foreign tour agency

Fly. Tour. Serve.

Planning trips that change lives.

FTI is a full-service travel agency. We believe people should explore the world around them, interact with other cultures & lend a hand when one's needed. With all of the travel procurement options available today, what sets FTI apart?

Caring Approach

Your dedicated travel advisor will partner with you to plan your next group or individual trip. Whatever you need, we're here to help!

Custom Services

Your trip is tailored to your unique needs & budget - flights, tours, hotels, ground transportation, insurance, or all of the above.

Convenient Tools

Your trip-planning process should be as stress-free as possible, so we provide free, online tools to make your job easier.

Our Services

What do you need to make your trip plans a reality?

Flight options for your next student, humanitarian, missions, or group trip. Ask about discounts for volunteer trips.

Custom educational, faith-based & sightseeing group tours, including unique hands-on & cultural components.

Vacation packages that offer unique experiences & quality service while giving back to the local community.

Custom international service projects complement your group's skills or academic focus.

Other Services

Assistance with travel logistics, such as: cruises, hotels/hostels, transportation, travel insurance, etc.

Our Customer Journey

At FTI, we take the customer experience very seriously. Our goal is to create a partnership so we can support you to the best of our ability throughout the trip-planning process. We hope this relationship will build over time as we continue to improve our understanding of your travel needs and refine our service offering to meet them.

This is how the process works.

Join Our Email List!

Fellowship Travel International

Connect with Us

Privacy Policy

Get a Quote

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

We use cookies to improve your website experience and provide more personalized services to you, both on this website and through other media. By continuing to use this website, you agree to our use of cookies as explained in our Cookie Policy . Please read our Cookie Policy for more information on how we use cookies and how you can disable them.

New User? Register

• Manage bookings
• Cancellation
• On Behalf Booking

We're unable to sign you in because the password entered incorrect.

Your request for OTP will be sent to registered email id and mobile number, if not registered please do the same.

You exceed the OTP limit. Please try again after some time

Don't have an account?

• Contains between 8-12 alphanumeric characters.
• Can add special character but not mandatory(Only !, @, #,$,%,^,&,* to be used).
• Does not contain White spaces

I would like to be kept informed of special Promotions and offers. I hereby accept the Privacy Policy and authorize Thomascook to contact me.

Already have an account?

• Your existing Google or Facebook Id will be a Thomascook ID
• No need to remember different Ids & Passwords
• One Click login

Fill in the email Address that you used to register or book with Thomascook.

We will reset and send your new password.

Please enter the valid email address

Thomascook Staff / Preferred Agents / corporate's, please enter your Login-id only. E.g. Tcil_aalok / Jaft_prakash / Rc_mumbai

Your request for new password has been accepted.

The new password would be emailed to the registered email address, if not registered please do the same

I want to Holiday in...

Sorry,the fields marked in red need your attention, please fix them to continue.

World Tour Packages

We have an excellent reputation when it comes to delivering our promise of planning a great holiday at an economical rate. A lot of our customers vouch for our international tour packages as they have had the best experiences of their life without any hassle and stress of planning a holiday. All they need to do is book their international holiday packages with us and pack their bags. We have a plethora of world tour packages to choose from, and our hottest selling destinations include pristine Mauritius, clean and green Singapore, buzzing Thailand and exotic Bali. A lot of Indian travelers love to book their first international holiday package to these destinations, as they offer them something more than meets the eye within their budget.

While India is home to a lot of beautiful destinations, it is always interesting to know what lies beyond. The world is blessed with beautiful places and sights, which will have you gasping in disbelief as you fawn over their natural beauty. So, whether you’re looking for a romantic escapade or family vacation or an adventure tour, we will never fail to amaze you with our exclusive tailor-made packages. Your budget, luxury and business trips abroad are sorted with us, as we are well-known in the travel industry for providing our customers with the best service and exceeding expectations.

A holiday in a completely foreign land is enough to make memories that are everlasting and cherishing. Everyone wishes to explore the world around them; marvel at its beauty, appreciate its architecture and art, experience different cultures, make new friends, and learn about their culture. For those who want to experience International Travel, the world is at their feet. And to satiate the curiosity, we at Thomas Cook, have got some spectacular international holiday packages. From affordable international tour packages to Maldives and Thailand to the very famous Dubai Shopping Festival , luxury cruise packages and oh-so-romantic Europe holiday packages, we have got it all for you.

With a world full of fascinating destinations, choosing the perfect place for vacation can be a little challenging. But Thomas Cook takes care of all your niggling travel worries. We offer an extensive range of both standard and customized deals on world tour packages for most destinations across the globe. Why? That’s because we understand the needs and demands of new age travellers. So, stop scouring the internet, as on thomascook.in you will find travel destinations and holiday packages for all the best international destinations.

Honeymoon-Banner

Worldwide Events to Plan your Holidays

View Event Calendar

International Holiday Tour Packages

Europe Holiday Packages

Australia Holiday Packages

Azerbaijan Holiday Packages

America Holiday Packages

International honeymoon packages.

Bali Honeymoon Packages

Greece Honeymoon Packages

Thailand Honeymoon Packages

Vietnam Honeymoon Packages

Philippines Honeymoon Packages

International tour packages.

Unrivaled expertise for unique travel experiences

We’re here to serve all your travel needs., our global expertise.

Unique travel experiences require highly personalized service. Whether you're planning a luxury holiday, complex business trip, music tour or business event – our unrivaled expertise will result in a bespoke solution that meets your exacting standards.

Corporate Travel

Meetings & incentives, leisure travel, entertainment travel, private jet travel, sign up for our newsletter.

By submitting your email, you are agreeing to receive ALTOUR’s newsletter.  You can unsubscribe at any time. Please read our Privacy Policy to learn more on how we protect you and your data.

London design agency, Boldly studio.

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Sweepstakes
• World's Best

The Top 15 Tour Operators in 2021

Scott Bay is a magazine editor specializing in travel, architecture, and gear. He was previously an assistant editor at Travel + Leisure . His work has also appeared in Wired , Architectural Digest , Wallpaper , Robb Report , Saveur , Daily Beast , and more.

Note: If you’re looking for our most recent recommendations, check out the 2023 list of our favorite tour operators .

This year's World's Best Awards survey was open for voting January 11 through May 10, 2021, as destinations around the world were lifting COVID-19 restrictions. Survey rules have always allowed readers to reflect on their travel experiences over a three-year period. We hope that this year's honorees will inspire your own travels as you get back out into the world.

Linking up with the right tour operator can take an amazing trip and turn it into a trip of a lifetime . This might seem like magic, but their in-the-know expertise and long-standing relationships open the doors for the seemingly impossible — a private Jeep safari with a professional tracking team in the depths of Torres del Paine or one-on-one cooking classes from a chef that runs a Michelin-starred restaurant in the south of France. And if any group has traversed the world enough to discern the best tour operators out there, it's the readers of Travel + Leisure .

Every year for our World's Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations and amenities.

The companies that made the list have the skills and connections to create itineraries that reflect their clients' personal interests. No. 3 VBT Bicycling Vacations curates two-wheeled trips all over the globe . One reader said, "Their staff make all the difference." No. 2 Mountain Lodges of Peru puts together highly personalized trekking adventures to Machu Picchu. As another reader exclaimed, "This is the way to visit Machu Picchu!"

But at the top of the list is Quasar Expeditions. Though primarily known for its cruises (the company won the small-ship ocean cruises category this year), it also operates a roster of dynamic safari-style excursions in South America. Read on to find out what sets it apart and which other companies join it on this year's list of the best tour operators in the world.

1. Quasar Expeditions

Quasar Expeditions is for adventurers. The highly specialized itineraries are designed to make guests feel like they're James Cook or Charles Darwin. "Quasar Expeditions' guides are the ultimate, passionate gatekeepers to the Galápagos Islands," one reader said. "Their enthusiasm and love of the islands and the wildlife encourages you to share in their passion and desire to conserve the natural beauty and habitat of the area while still allowing low-impact tourism." Another raved, "Excellent isn't a high enough rating to describe our experience with Quasar Expeditions. Extraordinary in every way!" And while Quasar is best known for its Galápagos trips, it gets high marks for its Patagonia itineraries, which takes guests into the best parts of Chile's Torres del Paine and Argentina's Los Glaciares — two of South America's most spectacular national parks.

