Your Global Operations Department
Establishing a global operations department takes decades of hard work. Through Inbound, you have access to multiple destinations, hundreds of programs, and teams of staff that will function as an extension of your travel company. Whether you’re a start-up looking to build a brand, or a well-established brand seeking to streamline operations, Inbound can provide a solution that saves you time, effort and money without the risk.
A Local Lens
Local Talent
We develop teams of highly skilled individuals from diverse backgrounds—educators and salespeople, outdoor adventurers and accountants. Our staff’s diversity is its strength, and we take pride in recruiting and retaining awesome talent across our operations. Our program guides bring a mix of local and international experience—they know the places we visit, they speak the language, they understand how to ensure everything is working smoothly.
Local Economies
Our programs require a lot of different resources and materials—from cement and cinder blocks to snacks and finger paint. When purchasing program supplies, we buy from small, locally owned suppliers who live up to our high standards for quality, safety, and responsible business practices. That way, we keep money in the local economy and support small business owners who in turn contribute to the growth of communities where we work and travel. This can look like bulk ordering cleaning supplies from a rural women’s group, buying building supplies from a woman-owned hardware store, or visiting a small fruit stand for fresh fruit and smoothies instead of buying fruit from a supermarket.
Local Knowledge
We design programs based on what we know and what we like to do. Our suppliers and activity leaders are local experts in their areas, so our long standing relationships with them means that our travelers have unique and authentic experiences. We know the best waterfalls, the coolest hidden beaches, the most delicious food spots, and the most welcoming places full of people eager to share their stories with our travelers.
Health, Safety & Wellbeing
The wellbeing of our participants is at the core of everything we do. For this we rely on:
Our Experience and Local Knowledge
We are a team of experienced guides and educators from the countries and communities where we operate who are recruited, hired, and trained to manage impactful, safe, and culturally-relevant programming. This guarantees that the people developing, organizing, and implementing our trips have first-hand knowledge of the places where we host our travelers. We also staff experienced non-local guides who are deeply vetted and have hands-on experience in immersive travel, who train alongside our local team for well-rounded programming support. We know the best routes to take seasonally, which roads tend to wash out when it rains, where to eat the most delicious meals, where to turn for adventure, and which beaches and hikes will be best suited to which travelers.
Proven Partners
We are proud to work with partners who also make safety their top priority. We assure our safety standards through vigorous regular assessments of facilities, personnel, and safety equipment. We maintain close relationships with hotels and vendors by visiting locations often, negotiating regularly, and maintaining constant dialogue with our operators. Our community partners aren’t just business partners, they are part of our extended family – we work and play alongside them and watch our families grow together. We work together constantly to improve our operations in an ever-changing world, and have mutual goals to provide the highest standard of experience for travelers.
Proactive Planning, Mitigating Risk and Resolving Problems
We build comprehensive risk management and evacuation plans for every program and vendor, and review and update our contacts and protocols for each trip. We stay in touch with local, national, and international authorities in order to constantly assess the changing environment and carefully mitigate risks. We’re not afraid to change plans or itineraries if we foresee unnecessary risk. We trust local knowledge and keep an ear to the ground at all times. We want you to challenge yourself and your comfort zone, reassured that our team is looking out for you company, brand and clients.
Social Responsibility and Community Impact
Maintaining Community Partnerships
All of our local teams maintain deep, long term relationships with the communities where we travel and work. These partnerships are the bedrock of the high quality travel and education experiences that we offer because they allow students to connect authentically with people and places. Years of relationship building means we know who’s who, everywhere we go. Our community partners engage with travelers to create meaningful experiences, and we make sure that all of these interactions are done in the most respectful and responsible way possible.
Creating Positive Change
We collaborate with our partners – including community leaders, NGOs, and local government – to identify opportunities for development projects ranging in focus from education infrastructure to water access to environmental conservation. Their priorities are our priorities. Our travelers work alongside community members, investing their time, money, and effort into advancing these development plans. We make sure that travel, beyond being a way to enrich travelers’ lives and worldviews, is also a motor for positive change in the world.
Protecting Our Planet
We understand that the travel industry can have negative impacts on the environment, so we make it a point to reduce waste and consumption across our operations. We recycle wherever we can, cut down on single-use plastics on our programs, and use reusable bags on market visits. Many of our service projects focus on environmental conservation, such as protecting coral reefs and planting coastal trees. Earth is our shared home, and we recognise that each one of us has an important role to play in protecting the planet from the negative effects of climate change, pollution, and irresponsible production.