We spoke to Angelee Rathor, founder of SevenTravel, the slow travel specialist.
Where does your passion for slow travel come from?
My passion for slow travel came during the Covid pandemic โ a moment when life slowed down, and we started to reconnect with nature and our local communities, as everything to do with travel and holidays ground to a halt. This time particularly changed peopleโs behaviour and mindset on how to travel in the future, with travellers becoming more environmentally conscious, so I wanted to bring more of a mindful approach to travel โ from choosing the destination, the experience and learning about local traditions and communities.
SevenTravel was born to create a new type of travel that is more considered, responsible and designed for the future โ we create one-of-a-kind, milestone experiences that leave a lasting impression, do good and create feel-good memories.
How much of an environmental impact does fewer and longer trips really make in terms of CO2 emissions from air traffic?
It definitely makes an impact on the environment to travel less, and weโre really focussed on responsible, sustainable travel, which is enshrined in our SevenTravel operation, so we can help reduce the carbon footprints of our clientโs luxury travels.
As a travel company, we understand we play a part in climate issues, which is why weโre taking action to help be part of the solution. Our staff are actively seeking ways to reduce their own personal footprint and, when it comes to our clientโs trips, working with hotels and partners that share our sustainable ethos wherever possible. Weโve set ourselves the target to become net zero by 2035, meaning we will be measuring and reporting on all our emissions; firstly, we will try to reduce them as much as possible and then for any emissions which are unavoidable, we will be investing in certified carbon offsetting projects that either prevent emissions elsewhere or remove carbon out of the air.
We also work directly with ecollectiveย to help us measure and develop an accurate and realistic carbon reduction management plan to reduce our carbon footprint annually in line with the agreed level by theย Science-Based Targets Initiativeย (SBTi).
Are you advocating alternative to air travel with longer holidays making this possible?
Yes, Iโm an advocate for travelling less and truly believe this new travel experience with SevenTravel will deliver maximum wow factor with minimal impact on the environment.
Our clients are encouraged to linger for longer and experience our once-in-a-lifetime excursions that deliver a deeper sense of connection to their locationโs surroundings, authentically immersing them into the very fabric of the country theyโre visiting โ taking only treasured memories and a fresh perspective home.
We are looking at several options for land-only itineraries from the UK, launching in 2023, to offer inspirational alternatives that donโt involve flying, whether itโs a luxury train journey across Europe or small boat charter around Scandinavia.
Can you see socio-economic benefits of the slow travel trend for the destinations and are there traveller wellbeing benefits?
Slow travel brings a wide range of benefits to not only the travellers who can actually slow down and take time to focus on themselves, but also the chosen destinations we directly work with.
For every client that books with us, we donate ยฃ50 to our Positive Future Fund, where we work with a collection of global charities to support and empower local communities and conservancies to advance its mission to lift the lives of future generations and harness the power of travel as a force of good.
It supports three charities: Project Rhino, an NGO of leading conservation agencies, protecting rhinos from wildlife crime; Go Beyond, a UK childrenโs charity which supports bereaved, abused or bullied children with once-in-a-lifetime breaks; and Upaya Social Ventures, which identifies grassroots businesses that have the greatest potential to create jobs for people living in extreme poverty around the world.
Based on our clientโs personal interests and desires, our experiences offer thoughtfully curated trips that broaden cultural perspectives and give back to the community. From eco-friendly accommodation to working with local businesses and donating and volunteering at non-profit companies, it supports travellers to make a positive impact with every memorable trip.
It really allows our clients to switch off mentally and physically from the hustle and bustle of life, and immerse themselves in a new once in a lifetime experiences.
What are the hottest trends for slow travel in 2023 and beyond?
Weโve certainly noticed that box-ticking trips, travelโs version of fast fashion, is becoming more and more of a clichรฉ and something that is slowly being consigned to the past. People want to become more immersed in the destination theyโre visiting, whether thatโs with authentic experiences or being isolated somewhere thatโs still untouched by tourism.
Weโre finding people want to truly disconnect from their everyday life, slow down and really appreciate where theyโre visiting. People are staying in one or two places for longer, rather than hopping around multiple locations to cram lots in, and throwing themselves into everything that particular place has to offer, whether itโs a local food tour or cultural experience.
This is a trend that aligns with SevenTravelโs ethos and weโve seen huge interest in our Rustic Italy retreat in Puglia trip that we launched a few months ago. Weโve got plenty more itineraries that will help people explore somewhere slower or at different time of year, such as seeing Iceland in the summertime or getting under the skin of Botswanaโs wilds.
Angelee Rathor
About Angelee Rathor, Founder of SevenTravel
Angelee is the founder and managing director of SevenTravel, a company she masterminded in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic with the support of her business partner Bal Sohal, the CEO of SevenCapital. Many people probably thought it was a crazy leap of faith, but Angelee saw an opportunity to create a new type of travel โ one thatโs more considered, sustainable and designed for the future. Her love for travel began from childhood, with many trips back to India but also discovering many parts of the UK. Since then, sheโs loved seeking out new and interesting destinations with culture and adventure at the forefront. Now, she loves seeing countries through the eyes of her two children and so far theyโve explored Singapore, Thailand, Langkawi, Mauritius, Oman and Greece (among many others), with many more memorable family holidays to come.
Angelee has worked with the travel industry for over twelve years thanks to her other business, SevenEvents. Set up in 2009 with a business marketing degree and following in the footsteps of her familyโs background in business, Angelee and her team havenโt looked back since. Theyโve crafted countless bespoke events for all kinds of industries, both here in the UK and overseas. Now, Angelee is using her forward-thinking mentality to help create once-in-a-lifetime experiences for SevenTravel clients.
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