Cast your mind back to 1990, can you remember where you were?
Journeysmiths founders John Burdett and Warwick Hoffman remember, because in a small office in Northampton a travel company was born. As Africa Exclusive, we sent our first clients on safari to Zimbabwe in May 1990.
By 2000, clients who had enjoyed incredible African safaris were asking if we could create wildlife focussed itineraries to other parts of the world, and the journey beyond Africa began. As Africa Exclusive, the team ventured to Latin America, from there to India, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Next, the awesome vistas of the Polar regions, and into Australasia and parts of our home continent Europe.
We discovered that beyond our beloved continent, the world is full of extraordinary wildlife, fascinating cultures and spectacular wild places. Africa led the way in conservation focussed tourism, but other parts of the world followed suit. Today, we are just as excited to create an itinerary for you to see tigers in India, penguins in South Georgia or jaguar in the Pantanal as we are to design an epic safari in Africa.
To recognise this diversification, the team at Africa Exclusive developed Journeysmiths, a sister brand, under which we would craft unforgettable journeys to places outside Africa. As a Journeysmiths client, you may not be aware of its sister brand, Africa Exclusive, but 2023 will mark an important point in Africa Exclusive’s journey.
While our love of Africa continues to burn strongly, other parts of the world are becoming an ever greater part of the Africa Exclusive & Journeysmiths story and we feel that the time is right to formally acknowledge this as we look to the future.
In 2023, Africa Exclusive will become Journeysmiths.
In the coming months, we will look back over the last 33 years. As clients of Journeysmiths, we are excited to showcase our Africa Exclusive history and get you better acquainted with our wonderful team.
Laura Burdett-Munns
Managing Director
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