{"id":884600,"date":"2025-10-03T17:16:58","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T16:16:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/?p=884600"},"modified":"2025-10-22T12:12:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T11:12:14","slug":"people-not-postcards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/people-not-postcards\/","title":{"rendered":"Why we believe travel should be about people, not just postcards\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We\u2019ve been running the Trafalgar Unlocked Awards<\/a> 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.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why we put people at the heart of our trips, whether it’s our guests or our local hosts \u2013 and it\u2019s something we\u2019re shouting about when it comes to World Tourism Day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The theme for World Tourism Day 2025<\/a> is “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation”, shining a spotlight on the positive change that tourism can bring \u2013 not just economic change, but social progress and new opportunities with sustainability, resilience and social equity at their core. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n Related blog<\/span>\n \n

5 Ways We CRUSHED Our 5-Year Sustainability Goals<\/h2>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cAt Trafalgar, our philosophy is very simple: travel should be effortless, enriching and meaningful,\u201d says Lottie Norman, Global Chief Marketing Officer for Trafalgar. \u201cWe 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\u2019t 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.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We\u2019re equally passionate about ensuring that travel has a positive impact, what we call Make Travel Matter<\/a>. Every itinerary is designed to not only delight our guests, but also to support the people, cultures and environments we visit.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discover behind the scenes of our Trafalgar Unlocked Awards as we discuss what these awards mean to the Trafalgar team, as well as why \u2013 and how \u2013 we continue to prioritize putting people at the heart of what we do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"guests<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The origin of the Trafalgar Unlocked Awards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn 2022, the Trafalgar team were noticing more and more special moments from tour being shared on our social platforms and through our Travel Directors,\u201d says Jamie Fisher, Head of Global Campaigns & Marketing for Trafalgar. \u201cFrom 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.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jamie Fisher, Head of Global Campaigns & Marketing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Lottie Norman, Global Chief Marketing Officer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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\n Related blog<\/span>\n \n

“We got married at a surprise wedding on our Trafalgar tour”<\/h2>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iconic Trafalgar stories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy favorite Trafalgar story \u2013 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,\u201d says Jamie.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe 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.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"guests<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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“One story that will always stand out for me is a couple I met on our very first Trafalgar Unlocked winner\u2019s 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\u2019d been unsure how accepted they\u2019d feel as an LGBTQ+ couple.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The experience was so significant that they immediately booked another Trafalgar trip and that\u2019s 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.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“That day really brought to life what Trafalgar is all about. The people you meet on our trips don\u2019t just become travel companions, they can become friends, family, even part of life\u2019s biggest milestones. Craig and Graham are now people I call friends, and I think everyone on that trip would say the same.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What we’ve learned from three years of TUA<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’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 \u2013 and I’ve been fortunate to meet many of them on the winners’ tours,\u201d says Jamie.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe 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.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"cooking<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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How we Make Travel Matter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s so special about our Make Travel Matter Experiences is that often guests don\u2019t realise what they are at first, they\u2019re not the kind of thing you\u2019d 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,\u201d say Lottie. \u201cIt\u2019s the education, the connection, and sometimes even the shift in perspective that people talk about most when they get home.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor me, one of the standout examples was visiting a family-run olive farm in Italy that\u2019s been regenerated after years of decline. Travelers get to meet the family, hear how they\u2019ve revived the land in a sustainable way, and taste the oils they\u2019ve poured so much love into. It\u2019s 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.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"cheryl<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Why does Trafalgar put people at the heart of its tours? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat’s easy… it’s because people are the heartbeat of travel,\u201d says Lottie. \u201cThe shared laughs, the unexpected bonds, the warm welcomes along the way, they\u2019re the stories you bring home long after the photos fade. That\u2019s why at Trafalgar we put people at the center, because it\u2019s those connections and that sense of belonging that truly make travel matter.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The ‘Tour Differently\u2019 philosophy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTour Differently is the essence of what makes a Trafalgar trip so uniquely Trafalgar,\u201d explains Jamie. \u201cIt’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.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready to Tour Differently with Trafalgar? Book your dream trip now.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve 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, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":884606,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23020],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-884600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-touring-with-trafalgar"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy we believe travel should be about people, not just postcards\u00a0 - 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