Recently updated on October 22nd, 2025 at 12:12 pm
We’ve been running the Trafalgar Unlocked Awards for three years now, and after receiving thousands of applications each year we certainly know a thing or two about what makes people tick when it comes to making the trip of a lifetime.
What have we noticed? Yes, people tell us about the views they saw, the food they tasted and the bucket list sights they finally ticked off. But there’s one thing that underpins each story: the people they met along the way, from roommates who became best friends, Travel Directors who helped connect guests with their heritage, and locals who welcomed curious travelers into their homes. Postcards fade, but memories are forever.
That’s why we put people at the heart of our trips, whether it’s our guests or our local hosts – and it’s something we’re shouting about when it comes to World Tourism Day.
The theme for World Tourism Day 2025 is “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation”, shining a spotlight on the positive change that tourism can bring – not just economic change, but social progress and new opportunities with sustainability, resilience and social equity at their core.
“At Trafalgar, our philosophy is very simple: travel should be effortless, enriching and meaningful,” says Lottie Norman, Global Chief Marketing Officer for Trafalgar. “We exist to show people the world in a way that goes far deeper than simply ticking places off a list. Touring with Trafalgar means opening doors you couldn’t on your own, guided by experts who bring each destination to life, and connecting with local communities in ways that leave both our travelers and our hosts richer for the exchange.”
“We’re equally passionate about ensuring that travel has a positive impact, what we call Make Travel Matter. Every itinerary is designed to not only delight our guests, but also to support the people, cultures and environments we visit.”
Discover behind the scenes of our Trafalgar Unlocked Awards as we discuss what these awards mean to the Trafalgar team, as well as why – and how – we continue to prioritize putting people at the heart of what we do.
The origin of the Trafalgar Unlocked Awards
“In 2022, the Trafalgar team were noticing more and more special moments from tour being shared on our social platforms and through our Travel Directors,” says Jamie Fisher, Head of Global Campaigns & Marketing for Trafalgar. “From wedding proposals to graduation trips to standing on the furthest flung peaks of the planet, we saw and we heard what our guests loved so much on their travels.
From this, the team got to work on an idea for an awards to recognise those stand-out memories and celebrate them. The idea spawned into a very special award winners’ trip and the Trafalgar Unlocked Awards was born. We wanted to celebrate real people and real travel moments.”
Iconic Trafalgar stories
“My favorite Trafalgar story – I think I give a different answer to this every time someone asks me, there are too many to choose! I would say one of my favorites from recent times is Stella’s story,” says Jamie.
“She shared a video with us from a ferris wheel on a trip to Japan. It was a milestone trip for her, traveling solo since her husband had sadly passed. In the video, you could see the beautiful backdrop behind her and, of course, Stella, looking fabulous but it was the way Stella spoke about the emotions she’d felt on her trip, how much it all meant to her and how lucky she felt to be in that moment, right there, on a trip she’d wanted to do for so long and loving each precious moment. That really spoke to me and still makes me feel such a personal connection to her story just writing about it now.”
“One story that will always stand out for me is a couple I met on our very first Trafalgar Unlocked winner’s trip, Craig and Graham, a young gay Australian couple,” says Lottie. “One of them had traveled widely, while the other had never left Australia, so it was incredible to see how guided travel gave them the confidence to explore the world together, especially in destinations where they’d been unsure how accepted they’d feel as an LGBTQ+ couple.”
“The experience was so significant that they immediately booked another Trafalgar trip and that’s where they got engaged. What made it even more special was how the entire group of travelers became part of their story, with everyone invited to their wedding. And then, while we were in Croatia, they made a spontaneous decision to get married there in a vineyard. One of the guests even got ordained online and conducted the ceremony. It was beautiful, emotional and completely unforgettable.”
“That day really brought to life what Trafalgar is all about. The people you meet on our trips don’t just become travel companions, they can become friends, family, even part of life’s biggest milestones. Craig and Graham are now people I call friends, and I think everyone on that trip would say the same.”
What we’ve learned from three years of TUA
“I’ve learned that, quoting Stella again, there is more that unites us than divides us. Trafalgar Unlocked has shown me travel stories of people from all walks of life and all corners of the globe – and I’ve been fortunate to meet many of them on the winners’ tours,” says Jamie.
“The thing that we all share in our stories is a child-like sense of curiosity and an inherent need to learn. We all have that and it never leaves us, it just expresses itself in different ways. If we’re not learning then we feel like we’re not growing. Everyone has a story to share from their journeys, and I think it’s important we hear those real stories in a world that’s increasingly artificial and automated. In sharing we learn.”
How we Make Travel Matter
“What’s so special about our Make Travel Matter Experiences is that often guests don’t realise what they are at first, they’re not the kind of thing you’d necessarily put on your travel bucket list. But time and time again, and we see this in our reviews, they become the most powerful memories of a trip,” say Lottie. “It’s the education, the connection, and sometimes even the shift in perspective that people talk about most when they get home.”
“For me, one of the standout examples was visiting a family-run olive farm in Italy that’s been regenerated after years of decline. Travelers get to meet the family, hear how they’ve revived the land in a sustainable way, and taste the oils they’ve poured so much love into. It’s simple, but it stays with people, they leave not just with a new flavour, but with a new appreciation for the role travel can play in protecting traditions and communities.”
Why does Trafalgar put people at the heart of its tours?
“That’s easy… it’s because people are the heartbeat of travel,” says Lottie. “The shared laughs, the unexpected bonds, the warm welcomes along the way, they’re the stories you bring home long after the photos fade. That’s why at Trafalgar we put people at the center, because it’s those connections and that sense of belonging that truly make travel matter.”
The ‘Tour Differently’ philosophy
“Tour Differently is the essence of what makes a Trafalgar trip so uniquely Trafalgar,” explains Jamie. “It’s the local connections, it’s the opportunity to contribute positively to the places you visit, it’s the diverse stories you’ll hear from people all over the world, it’s being able to rest your head and let someone else take care of the logistics and arrangements, and it’s the experiences that’ll unlock something within yourself, perhaps readjusting the limits of your comfort zone.”
Ready to Tour Differently with Trafalgar? Book your dream trip now.