Category: Take 5 Interviews

With a passion for her home state of Virginia, Mary Lewis set out to create her own tour company to showcase the abundant experiential opportunities for groups. The Heart of Virginia was successfully launched in February of 2016 and continues to grow. Learn the story of The Heart of Virginia in this edition of Take 5.

The American Institute of Architects isn’t the first association to offer tours, but they are...

A victim of corporate downsizing, at age 55 Jim Plaunt found himself out of a job and looking for his next act. An avid bicyclist, Jim combined his passion for two-wheel transportation with a business model he discovered while on vacation in Vermont. Learn the story of Bike Tour Vacations in this edition of Take 5.

As the leader of the largest women’s-only tour company in the U.S. Debra and her team produce and ship nearly 70 tours per year. Learn the secrets to her success in this edition of Take 5.

It’s been said that adventure travel is the future of tourism. But how does the industry balance growth with responsible tourism initiatives? We talked with Shannon Stowell, president of the Adventure Travel Trade Association to learn what’s fueling the growth and how the organization is trying to ensure that the travel industry pushes towards a more responsible future.

Frustrated by her own experience in searching for reliable ground transportation, Polina Raygorodskaya conceived the idea of Wanderu, a meta-search site that aggregates schedules and pricing for point-to-point bus and train travel.