the Executives · A Dialogue with Majid
Andre Kiwitz: Building Ventura Travel – 23 Years of Redefining Sustainable Tourism in South America
With Andre Kiwitz
About this episode
In this episode of the Executives, Majid welcomes Andre Kiwitz, founder of Ventura Travel and pioneer of sustainable tourism in South America. The discussion traces Andre’s remarkable journey from a German student with a passion for South America to building one of the continent’s leading responsible travel companies.
Andre shares insights into the philosophy behind small-group, authentic travel experiences and why mass tourism through cruise ships and large resorts fails to deliver meaningful cultural connections. He discusses how Ventura became the #1 tour operator for group trips in South America within just 2-3 years, and the decision to move from Germany to Peru to build the company from the ground up with a local team.
The conversation highlights the VSocial foundation’s impact in building schools and supporting communities in Peru, and explores how Trip.me revolutionizes travel by connecting tourists with local guides. Andre reflects on managing 450+ employees across multiple countries, handling the challenges of sustainable business practices, and the magical moments when travelers meet on Ventura trips and later send wedding photos.
With plans to expand into the UK market, launch three new brands in the coming quarters, and pursue an IPO within two years, Andre discusses his vision for making responsible travel accessible to more people while ensuring the team members who built the company’s success benefit from its growth. The episode offers valuable lessons on crisis management, building mission-driven businesses, and scaling with purpose.
Episode chapters
- 01:25 Introduction to Andre Kiwitz and Ventura Travel
- 09:24 25 years of Ventura Travels - Going back to the roots
- 11:10 WiFi vs Luggage - What if Andre lost one of these for a week?
- 13:24 How is Ventura Travel structured?
- 16:50 Difference between Fancy Travel Boards and Community-Based Tourism
- 22:01 Maintaining the quality of the trips across multiple brands
- 39:00 Buying assets of a business
- 42:11 Different kinds of business sellers
- 43:30 What is trip.me (now called Travel Local)
- 50:43 The Reality of a company going Public
- 53:40 How is Ventura Trave using AI
- 56:26 Market Size of Community-Based Tourism (Estimated to reach 2 Trillion by 2032)
- 59:34 Team is an asset to build an organization
- 01:02:09 Is Sustainability real or just marketing and greenwashing?
- 01:07:28 Most Impactful Story of Ventura Travel
- 01:08:47 Big Plans for Ventura Travel for the next years
- 01:10:17 Closing Remarks
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