Mike Parker, General Manager of Atlas Obscura Trips, shares his thoughts about a return to travel in 2021.

Even in this time of social isolation, our sense of community remains strong. In New York, it reaches a daily crescendo at 7 p.m., when neighbors step onto their stoops and fire escapes to cheer for the health workers caring for patients amid the pandemic. 

This daily gesture of gratitude is powerful, but we know that gestures can’t replace actions. At Atlas Obscura, our focus on community has always gone hand-in-hand with a sense of responsibility. Travel, after all, is nothing without human connection, and that connection is only meaningful if it has a lasting impact. We travel, we connect, and, if we do it right, the journey doesn’t stop there. The effect reverberates—in the places we’ve been, in the lives of those we’ve met, in our own lives and communities. 

At the beginning of the year, we committed to maximizing the positive impact of our trips; we design our journeys to support the livelihoods, passions, and traditions of the trip leaders, small businesses, and local collaborators who make our adventures possible. By traveling, you help them champion and protect the places they love.

Our commitment is more critical now than ever, and it’s taken on a new dimension. If we’re going to keep traveling—and we are—then we owe it to you, and the people and places we visit, to do it right. We’re implementing expansive new health and safety measures so we can uphold our commitment to operating responsibly while continuing to create incredible experiences for our travelers.  

This period of relative stillness has renewed our sense of how precious travel is to us and how valuable it can be to the people who count on us to visit. Your next trip has the potential to take on more meaning than ever. Let’s make it matter.