Year in Review: Our 2023 Growth
Every year, as a new one is approaching, we like to reflect on the previous twelve months. Taking inventory brings perspective to our future goals and sets the tone for the next twelve months. With a clear path ahead, we can hit the ground running, with all of you beside us! 2023 was filled with achievements and team building in equal measure, which makes us better prepared to turn the travel goals of our ever-evolving guests into a reality. Join us as we recap our progress this year and celebrate our wins with us!
New Offerings
Let’s start with the new additions to our offerings. In 2023, we were on a relentless quest for innovation in travel, and we’ve selected the very best for you to browse at your leisure.
Top 5 New Tours
Our continuous dedication to creating the best tours not only promises unforgettable moments for our travelers but also plays a pivotal role in supporting local communities. Among all our new tours, these are the top five:
12-Day Ecuador & Galapagos Regenerative Travel
This transformative adventure invites you to be captivated by the breathtaking natural beauty of the Andes and the Galapagos Islands. Discover the vibrant culture and traditions of indigenous communities, forging meaningful connections along the way. This tour is designed to promote sustainability, preserve local cultures, and foster personal growth.
9-Day Coast & Andes Luxury Cultural Experience
Embark on a luxurious cultural tour through the heart of Ecuador, where the enchanting coastline meets the historical splendor of Quito and the vibrant tapestry of Otavalo city.
7-Day Ecuador Luxury Wellness Tour
Indulge in ultimate relaxation and explore Ecuador’s breathtaking landscapes while rejuvenating mind and body through luxurious accommodations and holistic wellness experiences.
9-Day Ecuador Amazon Female Travel
This transformative adventure is an empowering nature retreat in the heart of the Andes mountains. The tour is specially designed for women travelers seeking a profound connection with their hearts and souls. You’ll enjoy introspective practices, soulful workshops, and guided meditations.
8-Day Galapagos Women’s Tour
This carefully curated journey celebrates the spirit of womanhood as you uncover the wonders of the Galapagos Islands, immersing yourself in captivating experiences designed exclusively for women.
Top 5 Most Popular Tours
We’ve curated the top five experiences that embody our commitment to exceptional adventures. Discover joy in travel while making a positive impact with our handpicked selection of 2023’s finest tours.
23-Day Classic Ecuador & Galapagos
This Ecuador & Galapagos complete tour will show you all the highlights of this very diverse country. You won’t miss a thing for sure! During this trip, you will visit the three main regions of Ecuador: the Andes, the Amazon, and the very famous Galapagos.
7-Day Luxury Safari
This Luxury Safari tour in the Galapagos Islands will be enjoyed by luxury travelers looking for a blissful experience. This tour will allow you to discover the uniqueness of the Galapagos’ endemic animal species underwater and on land. Explore the beauty of the Enchanted Islands in this incredible tour that has been featured in the National Geographic Luxury Collection and other high-profile magazines.
5-Day Galapagos Expedition
This dynamic 5-day exploration spans diverse islands filled with exciting activities. Snorkel and hike your way through the unique landscapes of Santa Cruz, Isabela, Floreana, Tintoreras, and Santa Fe.
11-Day Hidden Treasures Colombia
Discover the breathtaking beauty and rich diversity of Colombia. The tour will take you on a captivating journey through vibrant cities, abundant nature, and stunning beaches. Explore one of the world’s most biodiverse countries as you uncover the hidden treasures of Colombia.
6-Day Ecuador Multisport
This tour takes place in two different regions, the Andes, with their spectacular volcanoes, and the mighty Amazon. This is the ideal combination for guests who enjoy adventures with a wide variety of activities.
Top Destinations by Region
We believe in the transformative power of travel, and through our carefully crafted experiences, we invite you to explore the world, savor unique moments, and contribute to the well-being of the places we visit. Below, find our selection of the best destinations in Ecuador’s most beautiful regions.
- Galapagos: Santa Cruz Highlands, Bartolomé, North Seymour, Floreana, Kicker Rock.
- Andes Mountains: Quito Historical Center, Cotopaxi, Quilotoa, Mindo, Otavalo.
- Amazon Basin: Arajuno, Cuyabeno, Yasuní.
The Paikawe Lagoon is brimming with exotic animals curious to see visitors.