Score: 99.58 More information: quasarex.com

2. Mountain Lodges of Peru

Score: 98.93 More information: mountainlodgesofperu.com

3. VBT Bicycling Vacations

Score: 98.70 More information: vbt.com

4. Classic Journeys

Score: 98.60 More information: classicjourneys.com

5. TCS World Travel

Score: 97.55 More information: tcsworldtravel.com

6. Black Tomato

Score: 97.25 More information: blacktomato.com/us

7. Inside Japan Tours

Score: 96.84 More information: insidejapantours.com

Score: 96.72 More information: tauck.com

9. Wilderness Travel

Score: 95.71 More information: wildernesstravel.com

10. Trek Travel

Score: 95.71 More information: trektravel.com

11. Geographic Expeditions

Score: 95.70 More information: geoex.com

12. Thomson Family Adventures

Score: 94.89 More information: familyadventures.com

13. Greaves

Score: 94.74 More information: greavesindia.com

14. DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co.

Score: 94.64 More information: duvine.com

15. Odysseys Unlimited

Score: 94.39 More information: odysseys-unlimited.com

See all of our readers' favorite hotels, cities, airlines, cruise lines, and more in the World's Best Awards for 2021 .

TTC family of brands

My Trafalgar

Destinations

Get Inspired

866 513 1995

Shop The Seasonal Sale

Today's Best Travel Deals

Last minute deals, unlock italy in 2024.

These deals won't last long

Save on tours departing soon

Save upto 20% off select tours.*

See All Italy Tours

Popular searches

Domestic Trips

See America in a new light

Vacations under 14 days

Limited availability. Selling fast.

Today's best travel deals

Save now. Don't miss out. 

Offers for travel groups of 9+

Save when you book 9+ guests

Past guest benefits

Savings with Global Tour Rewards

Tours under $2000

Browse our value vacations

All Last Minute Deals

Simply the best and most relevant way to travel

Everything Taken Care of

Value for Money

100+ Years of Travel Expertise

We MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®

Looking for inspiration?

Order or download your free brochure

The top 10 'travelling solo' myths debunked

The power of shared experiences: how travel bonds us together

7 reasons why fall is the perfect season for travelling

Got questions? Find your answer in our popular FAQs >

See All Destinations

See happy guests traveling now #simplyTrafalgar

We are the world's most loved tour company.

Ready to be inspired?

Get your free brochure and plan your next escape.

Request a Brochure

5 million happy guests...

...and counting. See what our past guests have to say.

Read Reviews

Help & Info

WE MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®

Unedited Reviews

Our Destination Management Companies

Frequently Asked Questions

Travel Updates

Media & Press Room

Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Travel Planning

Get Your Free Brochure

Travel Insurance

Booking Conditions

Trip Deposit Level

Recommendations

Trafalgar Tours Limited is a proud member of  The Travel Corporation  family of companies.

#SimplyTrafalgar

Travel House, Rue du Manoir St Peter Port, Guernsey, GY1 2JH

Selected Region

United States

United Kingdom

New Zealand

South Africa

Copyright 2024 Trafalgar. All rights reserved.

Terms and Conditions

Privacy Policy

Cookie Policy

Get Daily Travel Tips & Deals!

By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .

The 10 Best Group Travel Tour Companies for 2023

Caroline Morse Teel

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her adventures around the world on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

Travel Smarter! Sign up for our free newsletter.

For those truly epic, once-in-a-lifetime destinations, you want to leave your itinerary to the experts. Whether your dream is to see the Big Five on an African Safari, trek tall mountains, explore European cities, or something even wilder, a group tour is the easiest way to do it.

However, picking the wrong group tour company is the quickest way to ruin your trip. Make sure you choose a tour company that aligns with your goals and travel styles. Do you want an intimate group tour or do you prefer to make lots of new friends in a big group? Does the price line up with what you like (luxury vs. budget)? Is the itinerary going to all the places you want to see? 

We’ve done the research and found the very best group travel tour companies for 2023 for every type of traveler.

Best Overall Group Travel: Exodus Travels

With trips on every continent, Exodus Travels covers anywhere on this planet that you could possibly want to go, from popular destinations like the Amalfi Coast to well off-the-beaten path adventures like Tajikistan. This award-winning group travel company boasts thousands of repeat customers who sign up for trips year after year (97% of past participants would recommend Exodus Travels to a friend). 

These small group tours operate with only around 12-16 people, and always feature experienced local leaders who can give you a unique insight into your destination. Exodus Travels caters to any type of travel style, including trips broken down by type of activity (think walking, cycling, multi-adventure, winter, or cultural) as well as type of traveler (family, age group, etc.). There are curated collections (coastal, “away from it all”, European wilderness, and trips of a lifetime) to inspire you, as well as self-guided options for when you want all the benefits of a group tour planner without the actual group. Looking for that special safari? Exodus Travels just partners with the African Wildlife Foundation to create carefully curated luxury adventures that go above and beyond the standard safari. 

Exodus Travels tours work for almost any budget, with options that range from affordable to premium. 

Top Trip: Explore under-the-radar Europe by foot on Exodus Travels’ Lakes & Mountains of Slovenia walking tour .

A Taste of the Sweet Life in Slovenia

Best Adventure Group Travel: World Expeditions

World Expeditions has been taking adventurous travelers to remote locations all over the world ever since its first group trek through Nepal in 1975. Today, World Expeditions offers active itineraries on every continent. Intrepid travelers can opt for trips themed around mountaineering, rafting, cycling, hiking, and more. 

World Expeditions aims to leave communities and places where they operate tours better than they found them. Trips are created using the company’s Thoughtful Travel Charter as a guideline, which emphasizes respect for the environment, sustainability, having a positive impact on local communities, protecting wildlife, and more. 

World Expeditions’ trips are capped at just 16 people to provide a good experience for participants, and there are no single supplements for solo travelers willing to share a room with someone of the same gender. 

Top Trip: Summit Africa’s tallest mountain on a fully-supported trek up Kilimanjaro on World Expeditions’ eight day trip up the beautiful Lemosho Route . 

Best Budget Group Travel: G Adventures 

For travelers on a budget, G Adventures offers cheap group tours that make dream destinations accessible to nearly anyone. (Think: sailing the Galapagos for just $1,124 , criss-crossing India’s Golden Triangle for $559 , or spending 8 days in Bali for less than $800.)

G Adventures is one of the best tour companies for solo travelers as well, as most trips don’t have a single-supplement. You can choose to share a room with another G Adventures solo traveler, or pay extra to have your own space.

G Adventures keeps costs down by opting for cheaper hotels and local meals, and making certain activities optional (for an additional cost). Pick your travel style—options range from “basic” to more luxe tours run in partnership with National Geographic. Family tours, local living tours (featuring homestays), and wellness-focused tours are also available. 

Top Trip: G Adventures’ China Express trip is a great way to see the highlights of China if you’re short on both time and budget. 

8 Trending Destinations to Visit in 2023

Best Educational Group Tours: EF Go Ahead Tours

When you really want to learn about a destination, consider a group trip with EF Go Ahead Tours . EF is the world’s largest private education company, and the Go Ahead Tours arm capitalizes on the company’s relationships with local educators, historians, and tour guides to create group trips that take you deep into a destination. 

These small group tours generally cap at 38 travelers, and feature unique educational experiences. For a bucket list trip, EF Go Ahead Tour’s special event tours are particularly enticing, as they offer behind-the-scenes access to tough-to-plan trips like Oktoberfest in Munich or Cherry Blossom season in Japan. 

Intimidated by solo travel? EF Go Ahead Tours is a great option for solo travelers, since it offers designated trips for solo travelers , where everyone is traveling alone, making it less intimidating.  

Top Trip: Bring the tastes of Italy home with you on EF Go Ahead Tours’ Food & Wine: Piedmont & Tuscany tour (operated in partnership with America’s Test Kitchen), where you’ll learn how to make local dishes. 

Best Responsible Group Travel: Intrepid Travel

Looking for a responsible group travel operator that focuses on bettering the communities and destinations they visit? Intrepid Travel is the world’s largest travel B Corporation, a certification for companies doing good. 

Intrepid Travel’s tours focus on sustainability, diversity, inclusion, and sustaining communities. The company has its own charity, The Intrepid Foundation , which has donated over 7 million dollars to over 130 community organizations. 

Intrepid Travel’s small group tours attract a wide range of travelers, but they are especially great for younger travelers, as they have a large number of trips designed for people aged 18-29 . (Other trips, including family-focused trips, are geared toward any age.)

Top Trip: Experience unforgettable wildlife encounters on Intrepid Travel’s Premium Uganda & Rwanda trip which includes time with the mountain gorillas of Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. 

The 10 Best Sites to Book a Cruise

Best Private Group Travel: Kensington Tours

Whether your group consists of just two people or involves taking the entire extended family, Kensington Tours will take all the hassle of planning out of the equation. This private group operator creates personalized trips and itineraries tailored to your preferences, while their experts handle all the logistics and bookings. 

