At El Camino Travel, we’re on a mission to shake things up in the travel industry and break a few molds while we’re at it. In everything that we do and every decision we make, we hold true to these ✨five guiding lights✨ that have made us who we are today.

Written by Emily Plug, Head of Content & Sales at El Camino Travel. Originally published January 31, 2023

1. We keep it local

By working directly with local entrepreneurs, creatives, and small businesses, we ensure that your tourism dollars go right back to the people who make the El Camino Travel experience what it is. We are proud to be able to contribute to a thriving, sustainable local economy in each of the destinations that we visit. 

On every El Camino trip that you go on, you will have a local host who is by your side for the entire experience. We work with locals because no one is better equipped to provide layer upon layer of context than someone who is actually from there. We work hard to find, vet, and select local hosts and activity leaders that are perfectly suited to our bold and curious travelers. We carefully chose individuals who will empower you to gain a new perspective on the destination while allowing you to see the world through their lens. 

2. We empower women 

It’s our mission to empower women to travel boldly and off the beaten path so that they can feel confident without having to sacrifice the quality of their experience because of their gender. While our trips are for everyone, prioritizing the unique needs of women will always be at the forefront of what we do. It is our goal to embolden more women to experience new cultures in places that would otherwise be difficult to access on their own.

El Camino Travel is a female-founded, female-led, and majority-female team. In an industry that is primarily led by men, you can count on us to always put women first. We prioritize hiring women as our local hosts and activity leaders in the destinations we visit. It’s vital for us to give our travelers the opportunity to connect with female artists, tastemakers, entrepreneurs, and creatives while traveling, adding depth to their culturally immersive experiences.

3. We stay curious 

We love asking all the questions. We don’t believe in doing anything at a surface level and we know that one of the best ways to learn and grow is by remaining open to new perspectives and experiences. Our innate curiosity is what allows us to better understand cultures and traditions that may be newer to us. By thoughtfully asking all the questions, we’re able to achieve personal growth by gaining a deeper understanding of everything around us.

Our trips are perfect for curious travelers who want to dive deep into the local culture. Our curious travelers want to understand every nuance and every tidbit of cultural and historical context so that they can relate to those around them on a deeper level. 

4. We go off the beaten path

We specialize in going off the beaten path to uncover hidden gems in places that would be difficult to access on your own. More importantly, we want to give you a unique and dynamic experience that will allow you to dive deep into the local culture. We want you to walk away from every ECT experience feeling like you have learned and grown—returning home as a better version of your already incredible self. 

5. We value transparency 

We love bringing you behind the scenes and giving you a look behind the curtain. Our valued travelers and our trusted partners are on the ground are at the center of every decision we make. We tailor our trips to the ever-evolving wants of our travelers, and there’s no better way to understand this than by getting to know you and bringing you into the process. 

We’re able to offer such unique experiences on our trips by maintaining great relationships with our partners and vendors on the ground, some of whom we’ve been working with since day 1 of El Camino. We ensure that our trips are mutually beneficial for our travelers and our partners in order to maintain a responsible, sustainable approach while examining our impact on the destinations and cultures that we interact with. 

Ready to take the next step? We’d love have the chance to get to know you better. Get started by exploring our small group trips or joining us in our private travel community.