The luxury travel business has started to wake up after a long Covid-induced slumber. Not everything is up to pre-pandemic speed, but, and this may surprise you, adventure and what we call “experience” travel have surged. It seems many people not only want to get out of the house, but want to have a vacation that’s luxurious and meaningful at the same time. Voluntourism, as it’s called, has become a thing.
In the past volunteering and luxury vacations haven’t exactly gone hand in hand. Volunteering meant living in basic accommodations without amenities, while luxury trips were just that, trips where everything was tailored to the demands of the most exacting traveler. This is no longer the case. Just as trips to harsh environments, Patagonia for example, can be taken with the expectation of being pampered, trips to poorer places, which often contain fantastic destinations, can promise luxurious surroundings while also giving guests the opportunity to give back. A case in point is EnviTours, and its owner, Sam Jordan.
Sam is one of those entrepreneurs who’s difficult to pin down. He spent several years in the hospitality business in Spain, returned to the States to work at the high end Los Angeles restaurant, Olivetta, is about to debut a cabernet sauvignon from Red Bear, a Jordan family vineyard that formerly sold grapes to other winemakers, and participates in a Newsweek roundtable where he and others comment on the relevant issues of the day.
Finally, in keeping with his desire to “ align…my work…with my actual interests,” Sam is the founder and President of EnviTours, whose “core theory,” as he notes, “is that volunteering and giving back do not have to be seen as a chore but is in fact sexy, exciting, and rewarding. To this end, EnviTours offers “curated, luxury group tours to those seeking unique travel experiences,” combining gourmet food and five star accommodations with, among others, a children’s project in Bali, and beach clean-up in Curacao. While many of EnviTours customers are Angelenos, the company now has customers from as far away as Europe, where its reputation for providing high end, safe, and luxurious travel precedes it.
Given its emphasis on ethical tourism, it might seem paradoxical that EnviTours also serves the fashion needs of its diverse clientele, itsEnviTours Store featuring clothing lines “focused on sustainable, high quality products that blend the lines between functionality and fashion.” We however think this is another example of Sam’s overriding philosophy, which is that the needs of one group shouldn’t trump or pre-empt those of another. Hence the EnviTours Store exists side by side with EnviCommunity, which partners, in the United States,” with non-profit organizations which provide aid to our most vulnerable communities.” (all quotes from interview and Envitours website). There’s room in Sam’s world for people who want to dress well and do good at the same time.
While initially, EnviTours drew clients mainly from the L.A. area, recently its outreach has expanded to other American cities and states, and to Europe as well. Now that the pandemic has receded, there’s no geographical restriction on people who want to visit exotic destinations, enjoy the best of what these places have to offer, yet use their own talents and energy to improve the lives of those people who live there. EnviTours, through the stewardship of Sam Jordan, has shown that it’s capable of providing the vacation and the experiences these people desire.
To learn more about Sam Jordan and EnviTours, visit https://www.envitours.com/.
Article by Nevin Schreiner