Plans are entirely flexible, and can even be changed while on the trip on a whim. Need some inspiration? Browse Kensington Tours’ travel ideas , to get some ideas for your next adventure. 

Top Trip: Sail around the stunning shores of Croatia and the Dalmation Islands on a private luxury catamaran on Kensington Tours’ fully customizable tour . 

Best Polar Group Travel: Chimu Adventures

Whether you’re headed north to the Artic or south to Antarctica, Chimu Adventures has the perfect polar group trip for you. Chimu Adventures has some of the most variety for polar trips, with options to fly, cruise, or a combination of both to get to your destination.

For an ultra-unique Antarctica trip, Chimu Adventures offers cruises departing from Australia or New Zealand (most Antarctica trips depart from Argentina). Can’t stay long? Book one of Chimu Adventures’ scenic flights to Antarctica , which fly as far as the south pole in one spectacular 16-hour day.

Chimu Adventures is one of the cheapest group trips to Antarctica, with rates starting under $5,000.

Top Trip: If you’re pressed for time (or simply don’t have the stomach for the Drake Passage), Chimu Adventures’ Antarctica Fly Cruise will get you to the ends of the earth quickly and smoothly.

Program These Numbers Into Your Phones Before Traveling Internationally

Best Group Tours for Solo Travelers: For the Love of Travel

Group tours can be a great way to meet new people, but they can sometimes skew on the older age range. If you’re between 25-39 and a solo traveler looking to meet new people, you’ll love For the Love of Travel . All participants on the trips are between 25-39, and according to the company, 80 percent are solo travelers—so you’ll make friends fast. Hoping to meet someone who will be more than just a friend on your next trip? Trips include a balanced number of “gal and guy spots” to ensure an even balance of genders within groups (and of course, non-binary genders are always welcome). 

For the Love of Travel offers weeklong (or longer) international trips as well as shorter weekender trips to nearby destinations like Mexico or Denver—perfect for people without a lot of vacation time.

Top Trip: Sleep in a glass igloo under the Northern Lights, go sledding with huskies, and warm up in traditional saunas on For the Love of Travel’s Lapland tour , already booking dates for 2024.

Best Biking Tours Group Travel: DuVine Cycling

Biking through the rolling hills of Italy or across the mountain roads of Chile sounds like a dream, but the logistics seem daunting (especially if you don’t want to haul all your own stuff from point-to-point). Enter: DuVine Cycling , a luxury small group tour company that specializes in bike trips. 

With trips across Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the United States, DuVine Cycling is a cyclist’s dream. Choose from all-biking trips or mix things up with a cycle and sail bike tour or a multi-sport adventure —no matter what, everything is included, from luxury boutique accommodations to top-quality name brand bikes. 

Top Trip: DuVine’s Holland Bike Tour promises “tulips, windmills, beer, and cheese”—what more could you need?

Best Luxury Group Travel: Abercrombie & Kent

Abercrombie & Kent has been delighting discerning travelers since 1962. Today, they take travelers on unforgettable adventures across over 100 different countries and all seven continents. Although Abercrombie & Kent’s trips are pricey, they encompass once-in-a-lifetime experiences like private jet tours around the world or luxury chartered cruises .

There are trips designed for solo travelers and families , and the small group journeys max out at around 14-18 guests.

Top Trip: Swim with whale sharks in the Philippines, feed proboscis monkeys in Malaysia, and photograph wild tigers in India on Abercrombie & Kent’s Wildlife Safari: Around the World by Private Jet trip , already booking dates into 2024.

Book Your Stay With SmarterTravel Hotels

For independent explorers who don’t want to miss out on these amazing destinations, book your hotel stay for a great rate with SmarterTravel Hotels .

You Might Also Like:

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

Top Fares From

Don't see a fare you like? View all flight deals from your city.

Today's top travel deals.

Brought to you by ShermansTravel

Australia: Upscale, 8-Night Cairns, the Gold...

Down Under Answers

Ohio: Daily Car Rentals from Cincinnati

Shop and Save with Country Inns...

Patricia Magaña

Trending on SmarterTravel

Tours & Vacation Packages

Plan your vacation

Need help planning a vacation?

Featured tour operators april 28th, 2024.

Travel-Intel Newsletter

©2024 Tours.com - All Rights Reserved. No part of this website may be copied or reproduced without the written consent of Tours.com

Search Flights X

International Holiday Packages

An OTP (valid for next 15 mins.) has been sent to you on your Mobile number

By clicking Submit, I agree to yatra.com Terms of use and Privacy Policy

A marketplace of suppliers

Real time, end to end customization

Stay in touch with our expert on live chat

Get the Best Holiday Planned by Experts!

• Mobile Number

By submitting this form, you authorize Yatra.com and its partners to contact you for this enquiry.

• Get Free Quote

Message Sent!

Thank you for submitting your holiday request. A Yatra representative will call you within the next 2 hours from 9990614615.

• By submitting this form I confirm that I am either over 18 years of age or possess legal authority to consent on behalf of the individual whose information has been provided above. I am willing to be contacted by Yatra and its third-party service providers for sale and promotion of travel related products and services. I allow Yatra to share my personal information like my name, email, phone number, destination city and date of travel with the third-party service providers. I understand that once my personal information is shared with the third-party service providers, Yatra would have no control over the same and these third parties may use my personal information for any subsequent marketing and sales communications for travel related products and services. Additionally, they may further share my information with their third parties.
• International Tour Packages

Popular World tour packages

• International Honeymoon Packages

maldives honeymoon Packages

Mauritius honeymoon packages.

male honeymoon Packages

Dubai honeymoon packages.

europe honeymoon Packages

interlaken honeymoon Packages

lucerne honeymoon Packages

zurich honeymoon Packages

colombo honeymoon Packages

Istanbul honeymoon packages.

sri lanka honeymoon Packages

switzerland honeymoon Packages

Starting from

Per person on twin sharing

Top International Flight Routes

• Delhi to Dubai Flights
• Mumbai to Dubai Flights
• Delhi to Toronto Flights
• Delhi to Singapore Flights
• Ahmedabad to Dubai Flights
• Delhi to Kathmandu Flights
• Bengaluru to Dubai Flights
• Mumbai to Bangkok Flights
• Mumbai to Toronto Flights
• Chennai to Colombo Flights

Our Company

• More About Us
• Leadership Team

Our Products

• Customer Testimonials
• Press Releases
• Support & FAQs
• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• User Agreement
• Retails Stores
• Visa Information

Top Travel Destinations

• Switzerland Tourism
• Bali Tourism
• Dubai Tourism
• Maldives Tourism
• Bhutan Tourism
• Vietnam Tourism
• Srilanka Tourism
• Thailand Tourism
• Singapore Tourism
• Malaysia Tourism
• Andaman Tourism
• Lakshadweep Tourism
• Goa Tourism
• Kerala Tourism
• Himachal Tourism
• Kashmir Tourism
• Gujarat Tourism
• Uttarakhand Tourism
• Meghalaya Tourism
• Leh Ladakh Tourism

Popular Honeymoon Packages

• Maldives Honeymoon Packages
• Bali Honeymoon Packages
• Singapore Honeymoon Packages
• Europe Honeymoon Packages
• Dubai Honeymoon Packages
• Malaysia Honeymoon Packages
• Thailand Honeymoon Packages
• Mauritius Honeymoon Packages
• Indonesia Honeymoon Packages
• Manali Honeymoon Packages
• Goa Honeymoon Packages
• Andaman Honeymoon Packages
• Ooty Honeymoon Packages
• Darjeeling Honeymoon Packages
• Kerala Honeymoon Packages
• Ladakh Honeymoon Packages
• Shimla Honeymoon Packages
• Munnar Honeymoon Packages
• Himachal Honeymoon Packages
• Kashmir Honeymoon Packages
• India Tour Packages
• Goa Tour Packages
• Manali Tour Packages
• Andaman Packages
• Ladakh Tour Packages
• Kerala Tour Packages
• Kashmir Tour Packages
• Rajasthan Tour Packages
• Ooty Tour Packages
• Uttarakhand Tour Packages
• Himachal Tour Packages
• Darjeeling Tour Packages
• Sikkim Tour Packages
• Jaipur Tour Packages
• Srinagar Tour Packages
• Munnar Tour Packages
• South India Tour Packages
• North India Tour Packages
• Kedarnath Tour Packages
• Lakshadweep Tour Packages
• Shimla Tour Packages
• Goa Packages from Delhi
• Goa Packages from Bangalore
• Gangtok Packages from Delhi
• Gangtok Packages from Kolkata
• Kalimpong Packages from Kolkata
• Maldives Tour Packages
• Bali Tour Packages
• Singapore Tour Packages
• Europe Tour Packages
• Greece Tour Packages
• Switzerland Tour Packages
• Dubai Tour Packages
• Malaysia Tour Packages
• Thailand Tour Packages
• Mauritius Tour Packages
• Bangkok Tour Packages
• Bhutan Tour Packages
• Nepal Tour Packages
• New Zealand Tour Packages
• Russia Tour Packages
• Turkey Tour Packages
• Egypt Tour Packages
• Canada Tour Packages
• Saudi Arabia Tour Packages
• Bahrain Tour Packages

