As we close out November, we here at Discover Corps are reflecting, like many of you, on what we are grateful for. Despite the challenges this year has brought, we cannot help but express gratitude to everyone that brings our travel programs to life. From our guides to each and every one of our travelers, a tremendous amount of work, dedication and trust goes into making each and every one of these experiences.
Below are just a few of the many pieces that all link together to make a Discover Corps Vacation with Purpose:
Our Guides & In-Country Staff
The other side of the coin are our dedicated guides and staff (aka our family) that are scattered across nearly every continent and 30 different countries. Some of our guides, like Tara in Costa Rica & Mama Simba in Tanzania, have been with us for over a decade while some of the more recent members of the Discover Corps team, like Lincoln in Kenya and Manny & Sharon in Australia, are continually growing with us. Our staff is what brings the magic to the Discover Corps experience and without this we wouldn’t be who we are today.
Our DC HQ Staff
It’s been a tough year for the DC HQ team, but we are endlessly grateful for the passion and dedication that each person has brought to the team. While it’s easy to see the positives of working in an industry like this, there are also the difficult days – sending hundreds of people each year around the world is no easy task. We give our thanks to all of those that have worked and are still working to make Discover Corps a leader in the travel industry.
The Passionate Non-Profits we Visit
On nearly every one of our trips, we rely on at least one non-profit community changemaker to contribute to our shared experience. Whether it’s contributing to elephant well-being in Southern Thailand or visiting the children of Azul Wasi in the Peruvian Andes, these organizations bring their enthusiasm and commitment to making a difference to the program. Our hope is that by connecting our travelers with these organizations’ missions, we will help spread the word and provide support to these small grassroots organizations.
The Communities that Host Us
Last but not least we are grateful for each of the communities that host us around the world. Many of these communities do not receive tourists often, so it really is a partnership working together and ensuring that everyone is respected. The open arms and hearts that greet us each and every time we arrive to a place like Rau Village in Tanzania or the rural Teotitlan Valley of Oaxaca is what reassures us that we are doing good in the world with each of the programs that we run.
We are excited to get back out in the world and continue to support all of the amazing people that we work with, some for nearly a decade! In case you haven’t seen, we recently published our 2020/2021 Risk Management Manual (link). This living document will be our blueprint to approaching travel in the safest, most well-thought out manner possible in the coming months. Until then, we remain grateful for everyone that is part (or will soon be a part) of the Discover Corps family.