There is a generation for whom travelling is an absolute priority, even more so than buying a car or a house: it is Gen-Z or Post Millennial, which in Italy counts around 9 million people born between 1995 and 2012, hungry for adventure but also eager to immerse themselves in authentic experiences where they can establish deep relationships, in full respect of their surroundings.

The heart of Utravel, the Alpitour Group's corporate travel startup dedicated to young people under 30, beats precisely in that direction: to offer an alternative travel proposal, capable of making those who travel grow in synergy with local communities.

The commitment to generate a positive impact on people and destinations was materialised and formalised this very year in the company's articles of association, when it went from being a travel startup to becoming a Benefit Company. A path perfectly in line with the principles that represent it:

• authenticity, which is realised in the proposal of real adventures in synergy with the people and territories visited;
• opportunities to travel at affordable prices;
• discovery, of oneself and of others, through meeting new cultures, people and places;
• respect for the environment and host communities;
• sharing the experience with new friends;
• freedom to choose how to experience the adventure, without necessarily feeling tied to a group.

Respect for Utravel's mission and core values is also reflected in the community of Utravelers in fact, more than 90% believe that there is consistency between what is proposed and the experience offered.

Experience, authenticity, awareness: Utravel's response to the needs of young travellers

Born 4 years ago from the intuition of two young Alpitour employees, Gianluca di Donato and Carlotta Gaddo, today Utravel is a real reference brand for travellers under 30, whose objective is to propose a new travel format, transforming the holiday into an adventure made up of encounters and personal growth in which young people live in synergy with the people, cultures and territories that welcome them.

Gianluca Di Donato, CEO of Utravel, said: "We turn to the future generations because the extraordinary world we all inhabit will be theirs and must be lived and explored with responsibility. We believe in a generation of passionate explorers and we are convinced that departure is synonymous with adventure, encounters, sharing, dialogue and, therefore, growth. An awareness that over the years has taken shape in a community of thousands of young travellers ready to discover the world and themselves, one unforgettable journey at a time".

With more than 30 destinations, Utravel has accompanied more than 15,000 young people around the world and created a passionate community made up of travellers, content creators, videomakers, photographers and Gurus, the reference figures for Utravelers before, during and after the trip.

What it means to be a Benefit Company: vision and values of the Utravel travel brand

Utravel's path as a Benefit Company in its commitment to have a positive effect on the environment and on people is developed along two lines.

The first concerns the destinations in which it operates: to encourage the economic development and social growth of communities through collaborations with non-profit organisations, local partners and in general with entities that amplify the effectiveness of Utravel's actions. Concrete examples of this commitment are: the launch in the coming months of an application that will give visibility to local partners and the organisation of local initiatives and experiences with a positive impact such as plastic and waste collection. In addition, after the positive experience in Kenya with the local Guru that allows people to experience the destination as if they were born and raised there, Utravel now aims to expand its network of local Gurus in all destinations.

The second objective, on the other hand, refers to the desire to encourage the personal and professional growth of new generations and young travellers through the creation of opportunities for meeting and comparing cultures. This commitment is also espoused within the company itself, with the promotion of a corporate culture aimed at inclusion and the enhancement of diversity, with the focus on work flexibility (it is possible for employees to do smart working all over the world with just a few weeks a year in Turin, Utravel's headquarters, to keep the team cohesive) and the creation of stable work paths in tourism.

"We do not pursue the sole purpose of profit, but purposes of common benefit. We want to create a tourism capable of making those who travel with us and the communities that welcome us grow,' says Martina Antoniotti, Head of Marketing and Communications Utravel.

A new model of tourism that favours local activities: the "Club" offer

At a time in history when it is the experiential baggage that really counts, Utravel wanted to transfer the same paradigm to travel: the focus is not so much where but how. This translates into a new model of circular tourism, in which the traveller is not just a tourist, but has the opportunity to discover himself by exploring the world through authentic and conscious adventures, in full respect of the places that host him.

With this in mind, the experiences proposed allow Utravelers to experience travel in an immersive way, as true locals. To name but a few: learning the Swahili language in a school in Zanzibar with the help of a local teacher; visiting markets, villages and shops in Kenya on board a tuk tuk together with a Kenyan guide; experiencing village life among colourful houses, alleys and small shops or spending a day in the countryside in the company of an authentic local family, immersed in the unspoilt nature of the Dominican Republic.

Among the solutions offered by Utravel, the one that best reflects this tourism model is the Club: a hotel is chosen as the starting point for all the activities to be experienced during the holiday, but each traveller can freely choose the experiences he or she wishes to have, always counting on the support of the Guru, who provides suggestions and advice to experience the destination in the most authentic way.

A glimpse into the future

Utravel has many plans for the future: in the course of 2023, in addition to the already more than 30 current destinations around the world, there will be new destinations in South-East Asia and South America. The research work is relentless, to bring more and more young people to discover the world, while at the same time trying to make a difference not only for the new generations who travel, but also for those who welcome travellers to their final destination.

To facilitate the digital experience of travellers, the Utravel app will be launchedin the coming months, which will make it possible to have all the activities to be experienced with the local partner and/or those that have a positive impact, social or related to the enhancement of the territory, on the destination, just a click away. This information will then be supplemented with further in-depth information on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of reference. Finally, in order to make travel more and more real and original, Utravel is working to expand the network of Local Gurus in the various destinations around the world.

(Source: Utravel press release)