Important Links

• World Tour Packages
• Honeymoon Packages
• Weekend Getaways
• Chardham Yatra
• Pilgrimage Packages
• Cordelia Cruise Packages
• India Tourism
• International Tourism
• Holiday Offers
• Port Blair Packages
• Chardham Packages
• Chardham Yatra by Helicopter
• Dalhousie Packages
• Dharamshala Packages
• Havelock Packages
• Gangtok Packages
• Kalimpong Packages
• North East Tour Packages
• International Flights
• Domestic Flights
• Domestic Airlines
• Cheap Flights
• Flight Schedule
• Flight Status
• Web Check In
• Hotels in India
• Hotels Near Me
• Bus Booking
• Cab Booking
• Outstation Cabs
• Indian Railways
• Distance Between
• Train Running Status
• Train PNR Status
• IRCTC Forgot Password
• Domestic Tour Packages
• State Wise Travel Guidelines
• Monuments of India
• Charter Flights
• Qutub Minar
• Visa at Your Doorstep
• Uk Visa At Your Doorstep
• Armed Forces Flight Booking
• Senior Citizen Flight Booking
• Student Quota Flight Booking
• No Cost EMI on Flight Tickets

Looking for a Holiday Package?

Private & Custom Tours

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Customize any tour to fit your needs.

• Trip Finder

Travel Blog

• Email Signup
• Request Catalog
• Guest Portal

Join us on our cultural walking adventures, as we explore the world on foot at eye level.

Edward Piegza, Founder

• Search all tours
• Choose departure date MM slash DD slash YYYY

Fuel your soul. One step at a time.

We believe that travel—and in particular connecting with other people and cultures when you travel—fuels your soul in a way that very few things do. So, through our relationships with well-connected local guides, we introduce you to the most memorable experiences and interesting people—artisans, winemakers, hoteliers, chefs, naturalists, and more. And, with this extended family, we handcraft Cultural Walking Adventures that empower you to see the world, on foot and at eye level. Want to join us?

We create the most culturally rich & authentic walking tours in the world … here’s how.

Curated Walks

Immerse and connect you across cultures as you explore on foot.

Small Groups, Guaranteed

Mean deeper, richer experiences while making friends along the way.

Exceptional Local Guides

Bring authentic experiences to life.

Eat Like (& With) the Locals

Local flavors and time to savor the moments together.

Enchanting Accommodations

Where luxury and local mean you feel at home.

Regenerative Travel

We take strides to preserve cultures, traditions, and nature.

Why We Walk

Explore the world on foot at eye level as you walk part of each morning and afternoon with your truly local, expert guides on the most cinematic footpaths in a region. With our long-term local friendships, we know our regions more personally than anyone else. So, you get thoughtfully handcrafted itineraries whose walks are about so much more than just counting miles. They lead to memorable moments that immerse you in the history, the culture, and most importantly the people of the places you’re exploring.

Go with whomever, whenever

Two Ways to Go

Scheduled small group trips.

Small group departures ready for you to book

Make it Private

Your people. Your dates.

Explore Classic Journeys Blog

The Group Trip for People Who Hate Group Trips

September 18, 2019

Experience Stonehenge the Classic Journeys Way

February 27, 2023

The Best Hikes in Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, & The Grand Canyon

January 23, 2023

Top 5 Things To See, Eat, and Drink while in Reykjavik, Iceland

March 6, 2023

Share Your Travels

Privacy Overview

Best Self-Guided & Independent Tour Companies

Search 248 Self-Guided & Independent tour operators and travel companies, with 1,246 reviews.

Health Safety

Featured Self-Guided & Independent Trips

Health Safety +

All Self-Guided & Independent Tour Companies

Exodus Travels

Insight Vacations

G Adventures

50 Degrees North

Intrepid Travel

Sign in  to see which companies give additional savings to Travelstride Members (it’s free)

Across South America

Real New Zealand Tours

Project Expedition

Outfitter Nepal

Omega Tours

Iberian Escapes

Magic Hill Holidays

Tours of Distinction

Travel for All

The Relaxed Explorer

Why Jordan Tours

248 match your criteria (1 - 20 shown)

View Self-Guided & Independent trips

Plan your Self-Guided & Independent trip

Self-Guided & Independent Reviews & Ratings

David & Frances

The actual walks were all terrific and we enjoyed them very much, and all the accommodations were excellent too

We loved the trip and only have good things to say about the experience. The only thing we might have changed would be to have put a rest day in the middle of the it...

Gordon & laurel

Thank you again for your good work making our trip so wonderful !

The roadbook notes were generally excellent! The Fort De Buoux was fascinating. Should not be missed but needs at least 1 hour for planning purposes. The recommende...

Jayne & patricia

Everything was so beautiful yet varied. It’s hard to single out a highlight : so many !!

Everything was so beautiful yet varied. It’s hard to single out a highlight : so many !! We are planning to do our next walking tour in Portugal with Intura Travel, ...

Beth & Frederick

We enjoyed the scenery, all hotels except in Avignon, the food, and the people we met

We enjoyed the scenery, all hotels except in Avignon, the food, and the people we met. Yes, I would travel again with your company and would recommend to friends. Th...

Cheryl & Michael

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip. The hikes were fantastic, the route notes very accurate

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip. The hikes were fantastic, the route notes very accurate (we only were confused one time and missed a turn but it didn't take long to ...

See all Self-Guided & Independent reviews

What to Look for When Reading Tour Company Reviews

Related Trips and Tours

Trip planning.

COLOSSEUM OF ROME

THE GREAT WALL

THE TAJ MAHAL

The Grand Canyon

Interactive Media Awards

Silver award

A Journey of Discovery Begins

Aitken Spence Holidays is your gateway to lands near and far for business or leisure. As one of the leading travel agents in Sri Lanka, we not only provide a wide range of holiday packages to exotic destinations, but help you plan your trip, organising itineraries to suit your excursion interests, arranging accommodation or your transport requirements.

Come, discover a world beyond your own with Aitken Spence Holidays your trusted travel partner.

Select Your Tour

From train journeys to cruises & sports to pilgrimages and so much more, each of our tours offer holidays made for your interests.

• Address 6 Fife Road, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey,, London , England
• Response Rate 83%
• Response Time 1 hour

• Best-in-Class Top 5% of companies
• Excellent Service Top 10% of companies
• Superior Service Top 15% of companies

Exodus Travels

• Address Grange Mills, Weir Road, London, England
• Response Rate 85%
• Response Time 2 hours

H.O.T Tourism

• Address No. 220, High Level Road, Colombo 06, Sri Lanka,, Colombo, Sri Lanka
• Response Rate 77%

SkyHaven Tours

• Address 10/5B Peradeniya, Kandy, Sri Lanka
• Response Rate 94%

Intrepid Travel

• Address 380 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Australia
• Response Rate 90%
• Response Time 3 hours

Travel Talk

• Address 18 Exhibition House Addison Bridge Place, London, England
• Response Rate 96%

One Life Adventures LTD

• Address 200 George street, Sydney, Australia
• Response Rate 97%

G Adventures

• Address G Adventures Ltd, 60 Bastwick Street, London, England

Beyond Escapes Private Limited

• Address 164/B, New Kandy Rd, Kothalawala, , Kaduwela, Sri Lanka
• Response Rate 89%

World Expeditions

• Address 1B Osiers Road, Wandsworth, London, England
• Response Rate 82%

• Address 2461 FM 778, Mineola, USA
• Response Rate 95%

• Address Soi Pridi Banomyong 26, Bangkok, Thailand
• Response Rate 53%

Insight Vacations

• Address 33 Kern Road, Toronto, Canada
• Response Rate 86%

On The Go Tours

• Address 3 Shortlands, 4th floor, Office 19, Hammersmith, England
• Response Rate 88%

Traveling to Sri Lanka? Chat with a local travel specialist in Sri Lanka who can help organize your trip.

