HERE'S WHY RE:DISCOVER IS THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL

Welcome to re:discover! A new travel concept development by KILROY Travel Lab: A place where we try to predict future travel trends based on current tendencies, our own extensive travel experience, and stone-cold data. 

In this blog section, you can expect content meant to inspire you in a range of different ways. We’ve built re:discover based on three travel trends that have turned into the overarching principles of the journeys you can go on: Sustainability, community, and skill building. 

SUSTAINABILITY

Our research and experience show that there will be a higher demand for sustainable travel options in the future. Sustainability in travel is a complex matter that in many ways is an oxymoron. There is no black or white when it comes to traveling sustainably, but there are still things to be done to be more responsible – both as a traveler and as a travel provider. 

We have built re:discover with a passion for a more sustainable approach that includes choosing local partners, going slow and off the beaten track, traveling in small groups, and having a positive impact on you. Each trip will have one, more, or all of these elements. 

GOING LOCAL

If you’re seeking something authentic and real, then going local is what you’re looking for! However, those true local experiences can be difficult to find if you’re not an experienced traveler – and some people might even associate it with greater risks of having a really bad experience compared with something more established and ‘mainstream’. 

With re:discover, we’ve carefully chosen local partners that have a passion for their destination and the skills they teach. Most of the time, they’re born and raised in the area you’re visiting and can tell you local stories and anecdotes. 

TRAVEL SLOW

By slowing down, you get to take more in and connect with the local community and surroundings in a completely different way than when you race through a destination. Fast tourism is frowned upon in many travel communities because there’s a preconception that you don’t really get under the skin of a place if you don’t have time to appreciate it. Some even argue that you haven’t really been to a place unless you slow down and actually connect with the place and the people calling it home. 

On each re:discover journey, you have intentional time set aside to do you. This could be exploring the area on your own, hanging out with your travel crew on your own time, recharging your batteries, doodling, journaling, walking, resting, etc. Some might even catch up on emails or social media, but we don’t recommend it. 

There are many benefits of slow travel including the impact on the destination, the immersion level of your experience, and it’s more budget-friendly, to mention a few. If you’re interested, we’ll do another post diving a bit deeper into the topic. 

GO OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

Most people with a minimum of travel experience can find their way to the most popular destinations. Unfortunately, popularity can also lead to over-tourism, which is not only bad for the local community, but it’s also bad for your experience if you’re seeking something more genuine. Sure, sometimes you just want to see where Game of Thrones was shot, or resemble the picture taken by your favorite Instagrammer – we all have bucket lists. We’re confident you can do that on your own as those places often have solid tourist infrastructures. 

What you get with us are places that are either slightly or completely out of the epicenter of mass tourism. Often you can reach some of those places before, during, or after your re:discover journey, but it won’t be where you have your base. 

TRAVEL IN SMALL GROUPS

Last but not least, you limit the negative impact of your stay if you go in small groups. That’s why there’s a maximum number of participants on each of the re:discover journeys. This way, a place is not overwhelmed by too many people at one time, and you can enjoy real encounters with the place and the people calling it home. This gives nature a chance to rebuild and the local community a chance to stay local while benefitting from your visit. 

COMMUNITY OF LIKEMINDED TRAVELERS

Small groups also affect the atmosphere and community feeling of the group you’re traveling with. Because you will share an interest with your co-travelers, we believe you will have at least that in common – most likely a lot more!

These trips have been designed to fit people in their late 20s to early 30s (either in body or mind). We’ve found that it’s in the moments you might feel a bit disconnected from your old friends if they’re starting to have other priorities than before. Maybe they’re focusing on their careers more than you, maybe they’re starting families or want to settle down in other ways, while you’re still hungry to explore and learn more about yourself and about life! 

This is your opportunity to meet other people with a curiosity about a certain topic such as surfing, nature, hiking, free-diving, and so on. It is also your chance to grow your network of other nationalities and make friends that you can explore your new skills with even further – maybe in a new place?

TRANSFERRABLE SKILLS FOR LIFE

Last, but not least, each trip is built around a theme, and in that theme, skills that stay with you for life. The skills are just part of the theme. One example is re:connect, where the skills are all about surviving in nature, learning how to climb rocks in a range of different ways and how to hike like a pro. These are skills that you might not need in your 9-5 when you first think of it but consider the overarching theme of connecting with nature, and the simple skills you learn on this journey start to become transferable. 

You can learn a lot from nature. Not only about the natural world, but about most of what we do on an everyday basis – whether that is taking care of people, working with computer systems, or in construction and everything in between. When you think about it, everything has been inspired by nature in one way or another. By reconnecting with nature, you’ll discover new ways of solving problems, you might even rediscover your own abilities and see yourself in a whole new light.

All of our themes have deep considerations like the example above. Re:balance is so much more than a surf trip, and re:breathe can help you on a much deeper level (pun intended) than learning how to free dive. 

Now go check out your next trips on the journey page!