Expanding Our Blog
Throughout the year, our blog has been a rich source of insights to empower your travel decisions. We’ve curated valuable information to guide your choices and offer a glimpse into our community initiatives, team growth, and brand development. The following is a selection of those articles our readers find the most helpful.
Increasing Our Qualifications
Our efforts in enabling guests to travel responsibly motivate us to continue learning about transformative travel and gaining new skills to help adventurers make a positive impact with their travels. This year brought us new certifications and memberships that allow us to keep preserving destinations and improving livelihoods through travel.
Distintivo Q
We started off 2023 with the renovation of the certificate Ecuador’s Ministry of Tourism bestows upon travel companies that practice sustainable tourism to safeguard communities and the environment. In January, we were granted the Distinctive Q for the seventh year in a row.
ATTA Member Badge
In February, we became members of the Adventure Travel Trade Association. ATTA aims to facilitate the safeguarding of natural and cultural assets in the travel industry, generating economic value to benefit destinations and their inhabitants. This membership solidifies our commitment to crafting and delivering solutions that drive sustainable tourism.
ANVR member
The Dutch Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators strives to provide each traveler with a worry-free trip featuring equitable terms and appropriate assurances. As ongoing members, we affirm our support of responsible travel practices.
Agency of Change in Ecuador
The Regenerative Travel Association named us a founding member of this program in July. Through this membership, we will expand our efforts to transform communities and economies into more regenerative models.
Women Travel Leaders
We started a membership with this Association in August, to further our commitment to diversity and equality. Through our shared focus on empowering women, we will shape the future for females in the travel industry together.
JourneyWoman Member
To further increase our support of women in travel, we gained another female-centered membership in September. Journey Woman caters to the female demographic above age 50, providing them with all the tools necessary to undertake impactful travel focused on authenticity.
Transformational Travel Transformers
To close out 2023 with a bang, we have just received the Transformers recognition from the Transformational Travel Council. This certification guarantees travelers they will get meaningful experiences when they book with us, transforming their lives and the destinations they visit for the better.
Rebecca’s presence at travel fairs builds our company’s network of collaborators.
International Travel Events Throughout The Year
The 2023 travel fair landscape was marked by our active participation. We attended numerous international events, showcasing our commitment to staying at the forefront of the industry. From prominent global events to regional gatherings, we ensured our presence at key fairs, reinforcing our dedication to providing exceptional travel experiences. This year was a shining testament to our continuous engagement and visibility, solidifying our position as a leading voice in the travel sector.
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- ANVR Congress Spain 2023
- WTM London 2023.
- Time to Reset in Ecuador European 2023 Roadshow.
- Regenerative Travel Summit 2023 (New York).
- Ecuador Ministry of Tourism – (US) West Coast Roadshow 2023
- AdventureNEXT Latin America 2023 (Bogota).
- Ecuador – US and Canada Roadshow.
- ATTA Adventure Connect Event (US)
- Remote Inmersion Cuenca 2023 (Press)
Growing Interest From Prestigious Publications
Our innovations this year didn’t go unnoticed, and we received recognition from two top publications at the national and international levels. In March, National Geographic extended our feature in their Luxury Collection for the second consecutive year for our 7-Day Galapagos Luxury Safari.
This two-year feature raises awareness about the pristine ecosystems in the world-renowned Enchanted Isles, bringing more travelers to visit the small community of islanders living to protect the unique biodiversity of this extraordinary archipelago. The increasing waves of tourism in Galapagos ensure its society thrives for years to come.
In August, Forbes Ecuador recognized the vision and spirit of our conscious and business-savvy founder, Rebecca Braak, featuring her in the Female Entrepreneurs August digital spread. Her interview is full of valuable insights for the country’s travel sector, given how her outlook on Ecuador’s tourism value as a foreigner comes with fresh eyes and a clear view of all the country has at its disposal to benefit low-resource families through tourism.
In October, The Independent UK mentioned our 7-Day Galapagos Luxury Safari in the Living360 segment of their travel section, highlighting how comprehensive our tour is. The article covers nine outstanding adventure travel experiences across the world, complete with wildlife spotting, sports, and cultural exploration. From freezing mountain slopes to desert plains and idyllic beaches, their selection caters to every preference.