Sri Lanka Tour Reviews

• Maher OUALI
• Sri Lanka budget tours
• Eco tours in Sri Lanka
• Sri Lanka guided tours
• Sri Lanka family tour packages
• Sri Lanka luxury tours
• Sri Lanka private tours
• Sri Lanka small group tours
• Sri Lanka solo trips
• Sri Lanka tailor-made vacation packages
• Sri Lanka tours for senior citizens
• Sri Lanka tours for young adults
• Sri Lanka group tours
• Sri Lanka last minute deals
• Sri Lanka travel deals

Upcoming Departures

• Spring 2024/2025
• Summer 2024/2025
• Winter 2024/2025
• August 2024
• September 2024
• October 2024
• November 2024
• December 2024
• January 2025
• February 2025
• August 2025
• September 2025
• October 2025

Best price guaranteed - No booking fees

Sign-in to unlock instant trip discounts. Create wish lists and save up to USD 1,500.

Update April 12, 2024

Information for u.s. citizens in the middle east.

• Travel Advisories |
• Contact Us |
• MyTravelGov |

Find U.S. Embassies & Consulates

Travel.state.gov, congressional liaison, special issuance agency, u.s. passports, international travel, intercountry adoption, international parental child abduction, records and authentications, popular links, travel advisories, mytravelgov, stay connected, legal resources, legal information, info for u.s. law enforcement, replace or certify documents, before you go.

Learn About Your Destination

While Abroad

Emergencies.

The highest priority of the Bureau of Consular Affairs is to protect the lives and serve the interests of U.S. citizens abroad.   Across the globe, we serve our fellow citizens during some of their most important moments – births, adoptions, medical emergencies, deaths, arrests, and disasters.

Country Information

Crisis and disasters, other federal agencies, different types of travelers.

Cruise Ship Passengers

Faith-Based Travelers

High-Risk Area Travelers

LGBTQI+ Travelers

Older Travelers

Travel Safety - Race and Ethnicity

Enroll in STEP

Subscribe to get up-to-date safety and security information and help us reach you in an emergency abroad.

Recommended Web Browsers: Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.

Learn about your destination

Make two copies of all of your travel documents in case of emergency, and leave one with a trusted friend or relative.

External Link

You are about to leave travel.state.gov for an external website that is not maintained by the U.S. Department of State.

Links to external websites are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of State of the views or products contained therein. If you wish to remain on travel.state.gov, click the "cancel" message.

You are about to visit:

• About BOC Travels
• Corporate Information
• Image Gallery
• Our Services
• Associated Airlines
• Outbound Tours Home

Pilgrimage Tours

• Custom Tours
• Latest Tour Package
• OnLine Payment
• Online Inquiry

BOC Travels (Pvt) Ltd

SERVICES WE OFFER

Outbound Tours

Assistance in Obtaining

Travel Insurance

Airline Ticketing

World Wide Hotel Reservation

Welcome to boc travels (pvt) ltd, boc travels - latest offers, boc travels - travel insurance.

latest Promotion details 

HOT LINE (24X7x365)

We are open.

Monday - Friday : 09:00am - 05:00pm

social links

B.o.c travels (pvt) ltd.

1st Floor, Bank of Ceylon, Super Grade Branch Building, Baseline Road, Colombo 08, Sri Lanka.

Tel:+94 112 688 154 - 8 | Fax: +94 112 688 175 | E: [email protected] | Hot:+94 702 22 77 66 / +94 702 442 979

Visa Services: +94 70 215 40 40 | Pilgrimage Tours: +94 702 942 864

Colombo - 01:- +94 703 199 608 | Rathnapura :- +94 703 442 984 | Wellawatte:- +94 702 723 654

Kandy:- +94 703 493 739 | Jaffna:- +94 703 849 335

Firebird Travel

RUSSIA TRAVEL HOME

Thank you for your enquiry.

RUSSIA TRAVEL PACKAGES A selection of Russian tours to take as they are or adjust to your needs.

THE GOLDEN RING Visit the heart of ancient Russia. What is the Golden Ring?

MOSCOW TOURS What you can see in Moscow.

MOSCOW DAY TRIPS Get out of Moscow and take a relaxing trip to some of these places

ST. PETERSBURG Some of the sights to see in Petersburg

LAKE BAIKAL TOURS Hiking and trekking around the world's deepest lake in the heart of Siberia

RUSSIAN DIGS Come and work in the field on a Russian Archaeological dig. Full training given on site.

TRAVEL TIPS & SERVICES Getting around in Russia

If you do not receive a confirmation email shortly then you have probably incorrectly entered your email.

Number of travelers ">

Special Interests or requests.          "> ">

If you experience difficulties please use this link to send Regular Email . All information is treated as confidential

Moscow Metro Tour

• Page active

Description

Moscow metro private tours.

• 2-hour tour $87:  10 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with hotel pick-up and drop-off
• 3-hour tour $137:  20 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with Russian lunch in beautifully-decorated Metro Diner + hotel pick-up and drop off. 
• Metro pass is included in the price of both tours.

Highlight of Metro Tour

• Visit 10 must-see stations of Moscow metro on 2-hr tour and 20 Metro stations on 3-hr tour, including grand Komsomolskaya station with its distinctive Baroque décor, aristocratic Mayakovskaya station with Soviet mosaics, legendary Revolution Square station with 72 bronze sculptures and more!
• Explore Museum of Moscow Metro and learn a ton of technical and historical facts;
• Listen to the secrets about the Metro-2, a secret line supposedly used by the government and KGB;
• Experience a selection of most striking features of Moscow Metro hidden from most tourists and even locals;
• Discover the underground treasure of Russian Soviet past – from mosaics to bronzes, paintings, marble arches, stained glass and even paleontological elements;
• Learn fun stories and myths about Coffee Ring, Zodiac signs of Moscow Metro and more;
• Admire Soviet-era architecture of pre- and post- World War II perious;
• Enjoy panoramic views of Sparrow Hills from Luzhniki Metro Bridge – MetroMost, the only station of Moscow Metro located over water and the highest station above ground level;
• If lucky, catch a unique «Aquarelle Train» – a wheeled picture gallery, brightly painted with images of peony, chrysanthemums, daisies, sunflowers and each car unit is unique;
• Become an expert at navigating the legendary Moscow Metro system;
• Have fun time with a very friendly local;
• + Atmospheric Metro lunch in Moscow’s the only Metro Diner (included in a 3-hr tour)

Hotel Pick-up

Metro stations:.

Komsomolskaya

Novoslobodskaya

Prospekt Mira

Belorusskaya

Mayakovskaya

Novokuznetskaya

Revolution Square

Sparrow Hills

+ for 3-hour tour

Victory Park

Slavic Boulevard

Vystavochnaya

Dostoevskaya

Elektrozavodskaya

Partizanskaya

Museum of Moscow Metro

• Drop-off  at your hotel, Novodevichy Convent, Sparrow Hills or any place you wish
• + Russian lunch  in Metro Diner with artistic metro-style interior for 3-hour tour

Fun facts from our Moscow Metro Tours:

From the very first days of its existence, the Moscow Metro was the object of civil defense, used as a bomb shelter, and designed as a defense for a possible attack on the Soviet Union.

At a depth of 50 to 120 meters lies the second, the coded system of Metro-2 of Moscow subway, which is equipped with everything you need, from food storage to the nuclear button.

According to some sources, the total length of Metro-2 reaches over 150 kilometers.

The Museum was opened on Sportivnaya metro station on November 6, 1967. It features the most interesting models of trains and stations.

Coffee Ring

The first scheme of Moscow Metro looked like a bunch of separate lines. Listen to a myth about Joseph Stalin and the main brown line of Moscow Metro.

Zodiac Metro

According to some astrologers, each of the 12 stops of the Moscow Ring Line corresponds to a particular sign of the zodiac and divides the city into astrological sector.

Astrologers believe that being in a particular zadiac sector of Moscow for a long time, you attract certain energy and events into your life.

Paleontological finds 

Red marble walls of some of the Metro stations hide in themselves petrified inhabitants of ancient seas. Try and find some!

• Every day each car in  Moscow metro passes  more than 600 km, which is the distance from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
• Moscow subway system is the  5th in the intensity  of use (after the subways of Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai).
• The interval in the movement of trains in rush hour is  90 seconds .

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

Write your review

• Host Agencies
• Accelerator Course
• Travel Jobs
• Travel Agent Chatter
• Etiquette & Rules
• Privacy Policy

Travel Agent License + Seller of Travel Registration: Do You Need Them in 2024?

So, you want to become a travel agent and now you're wondering what's next. Do you need a travel agent license to get started? Is their travel agency licensing on the federal level? The state level?

Here's the quick answer to your travel agent license question: Depending on what state you live in — or if you sell to residents who live in states with seller of travel (SOT) requirements — the answer is yes, you may need one.

We're glad you're here because we're going to tell you, in laymen's terms, how to get the travel agency licensing you need.

