One thing that has been evident since the launch of Pelorus is that parents with young children are more tentative in their approach towards experiential travel. For years, the default has been to book a villa holiday with less moving parts because it seems easier and less stressful. These days, however, we can provide the same level of childcare and create a stress-free environment in more exotic corners of the world, meaning parents can relax and enjoy the innovative experiences we design for them. In fact, we relish the chance to work on a brief involving young children as it opens up a new immersive dynamic.
I believe that the greatest gift we can give the next generation is the opportunity to experience the best of what our planet has to offer – with the worsening effects of climate change and the endangered species list growing fast, this has never been more relevant. There are few more rewarding aspects to my job than seeing a child discover a new environment and being truly blown away by it.
The design process remains the same when young children are involved, as we still cover off all eventualities in every planning meeting to ensure a meticulous level of detail goes into safety and logistics. In this planning meeting, we determine what the clients want their children to experience – once we know what the children like and dislike we can dive into the detail and build this into the itinerary. We also look into babysitters, tutors, or even playmates to join the family if required. Finally, we identify ways for even the youngest member of the family to get involved in all the activities; for example, we use glass-bottom boats to allow children to watch their siblings and parents diving so that they feel part of the moment.