Qwhen he had finished college, Carlotta Gando has developed a new concept of tourism dedicated to people under 30, which has been implemented Utravel, an Alpitour group company that offers 18 to 29 year olds experiences that have a positive impact on the region. A kind and conscious way of traveling, with true respect for people and the environment. To learn to see the world as a huge opportunity for growth
Born in 1992 and a mother since 2020, Carlotta Gando he is first and foremost a lover of travel. You can see it in his eyes when he talks about it Utravelcorporate startup of Alpitour Group with which he co-founded Gianluca Di Donato in 2019. A startup, from 2023 Benefit Companywhich offers travel experiences that have beneficial effects on local economies and communities. “I joined Alpitour in 2015 through a Graduation program: the project involved a Job Rotation route that would allow me to discover all aspects of the company passing through all the offices. After a year and a half I stopped in the revenue management department and together with my colleague Gianluca we developed the idea of ”Blind” – or surprise – packages dedicated to children. In practice we offer the opportunity for young people to take incredible trips at very low prices, optimizing the unsold assets of the Group”, explains Carlotta.
A model, that of “Blind” packages, which however did not exhaust Carlotta’s true ambition: “We knew from the beginning that this could not be the ultimate goal of Utravel and that it was just a good model to optimize revenue as as well as an excellent opportunity for the university goal. Our desire was to offer young people the opportunity to travel in a different way.”
This is how the project of creation was born a new formula called “Club”, able to create, all over the world, spaces of meeting and exchange where thousands of people under 30 can live in synergy with people, cultures and regions. The idea comes close to the pandemic and it is precisely at that moment that Utravel reaches its real growth. “The pandemic gave us the time and opportunity to think about where we wanted to go, both as a company and as people. We rethought ourselves and developed a travel formula that is still unique today, a hybrid between a group trip and an organized trip based on three pillars: Accommodationor a meeting place in the world, I’m connectingwhich expresses children’s need to connect with other people in a deep way and Exploreor rather the whole part connected to the experience,” continues Carlotta.
Starting from these pillars, Utravel began to choose the The gurus, i.e. the local community administrators who bring the children to immerse themselves in the local culture. “Our gurus are those who act as links between travelers and the local culture: they are locals, often very young, looking for experiences to offer to children through local suppliers. We also have our technologies, as well as our knowledge, to enable them to open their own business. We want to help local entrepreneurs provide our children with the most authentic experiences possible.”
An example of these experiences? “There are so many. In the Dominican Republic we offer an experience from a lady who has a farm inland, next to a river. Not everyone knows that in the Caribbean areas going to the beach is not so common and that the locals prefer to swim on the river. Utravel wants to make children discover the simple and non-trivial beauty of spending a Sunday in rural areas, collecting chicken eggs, cooking together freshly cut vegetables and taking a dip in the river, to finish with some celebration! We want to make people understand that in these places there is not just a fairy-tale sea, but much, much more.”
Game on March 13, 2022, today the Club formula is available in thirty destinations worldwide and has already traveled 6,000 children. In all destinations, Utravel works with foundations, partners and non-profit organizations to actively contribute to the socio-economic development of the region. A commitment that allowed Utravel to, starting in 2023, Benefit companies.
A concept of travel, then, that is real exchange and development, aiming to promote responsible, slow, ethical tourism among young people. “And you know what we discovered? Exactly what Gen Z youth want: travel experiences meant as self-exploration, perspective-shifting. Coming into contact with other cultures is one of the most authentic ways to grow as a person, in life and at work. This is the promise we make to every Utraveler,” Carlotta concludes.