That’s the million-dollar question. Without a crystal ball or psychic abilities, it’s hard to know for sure. “Industry experts” make predictions, but the truth is that nobody has experienced impacts to this scale in our industry.
We started this company in 2006 without a clear vision of where we’d end up. All we knew for sure was that we wanted to focus on nature and wildlife experiences with an emphasis on conservation and sustainability. Soon after our inception, buzzwords like “sustainable tourism”, “conservation-based tourism”, “community-based tourism” joined “ecotourism” in industry jargon. So did “green-washing” and most recently, “overtourism”.
We’ve always had to weigh the benefits of travel with its costs. There is no such thing as zero impact when it comes to travel, but we try to mitigate any negatives as much as possible.
By virtue of our commitment to sustainability and conservation, we don’t plan the types of trips expected to be most impacted by Covid-19 – business travel, large group trips (think mega cruise ships down to bus tours with 40-50 people), and high season travel when locations are booked solid and communities and resources are strained to meet demand.
Creating custom itineraries – for solo travelers, for families, and for groups of friends- has always been at our core. Our annual lineup of group trips comprises just a small portion of our business. In both cases, we take all sorts of planning and logistical aspects into consideration. Quality over quantity and safety are always top of mind.
Our business stopped dead in its tracks in mid-March. Up to that point, we were on pace to have the strongest year ever for Reefs to Rockies. The unexpected pause has allowed us time to complete projects and initiatives pushed to the bottom of the to-do list for far too long.
For one, we’re going to bring back several domestic carpool itineraries that were popular in the past.
We’re also ramping up our offerings in Mexico, in our opinion the most underrated wildlife destination on the planet.
We’ll continue to delve deeper into options available at our destinations that combine the best of boutique accommodations and private experiences.
All initiatives will continue to support local communities and conservation efforts.
And last, but certainly not least, Covid-19 won’t dampen our love for travel nor our insatiable wanderlust. Travel remains an absolute in our future. We hope you’ll join us.