What Is a Travel Agent License or Seller of Travel Registration?

First thing to know: we'll use the term travel agent license and seller of travel (SOT) registration interchangeably.

Normal people would call it a travel agent license but since it's not actually a license, the states call it seller of travel registrations. Po-tay-toes, po-tah-toes.

You might be envisioning that a travel agency license requires:

• travel agent training requirements,
• tests your industry knowledge,
• or lays out continuing education requirements.

Well, it doesn't. :) It's best to think of a travel agency license more like a registration, which is why they're formally called Seller of Travel registrations.

Federal + State Travel Agent Licensing

Let's start with the good news: On the national/federal level, a seller of travel license is not required . The US government isn't looking to cash in on travel agencies through registration/licensing fees. Phew!

The travel agent license thing changes a bit when it comes to the state level. While this may sound like a bummer, there's more good news . . . very few states (only four) have travel agent licensing requirements.

In the US, there are four states that have Seller of Travel (SOT) registrations: Hawaii, Washington, Florida, and California.

When we talk about The Big Four SOT States ® , we're talking about California (CA), Florida (FL), Hawaii (HI), and Washington (WA).

1. California Seller of Travel

2. Florida Seller of Travel

3. Washington Seller of Travel

4. Hawaii Seller of Travel

5. Other states with travel agency regulations

How do I know if I need a Seller of Travel Registration?

How do you know if you need a Florida Seller of Travel, California Seller of Travel, Washington Seller of Travel or Hawaii Seller of Travel registration?

If I had to summarize this entire article in two sentences it would go like this: If your agency is based in or you have clients in California, Florida, Washington, or Hawaii you will need to register as a seller of travel for those respective states.

If this isn't you, then congratulations! You're dismissed from HAR's travel agency license class.

If you are one of the lucky advisors who operate in or sell to clients in HI, WA, FL, or CA then congratulations to you too, because you're about to sound really knowledgeable at travel industry events when someone asks you about Seller of Travel registrations!

The thing to know about Florida's seller of travel, California's seller of travel and Washington and Hawaii's is that they aren't just contained to state lines.

If you live in New York but you're booking a client that lives in California, Florida, Washington or Hawaii, guess what? You're expected to comply with the Big Four laws.

The Seller of Travel for California, Florida, Hawaii, and Washington apply to any agency that does business with residents of those states. — Daniel Zim

Here's a great explanation from Daniel Zim, travel attorney 1 :

"The Seller of Travel for California, Florida, Hawaii and Washington apply to any agency that does business with residents of those states. They are extraterritorial laws meaning that the law extends far beyond the borders of the state. The business does not have to reside in the regulating state, the business could reside anywhere in the world but it would have to comply with California, Florida, Hawaii and Washington."

Next up, we'll take a high-level look at things with our infographic, and then we'll start diving deeper into the nuances and intricacies state by state.

I want to warn you that it may seem overwhelming . But don't worry. You only need to focus on the requirements in states that apply to you. Plus, once you figure out what you need and apply for your travel agency license, you're good to go!

A Visually Pleasing Way to Look at Seller of Travel Laws

We whipped up this neat infographic for you! It's a visual rundown of:

Florida Seller of Travel

California Seller of Travel

Washington Seller of Travel

and Hawaii Seller of Travel

It breaks down cost and complicated info into an easy-to-read visual. If you want to shortcut to a state, just click on the state you want in the infographic.

You have to enter your email to see the infographic, but I promise, it's worth it :). It's a less visually busy way to look at things.

California Seller of Travel + Travel Agency License: Do You Need One & How to Apply

Let's start with the doozie. California.

Because they're one of the Big Four SOT States ®, if your travel agency is located in California or you book clients who reside in California, you may need a travel agency license/ seller of travel number in California.

California's Seller of Travel + travel agency license is different in a few ways:

• They have a consumer restitution fund that all sellers of travel participate in and pay into.
• In addition to registering as a California seller of travel, you need to register for a business ID, even if you're not located in CA.

California seller of travel + Travel Agency LICENSE: exemptions

I know, increased regulations make your eyes glaze over. BUT, these regulations come with good tidings if you're a (relatively) small businesses.

If you meet all of the exemptions below , you do not need your own California travel agency license / seller of travel number!

1. Your business model is: Sole Proprietor, single-member LLC, or single-shareholder S Corp.

2. You are selling through your host, with your host's accreditation number.

3. You use your host's accreditation for all bookings (no booking direct, booking under your own accreditation or bypassing the host).

4. All fees (consultation/service fees) must be processed through the host agency. ( more on service fees and seller of travel laws )

5. Clients must pay host or supplier directly. (No taking cash. Checks would need to be made out to the host agency.)

6. You must disclose to every sale that you belong to a host, including the host's name, address, phone number and CA SOT registration number.

7. You have a written contract with a host agency that has a CA SOT. 

To find out if a host agency has a California travel agency license, visit our host agency list and check the company details section:

California Seller of travel + Travel Agency LICENSE: How to APPLY

Here's the steps to apply for California's seller of travel and travel agency license:

1. Register your business with California's Secretary of State

Register for a CA state business ID .

If you don't live in CA, you'll fill out the ' foreign entity ' (out-of-state or out-of-country) form for your respective business structure .

2. Register with the Travel Consumer Restitution Corporation

If you need to apply for your own California Seller of Travel number, register your agency with the Travel Consumer Restitution Corporation . They are in charge of administration of the Travel Consumer Restitution Fund. Cost is $100 for each location .

Who needs to participate in the Travel Consumer Restitution Fund? According to the CA dept. of justice (DOJ), "A registered seller of travel whose principal place of business is in California and who does business with persons in California must participate in the TCRC."

Of course, to keep it interesting, the Travel Consumer Restitution Fund has some exemptions :

• Applicant does not do business or advertise to persons located in California, including by internet advertisement; but has a location in California.
• Applicant's principal place of business is outside California.
• Applicant has no location or agent in California.
• Applicant is neither an issuer nor a subsidiary of an issuer of securities that are listed on a national securities exchange or designated as a national market system security.

Questions? California's Travel Consumer Restitution Corporation's office number is (530) 809-4220.

3. Establish a Trust Account

If you apply for a California Seller of Travel number and travel agency license, you will need to establish a trust account for any direct payments from clients.

There are a few alternatives to a trust account for any rebels about there:

• Credit Card Transactions: If you only accept credit card payments and you don't have access to clients funds, this is a great alternative to a trust. Do you qualify? Check out this California Seller of Travel affidavit form .
• Acquire a Surety Bond
• Include a Consumer Protection Escrow Plan (§17550.16 - Exemption from trust account. Letter (c), 1-7)

4. Apply for your California seller of travel + travel agency license

Once you're registered through the Travel Consumer Restitution Corporation, apply for your California seller of travel number (which is California's travel agency license) .

5. Renew annually

You'll need to renew your California seller of travel registration and travel agency license every year. Renewal is a choose your own adventure situation. Here's your two paths:

• There have been no changes in your agency: Congrats! This is the easy route. If all your agency info is the same when you previously applied, all you need to do is fill out this attestation form .
• There have been changes: This is the thornier path, but all you have to do is read these instructions then fill out this renewal form .

6. Uh.... can you go over that again, please?

It's confusing. Don't be afraid to contact their office for clarification.

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone:  (213) 269-6564

Florida Seller of Travel + Florida Travel Agency License

Since Florida is a member of our Big Four SOT States®, we know that Florida's Seller of Travel law applies to any travel agency who books clients residing in Florida, regardless of the agency's location, right?

[In unison: "Yes, Steph."]

You're doing so great!

Florida's travel agency license isn't nearly as complex as California's (thank goodness), but it's important to know that Florida may require you to have a surety bond.

Florida Seller of Travel + Travel AGENCY LICENSE: Exemptions

The big question: If an independent contractor belongs to a host agency , can that independent contractor use the host's Florida seller of travel number and travel agency license?

If you meet ALL of the exemptions below, you can use your host agency's Florida Seller of Travel number , but you must fill out the Independent Agent Statement of Exemption Form ($50/yr):

• You must be with a host agency that has a Florida Seller of Travel number; AND
• Have a writtencontract with the seller(s) of travel listed above (you'll provide them a copy of the contract); AND
• You do not accept fees (service/consultation/etc), commission, or other valuable consideration directly from your clients (they must go through your host agency); AND
• You do not have unused ticket stock in your possession; AND
• You do not have the ability to issue tickets, lodging or vacation certificates, or any other travel documents.

And here's another scenario where your travel agency can be exempt from Florida's Seller of Travel registration.

• If you're an ARC accredited agency for 3+ years under the same ownership, then you can file for an exemption.