National Geographic’s Luxury Collection has featured our 7-Day Galapagos Luxury Safari for two consecutive years.
Increasing Recognition
Our hard work this year gained international notice from leading voices in travel! In August, the Regenerative Travel Impact Awards nominated us for Agency of the Year. After being finalists for this significant award, just one month later, in September, the World Travel Awards nominated us for their prestigious Leading Tour Operator award.
This honor only went higher when we won as Ecuador’s Leading Tour Operator for 2023. This testament to our commitment to responsible and sustainable travel only makes our determination to foster development stronger, and we’re deeply inspired to work even harder to leave the destinations we visit, and their people, better than we found them. We couldn’t be more grateful for your support on this journey!
Team Developments
Our visionary founder established our sister company, EcuaFina, in 2019 to bring the handicrafts of Ecuador’s indigenous groups to Europe, thus providing many families with a bigger source of income that allows them to develop their communities. As EcuaFina is expanding from the Netherlands to Belgium and beyond, Rebecca went back to her hometown, after 10 years of being in Ecuador, to lead this exciting new chapter, and she’s been also running Rebecca Adventure Travel from Zupthen since August.
Rebecca and her family
Our team in Quito expanded throughout the year, with seven new members! With a bigger team, the Rebecca Adventure Travel offices have spent 2023 bringing their talent together through group activities and fun challenges, strengthening existing bonds and building new ones, celebrating each national festivity and company accomplishment together.
We also embarked on group trips twice this year: to the Andes in June, and to the Amazon in November. While these trips center around experiencing the tours we offer, they serve us to make informed choices for our guests, and it is also an opportunity to foster union in our team. This year made us stronger than ever, ready to serve travelers better!
Our team had the best time exploring the Ecuadorian Amazon together!
View our trip to the Arajuno River
Growing Our Community
As our company has grown, so has our online presence, with two of our social media channels (TikTok and Instagram) doubling their following during the second half of the year! With 10,000 followers on Instagram, 9,000 on Facebook, and almost 6,000 on LinkedIn, more and more travelers are looking to us for guidance on their adventures.
Our increasing digital presence is a testament to our expertise in adventure travel, reflected in our new 5-star reviews just this year, on TripAdvisor (80+) and Trustpilot (70+). Every new training and certification we get aims to improve our service and the quality of our tours. These numbers on social media show us we’re doing things right, and that’s the best reward for our hard work. Thank you for trusting us!
Hitting ten thousand followers on Instagram was a proud moment for us.
Nurturing Young Minds
Our 2022 Sponsor A School Program continued in 2023 with our sponsorship of the Antonio de Ulloa School. We marked Children’s Day in June by inaugurating a library, fully equipped with all the resources the almost 300 students require to complement their learning and enhance their education.
This will allow them to start income-generating initiatives of their own in the future and give back to their community. In December, we celebrated Christmas with the children for the second year in a row by gifting them educational toys, which will further elevate their education.
Bringing joy to the children at Puembo’s Antonio de Ulloa School was the best Christmas gift.
The Future of Travel in Ecuador
Ecuador, too, has seen many new developments in the travel industry this year. In October, the high-tech Go Quito Hotel opened its doors with a myriad of innovations to promote eco-conscious tourism while maintaining comfort and sophistication. Ecuador’s new president, Daniel Noboa (elected in October) took office in November and announced Niels Olsen would continue as Minister for Tourism.
This signals a bright 2024 for travel in Ecuador. Furthermore, with the Metro Quito officially beginning operations in December, transportation inside the country’s capital now promises to be easier and faster, marking a significant improvement for the tourism sector.
Minister Niels Olsen has been a great ally to us for tourism in Ecuador.
Our Intentions for 2024
As we enter a new year with the promise of fresh possibilities, our mission is to continue to give travelers unique travel experiences and quality service. In 2024, we intend to create new adventures that actively support local communities and businesses. To further our focus on sustainability and responsible travel practices, we aim to update our travel system to facilitate carbon offsetting for our guests.
We plan for 2024 to be a year where our contributions to foster positive change in the places we explore reach new heights, and ensure a meaningful impact on both the environment and the communities we engage with. Our guests are essential to all this and we’re ever so grateful. We look forward to another year of traveling with purpose with you!
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