It’s easy for us to say we love to travel, but it’s a whole other ball game to actually do it. So often, the pinnacle of one’s travel experience is a commute on the subway or what they see through their computer screen. That’s why in 2019 we’re celebrating Travel Industry Companies that encourage their employees to do what they spend so much time talking about: Travel.
We sat down with a few of our clients to ask them how they make travel accessible for their employees, and why travel experiences are mutually beneficial to employers and employees. Read more below for their insight, and start thinking about how you’ll be using your PTO days this year!
Domio – Apartment-Style Hotel Brand in the United States
Quoted: Jay Roberts, CEO & Founder
How do you make travel accessible for the employees?
“Domio’s mission is to connect the world through travel. We encourage employees to explore the world. Our company offers a 25% discount to our employees at Domio properties. We also make travel easier by offering unlimited vacation and a flexible work from home policy.”
Why is travel experience mutually beneficial to employers and employees?
“One of our values is to enjoy the journey of building a start-up. Domio encourages employees to make time for traveling. Employees are able to refresh, recharge, and return to work with a different perspective. When we emphasize the importance of making personal interactions with the world, it inspires our employees to take what they have seen & learn during their adventures and contribute that to the Domio customer experience.”
Check out the travel wallpaper in Domio HQ above that highlights the delightful destinations their employees have traveled to.
Flytographer – Global Network of Professional Photographers
Quoted: Nicole Smith, CEO & Founder
How do you make travel accessible for the employees?
“At Flytographer, employees are encouraged to travel and last year some team members have combined traveling with working remotely for months in places like Cartagena, Rome, Edinburgh, Bali and Chiang Mai. This year we will have team members working out of Paris, Barcelona, Split, Singapore and Seoul. Flytographer’s photographers are invited to attend a global meetup every year in one of Flytographer’s destinations, where it’s a whirlwind of photo walks, workshops, team dinners, an art gallery featuring their photography, cocktail parties, and local sightseeing. This year our 5th Global meetup will be in Santorini in September.”
Why is travel experience mutually beneficial to employers and employees?
“Traveling gets us closer to our community of photographers and it helps us understand what their needs are. By allowing our employees to work remotely, it allows us to have 24/7 global coverage concierge service across time zones. And of course, travel rejuvenates us creatively. As a global company the more diverse experiences and well-traveled our team is, the better we can serve our customers.”
Hawkins International Public Relations – Bi-Coastal Travel and Wellness PR firm in New York and Los Angeles
Quoted: Jennifer Hawkins, CEO & Founder
How do you make travel accessible for the employees?
“At Hawkins International, publicists are encouraged to explore their wanderlust beyond the screen and tap into their opportunities to see the world. With a client roster spanning the globe, employees are familiarized with cultures and destinations far from the agency headquarters in New York City. Hawkins International sponsors travel insurance for full-time employees and offers a competitive PTO package to allow for personal vacations to exotic locations. When new clients are brought to the agency, teams set out on immersion trips to acquaint themselves with the landscape and better understand who they work with. The opportunities to travel at Hawkins International are endless.”
Why is travel experience mutually beneficial to employers and employees?
“Aside from a passion for travel, the greatest asset a publicist for hotels or spas can have is the experience of travel. It establishes a degree of credibility and allows for them to advocate for their clients with a personalized experience. The publicist is given the chance to craft their talent with an invaluable understanding of the field and the company fosters a community of advanced individuals who can optimally service their clients.”
Inspirato – leading luxury hospitality company that creates extraordinary vacations through its private destination club and hospitality partners
Quoted: Brent Handler, CEO & Founder
How do you make travel accessible for the employees?
“Several years ago, we made a decision to move to an unlimited paid vacation policy for our staff, inclusive of complimentary travel within our portfolio of accommodations.”
Why is travel experience mutually beneficial to employers and employees?
“At Inspirato, we firmly believe that we get the most productivity from our employees being the happiest which includes ample time away from work with family and friends. While we obviously have an advantage because of our industry, many other companies are starting to recognize the value of combining paid vacation time with a policy that encourages and pays for employees and their families to spend time together experiencing the world.”
EDSA – planning, landscape architecture, and urban design firm based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and offices in Orlando, Baltimore, New York, and Shanghai.
Quoted: Derek Gagne, Associate Principal
How do you make travel accessible for the employees?
“All EDSA employees, with the exception of shareholders, are eligible to apply to the firm’s Joseph J. Lalli Design Fellowship. Each year, in celebration of former EDSA President Joseph J. Lalli’s legacy, a man who traveled the globe for more than four decades as a practicing landscape architect with an eye for design, EDSA employees are invited to apply to the fellowship that awards one select winner with a travel grant. Following the jury selection process (with a jury of design professional from outside EDSA such as: fellow consultants or clients) the winner, who presents the most compelling proposal to travel and immerse themselves in a location or culture to better understand the attributes of that place will win a grant for a ten-day paid leave with $5,000 worth of expenses. The trip is to be used for travel that allows the employee to explore and appreciate the values of design based on attributes of place, sustainability, and design. Following the trip the recipient is to share lessons learned with colleagues through journaling, photography, sketching, and case study analysis.”
Why is travel experience mutually beneficial to employers and employees?
“The cultural influence of a place is what drives the design narrative – it needs to be present in every project in order to set the tone, style, and scale of a heightened, memorable experience.”