Florida Seller of Travel + Travel AGENCY LICENSE: How to Apply

The Florida Seller of Travel number costs $300/yr and requires annual renewal. (If you're selling vacation certificates, add on another $100/yr.)

For all you active duty military, honorably discharged veterans, military spouses or surviving spouses out there—thank you for your service and sacrifices!—you may be eligible for a waiver of the registration/renewal fees ( see section 2(c) for requirements ). Here's the military fee waiver request form .

Something Florida requires for their seller of travel registration and travel agency license that California does not, is travel agencies need to provide a $25,000 Surety Bond with their application. (It jumps to a $50,000 bond if you're selling vacation certificates.)

But good news!

• If you've got a clean record and 5 or more years of operating in the state of Florida, you can file for a complete waiver of the bond requirement (waiver form is in the registration/renewal application).
• For those of you with a clean track record, you can also request a request a security reduction on your application or fill out a separate security exemption form , which would bring the bond amount down to $10k-20k, depending on your sales.

Here's the steps to get your Florida Seller of Travel number and travel agency license:

1. Get a surety bond (if applicable)

Don't forget to make sure the seals or signatures by principal and witnesses are on the bond. Also make sure the power of attorney is included with surety bond.

2. Apply for your Florida seller of travel registration and travel agency license

Fill out this application if you need your own seller of travel number . Or apply here if you can use your host agency's SOT number .

3. Renew annually

All registrations are valid for one year, beginning the day the certificate is issued, unless suspended or revoked for cause. Don't forget to renew because Florida may issue civil or administrative fines of up to $5,000 per violation. (Each sale or attempted sale may be considered a separate violation. )

Hawaii Seller of Travel + Travel Agency License

Again, Hawaii is one of our Big Four SOT States ® so if you're working with clients who live in Hawaii—even if your agency isn't in Hawaii—you'll need a Hawaii travel agency license/ seller of travel number.

There's a few key points to know about Hawaii's travel agency licensing:

• Similar to the CA SOT laws, regardless of where you live, you'll need to register your business in Hawaii if you are an LLC, LLP, Corporation, or Partnership. (Out of state agencies will register as a foreign entity.)
• If you're selling stand-alone activities to your clients, you technically also need an Activity Desk license.
• And this last one is the most challenging. Travel agencies need to have a business bank account with a bank located in Hawaii.

Hawaii Seller of Travel + Travel Agency License: Exemptions

One of our awesome Hawaii-based readers gave us the scoop on Hawaii's travel agency licensing/ seller of travel laws—thanks for your sleuthing, Mara Kunkel!

In addition to registering for a seller of travel license, Hawaii has regulations about opening a client trust account (see #3 above). But thanks to Mara's sleuthing, we've learned that Hawaii-based agents who want to go with a mainland host can apply for a waiver for the host, assuming the agent is not handling any of the clients' money—no cash, no checks—directly.

Hawaii agents with mainland hosts can qualify for a trust account waiver only if they do not handle client monies. Similar to CA, all client money needs to go through the supplier or the host agency. If this is up your alley, you can include that information in a letter asking for a trust account waiver along with your application for a Hawaii seller of travel license.

The Hawaii seller of travel and travel agency license costs $215/yr on the even-numbered years and $146/yr on the odd-numbered years. (Hawaii likes to keep you on your toes!)

Hawaii Seller of Travel + Travel Agency License: How to Apply

Here's what you need to do to get your Hawaii seller of travel and travel agency license:

1. Register your business with Hawaii's Dept of Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Register your business with the Business Registration Division (BREG) if you are an LLC, LLP, Corporation, or Partnership. (Out of state agencies will register as a foreign entity and sole proprietors need not register.) Here's the current fee schedule to register your business in Hawaii . If you have questions, you can e mail [email protected] or call (808) 586-2727.

2. Open a trust account with a bank in Hawaii

We know they give exceptions for Hawaii-based agencies that have a mainland host as long as the agency isn't accepting any money and that may transfer to non-Hawaii-based agencies. You can try calling them at (808) 586-3000 to see if your agency would qualify for an exemption on this.

3. Apply for your Hawaii Seller of Travel registration

Fill out the Hawaii travel agent license application , making sure to have your trust account information and if you're a LLC, LLP, partnership or corporation, have proof your business is registered with BREG (step 1).

3. Renew on odd-numbered years

All Hawaii travel agency licenses, regardless of issuance date, expire on December 31 of each ODD-NUMBERED year and are subject to renewal on or before the expiration date. Renewal applications and the notarized statement form are mailed to current registrations about 6 weeks prior to the expiration date.

Washington Seller of Travel + Travel Agency License

When it comes to Washington's travel agency license/ seller of travel laws, it's going to sound awfully familiar. Of course, we have the start with the same base as the other Big Four SOT States ® —you'll need the license not only if your agency is in Washington state, but also if you serve clients who live there.

Since (most) ICs sell travel under their own brand, they will have to get their own Washington travel agency license.

And like Hawaii and California, Washington wants to know who owns your agency so they require proof of business registration. But unlike Hawaii and California, if your agency is located outside Washington state, you can send proof of business registration in your home state. Hurray for small victories!

And here's a new twist: If you hold payments for travel for more than 5 days, you'll need to do 1 of 3 things:

• Open up a Seller of Travel trust account (business account) at a bank in Washington state.
• Purchase a Surety Bond (the size of the bond is based on the previous year's sales).
• Be a member of good standing in a professional association approved by the Department of Licensing, through which you get both a $1,000,000 errors and omissions policy and a surety bond of at least $250,000. What associations offer that, I honestly have no idea...

Washington Seller of Travel + tRAVEL aGENCY lICENSE: Exemptions

If the IC meets the following criteria, they can use the host's Washington travel agency license number 2 :

• The host agency has a Washington Seller of Travel number and has the IC is registered under their number.; and
• The IC is conducting business using the name of the host agency; and
• No money goes through the independent contractor. All money is collected in the name of the host agency and is processed by the host agency. No collecting cash, no checks made out to your agency, service/consultation fees would need to be charged under the host agency's name. ( more on service fees and seller of travel laws )

I'm going to be frank and say that it's unlikely an IC can use their host's Washington seller of travel number.

Because in order to use a host's Washington seller of travel number / travel agency license, the advisor needs to be selling under the name of the host agency. Since (most) hosted advisors sell travel under their own brand, not their host's brand, they will have to get their own Washington travel agency license.

Washington Seller of Travel + Travel agency License: How to Apply

We'll walk you through apply to get a Washington travel agency license online below:

1. Apply for a Washington state business license

Out of state businesses can attach proof of business registration in their state, and Washington based businesses can apply for a business license here . It's through the Department of Revenue so you may feel like you're in the wrong place, but you're not!

Set up an account and under 'Business Licensing' heading, select 'Apply for a New Business License'. This will walk you through the steps to get registered in Washington.

When you get to the 'Activity Search' section (below), select 'Travel Agent, Agency'. This will trigger the adding of the Seller of Travel endorsement (form) to your application.

For foreign entities (travel agencies not located in Washington), you'll have a chance to upload proof of business registration with your state at the end of the application.

There is a $50 processing fee for the business license and the Washington seller of travel license will set you back $222/yr. (Washington SOT fee schedule) . You can pay online.

2. Renew annually

Washington seller of travel and travel agency licenses expire one year after issue so make sure to renew it in the same place you applied for your business license in step 1.

Other States with Travel Agency Regulations

The Big Four SOT States ® are the ones everyone will always say have Seller of Travel (SOT) laws/travel agency licensing but there's a few I found I think should also be mentioned:

• Delaware: If you're a travel agency in Delaware (scroll to No. 24) , you are required to register for an occupational license. The cost is currently $225 USD. It's a bit different than the state travel agency licensing laws above because you only need it if you open a travel agency in Delaware (vs. needing it if you plan to sell to any Delaware residents).
• Illinois: Surprise! If your agency is based in Illinois, you may need to establish a trust account in order to adhere to the Illinois Travel Promotion Consumer Protection . Our insider source (Ann Thomson Nelson in the comments) mentioned this requirement only pertains to agents taking payments from clients, rather than paying the supplier directly. Even then, there are exemptions if you a.) have the equivalent of $1M liability coverage through Errors and Omissions Insurance , and b.) have a surety bond of $100,000 or more.
• Louisiana: Louisiana requires an annual travel agency licensing fee for retail travel agencies (storefronts). Are you a home-based agency in Louisiana? You're in the clear! What's the cost? It depends on your gross sales. So check out this resource on Louisiana travel agency licensing fees to see where you fall. (Shout to Alec Mena for sharing this resource!)
• Massachusetts: They have a 4-page document of random rules for travel agencies that make a wonderful read before bedtime. Sweet dreams, Massachusetts agency owners: MA's 940 CMR .
• New York: NY also has hard and fast laws for sellers of travel. I'd like to say they're common sense, and that so long as you're not a jerk, you're okay, but you know what, I'm going to go ahead and resist that temptation. Instead, if you're an NY-based agent, go read NY's Article 10-A Truth in Travel Act . Particularly, look at this chapter, Section 157-A for a very specific outline of disclosures you must provide for your travel clients.

