Travel Talk
Responsible Travel with EF Go Ahead Tours
The details
January 25, 2021
1-2 p.m. ET
Live, on Zoom
What you’ll learn
At EF Go Ahead Tours, we believe that travel should help make the world better. Travel is a powerful way to foster understanding of and respect for the people, cultures, and places of the world. Ultimately, travel can change the way we think, feel, and act, and therefore has the power to affect tremendous change throughout the globe.
Join Lael Kassis, VP of Market Innovation & Development, Amy Van Aarle, Executive Vice President and Tom Benoit, Senior Market Development & Responsible Travel Specialist to learn more about our EF Go Ahead Tours Responsible Travel initiatives with a special focus on three specific commitments: to support local communities, promote animal welfare, and protect the environment. Each commitment helps us work toward a more sustainable world and fulfill our mission of opening the world through education. Plus, hear all about our new Hello Zero project, our vision and commitment to voluntarily offset all of our global carbon emissions.
Your hosts
On the pulse of the world’s up-and-coming destinations, Lael and his team create each itinerary by keeping travel trends top-of-mind and collaborating with our Operations Team to handpick the best hotels, restaurants, and Tour Directors. Lael has been with Go Ahead Tours for over 14 years and has traveled to more than 75 countries. His latest adventure? A trip to Japan that included a hike through the ancient trails of Kumano Kodo.
Tom brings the skills of his previous career at environmental nonprofits and social services to his current role - he oversees the advancement of our responsible travel commitments, follows the latest travel trends, and designs innovative customized tours. Tom firmly believes in travel’s potential for positive global impact, and works to develop experiences that proactively support and protect communities, animals, and the environment. A traveler to nearly 30 countries, Tom lived in the Republic of Georgia and is most passionate about under-traveled destinations in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. When not at work, you’ll find him in his woodshop or outdoors in New England with his wife Elana and dog Brisket.
Amy is an Executive Vice President at EF but prefers the title business poet. She leads brand, communications, and marketing, and is responsible for understanding the good EF does. She helps teams express that impact in a way that is true to EF’s culture – and like a poet, uses her voice to remind EF who we are and what we stand for. So, it’s no surprise that she is also responsible for EF’s central CSR and sustainability initiatives. Amy’s EF career spans 10 years, and along the way, she has worked with teams in Boston, London, and beyond to craft brand stories that reflect EF’s impact.