural sites enable us to offer a myriad of options for all tastes and age groups. Meeting interesting visitors who bring their own perspectives as world travelers and enjoy our itineraries is a major satisfaction, especially when their trip reports state they had a life-changing experience. Visitors are always up for something different - a “wow” on a trip.

What gives you hope about the next generation of adventure travel leaders?

The younger generation leading trips or organizations are much more aware of the negative impacts of tourism and they tend to take safety guidelines and service quality seriously, whereas, in the beginning, trips were often explorations with greater risk.

What is your advice for young adventure travel companies?

Do a market study to test your client base and be clear about what price range and age groups you will cater to. There are so many options sometimes clients are confused and don't know how to tell quality apart. Be explicit about your standards and service level.

What gets you excited about the future of adventure travel?

There is still so much to discover and experience, even in major tourism destinations and their area of influence.

Is there anything else you would like to say?

Over the last 48 years, adventure travel has seen a lot of changes in the destinations–mostly positive– that have permitted the improvement of living conditions of local populations and cultures as economic benefits have flourished in the surroundings of important attractions.