Set to reshape how we think about family travel, Global CommUnity is a new company that delivers transformative travel experiences to connect families with cultures around the world and encourages parents to raise global citizens.
Helping families make every trip count, Global CommUnity has teamed with the best travel providers in over 25 destinations to create thoughtfully designed seven-night itineraries available in three versions (young children, teens and all-adults) and typically two price points (4-star and 5-star). The destinations span the globe, from Peru, Cambodia, South Africa, Galapagos, Australia, Europe and beyond. Taking into account the ages of all family members, the itineraries go far beyond sourcing family-friendly accommodations but rather put the focus on getting under the skin of a place by learning about its history, arts, science, industry and customs in new and engaging ways. Every trip incorporates a meaningful experience where the whole family can get involved in a local project or community effort, such as a half-day volunteering in the Andean mountains learning about farming techniques or contributing to an Indian charity that organizes walking tours led by kids who lived on the streets of Delhi. Education is also brought to life through unique tours, from participating in an extreme quest game in the cold war bunkers in Moscow to treasure hunts in Angkor Thom in Cambodia or unleashing your inner Robin Hood with a bow and arrow masterclass in the English countryside.
Born in response to the social and political climate we see today, travel experts and founds of the company, Christie Holmes and Keith Waldon along with Jena Gardner and Lorelei Calvert, quickly understood that there was a need to bring a company to the market that puts family travel planning first and aims to broaden a child’s understanding and appreciation of others. When it comes to creating memories and learning, the key years for children to travel are between the ages of 5 to 18 — a small but critical window where Global CommUnity can help parents create long-term travel goals to ensure they are making the most of these irreplaceable years with their children.
Co-founder Christie Holmes says of the new venture, “Global CommUnity’s firm belief is that family travel can change a child’s life and that travel provides the ultimate classroom. We want to teach kids from a pivotal young age that as much as we are different, no one is foreign. We all share similar values and must celebrate our differences while advocating for a brighter future”.
In the development of Global CommUnity it was also noted that families who take vacations, often don’t have the time to prepare for a once-in-a-lifetime trip. To ensure that family travelers are excited and prepped ahead of their adventure, Global CommUnity takes extreme care in curating its “pre & post trip” engagement materials about the destination, culture and wildlife — presented in fun, relatable tools. These include books, movies, music and recipes, so the cultural immersion begins before the start of the journey and continues long after. Children will receive a handcrafted doll made in Myanmar by refugee women, along with an illustrated storybook telling the tale of a similarly aged child from the country they’ll be traveling to. In addition, Global CommUnity has partnered with Whole Planet Foundation® – a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to empower the world’s poorest people in places where Whole Foods Market sources products. Together they have created destination-specific recipes where upon returning from a trip, the family will receive a cookbook filled with recipes from around the globe. With a mission to give back, 1% of the total of a Global CommUnity trip – sourced by Whole Planet Foundation – will go directly to support the Foundation’s projects.
As raising a global citizen takes planning, Global CommUnity encourages travelers to take advantage of the optional Life Travel Map which is a personal consultation for $500 per family (which goes towards your deposit for your first adventure) and takes the guesswork out of where and when to travel with the family at every stage. The goal is to create a long-term plan based on budget, destination goals to make the most of these irreplaceable years.
Each Global CommUnity itinerary features the following:
— 7 night stays with optional add-on days and experiences
— Luxury accommodations in both 4-star and 5-star properties
— A meaningful “community involvement” experience at each destination
— Itineraries designed with one of three core groups in mind: Families with children under 12, families with teenagers and adults-only travelers
To find out more about Global CommUnity visit www.nooneisforeign.com
ABOUT GLOBAL COMMUNITY:
Global CommUnity is an innovative travel company focused on helping families explore the world via carefully curated age-appropriate itineraries. Exclusively offering private family journeys, they’ve organized their itineraries into those for families with adult children, families with young children 12 and under and families with teenagers, all with extensive pre-trip destination engagement materials presented in a relatable manner. Global CommUnity offers long-term family travel planning for up to 15 years based upon an in-depth interview of the whole family. An interactive digital map is prepared for the family which outlines recommended destinations, dates and itineraries. Local, on-the-ground expertise allows families to experience the heart and soul of each destination, immersing their children into new cultures and enabling a deeper appreciation of others. Travelers with Global CommUnity will have an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the betterment or preservation of the destination and its inhabitants through the company’s unique tours, community involvement exercises and the charitable foundations the company is associated with.
Global CommUnity was founded by experts in the travel sector including; travel specialist and graphic designer Christie Holmes, CEO and founder of JG Worldwide Jena Gardner, founder of Departure Lounge Keith Waldon and Lorelei Calvert who is Global CommUnity’s COO and came from Texas Monthly and Andrew Harper Travel. Through their joint experiences of working with brands, travel clients and conscientious travelers over the years – particularly families – the concept of Global CommUnity was born.