Did we miss one? Let us know in the comments! We should say that this is not an exhaustive list. Rather, it's a crash course in states that have regulations that may directly impact travel advisors .

If you're a tour operator, or participate in travel club sales, chances are that since you're selling travel, you'll need a seller of travel license and the requirements and application process may be a little different.

Local/City Travel Agent Licensing

In the beginning, we said there is no travel agency licensing laws on the national level. Then we zoomed in on the state level, where we had The Big Four SOT States ® (Florida, California, Washington, Hawaii) with the seller of travel/ travel agency licensing laws.

Now let's talk about things on the city level.

Breaking down regulations to the city level is complex. The local level is going to involve some research on your end. What you'll want to do is familiarize yourself with local laws that affect travel agencies.

A good start is to ask your local Chamber of Commerce if there are any general business regulations in your city that you should be aware of.

If you don't know where to start to find out more about local laws, contact your Chamber of Commerce or visit our   resources page   to find your local SBA or SCORE office.

Did We Mention Travel Insurance Licensing... and Waivers?

Yeah. We have more info on regulations for you. Boring, confusing, and frustrating... but very important. Find out more on travel insurance licensing for agencies.

Most travel agencies have a travel waiver for their clients. See what other agencies are including in their travel waivers and download a free travel waiver sample and an Oversea Travel Tips & Checklist .

Save Money With a Travel Agent License with a Host Agency

Since the site focuses on host agencies, it's important to mention another host agency benefit —saving the expense of a travel agency license. In some states, you can use your host's Seller of Travel number instead of purchasing your own!

For instance, in Florida, independent contractors that are exempt don't have to pay the full $300 annual registration fee. Agents with a host can go under their host's Florida Seller of Travel number and pay only $50/yr - a savings of $250.  😊 And now hosted agents that meet CA's criteria for exemption can sell under their host agency's California Seller of Travel number — a savings of $100/year.

Check with your host agency or the state's seller of travel office for details. On our main page, you can filter hosts according to which seller of travel they provide.

If you're interested in finding a host agency, visit our host agency list and reviews .

Still Confused? We can help.

Applying for your seller of travel registration is just one small part of starting a travel agency . If you're finding you have analysis paralysis and feel completely overwhelmed and alone on the journey, we've got just the thing for you!

HAR's 7 Day Setup Accelerator course gives you information in digestible pieces, allowing you to get started faster and with the support you need to make it happen. You'll have the HAR team and a community of your peers to help answer your questions, cheer you on, and hold you accountable. :)

It's hard to find info on a travel agent license. Take this from a lady who spent hours on Washington's overly confusing Seller of Travel registration path!

We wrote this article to save agents time and money. If it helped you out, please drop us a line in the comments or share the article—doing so makes it easier for others to find this page.

Editor's note 9/10/2015: Nevada did have a seller of travel law... then they kept suspending it for what felt like forever (ahem, 6 years). And in July 2015,  Nevada's Seller of Travel Law is officially repealed and Nevada travel agents do not need a license to sell travel.

Editor's note 01/28/2021: Iowa repealed their Seller of Travel requirements as of 06/2020 so is no longer included in this article.

Editor's note 04/18/24: This article was originally published in Dec. 2012 and was updated and republished with the most current information at the post date listed above.

• Sorry, we need an obligatory disclaimer. I am not an attorney (but here are some travel industry attorneys !). I aggregated this info from first-hand experience and other industry sources to create a resource for those looking into a travel agent license. All info is accurate to my knowledge but information given should be fact-checked and never be considered legal advice. ↩
• 5(a-b) https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.138.100 ↩

About the Author

Steph grew up in the travel industry, helping on and off with her mom's homebased travel agency. She has worked with thousands of agents in her role as a former host agency director before leaving in 2012 to start HAR. She's insatiably curious, loves her pups Fennec and Orion, and -- in case you haven't noticed -- is pretty quirky and free-spirited.

If you’re looking for Steph, she leaves a trace where ever she goes! You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn (her fav) and Pinterest as 'iamstephly'. 🙂 You can also catch her on her Substack, Bumblin' Around, where she writes on things outside the world of HAR.

• Legal & Regulatory
• Travel Agent Basics

Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Read our research on:

Full Topic List

Regions & Countries

• Publications
• Our Methods
• Short Reads
• Tools & Resources

Read Our Research On:

Americans who have traveled internationally stand out in their views and knowledge of foreign affairs

Do people who travel think differently about the world? A new Pew Research Center survey suggests they do.

Americans who have traveled internationally are more interested in and knowledgeable about foreign affairs, feel closer to others around the world, and favor a more active foreign policy, according to the survey of 3,576 U.S. adults conducted in spring 2023. We also surveyed people in 23 other countries about their international travel habits.

This analysis examines international travel with a focus on Americans’ travel, including which Americans travel abroad and how their interest in the world and views of international affairs differ from others.

For this analysis, we surveyed 3,576 U.S. adults from March 20 to March 26, 2023; 3,581 U.S. adults from March 21 to March 27, 2022; and 10,606 U.S. adults from June 14 to June 27, 2021. Everyone who took part in these surveys is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology .

For non-U.S. data, this report draws on nationally representative surveys of 27,285 adults conducted from Feb. 20 to May 22, 2023. All surveys were conducted over the phone with adults in Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Surveys were conducted face-to-face in Hungary, Poland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. In Australia, we used a mixed-mode probability-based online panel.

Here are the June 2021 survey questions and responses used in this analysis. Those for the March 2022 survey may be found here , as well as those for the March 2023 survey .

How many Americans have traveled internationally?

Roughly three-quarters of Americans (76%) have visited at least one other country, including 26% who have been to five or more. About a quarter (23%) have not traveled internationally, though most in this group say they would if they had the opportunity.

Related:  How experience with international travel varies across 24 countries

To analyze how Americans’ travel experiences relate to their attitudes on other questions, we placed people into three categories:

• Globe-trotters have traveled to at least five other countries. About a quarter of the U.S. public (26%) falls into this category.
• Casual travelers have traveled to between one and four other countries. Half of Americans fall into this category.
• Nontravelers have never left the United States. This category includes 23% of Americans.

Compared with Americans, people in many European nations are more likely to have traveled to five or more other countries. For instance, 88% of Swedes have done so.

However, international travel is much less common in many middle-income nations. It is strongly correlated with a nation’s gross domestic product per capita. (For more on international travel and views about global engagement, read “Attitudes on an Interconnected World.” )

Who travels internationally?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, older people are more likely than younger people to have traveled internationally. Americans ages 65 and older are more than twice as likely as adults under 30 to fall into our globe-trotter category (37% vs. 17%).

Income is even more strongly related to travel than age. Two-thirds of upper-income Americans have traveled to at least five countries, compared with 9% of Americans with lower incomes.

Similarly, Americans with a postgraduate degree are far more likely to be globe-trotters than those with a high school education or less (59% vs. 10%).

Residents of suburban and urban areas generally have more international travel experience than people who live in rural areas.

There are no significant partisan differences when it comes to international travel: 26% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents qualify as globe-trotters, as do 28% of Republicans and GOP leaners.

Do travelers know more about the world?

Globe-trotters are especially likely to say they are interested in foreign affairs and follow international news. Casual travelers, in turn, are more likely than nontravelers to do so.

Globe-trotters are also the most knowledgeable about international affairs. In 2022, we conducted an international affairs quiz , asking Americans 12 questions related to international news. On average, globe-trotters got 8.2 of the 12 questions correct, compared with 6.4 for casual travelers and 4.2 for nontravelers.

Is international travel related to views of global engagement?

International travel experience is also linked to Americans’ views about international affairs and their feelings of connection to other people around the world.

When asked which comes closest to their view, 57% of globe-trotters say the U.S. should be active in world affairs, while 43% say the U.S. should pay less attention to problems in other countries and concentrate on problems at home. In contrast, most casual travelers and nontravelers say the U.S. should focus on problems at home.

In all three groups, at least half of respondents say that when the U.S. is making foreign policy, it should take other countries’ interests into account – even if that means making compromises. But globe-trotters are especially likely to hold that view.

Globe-trotters are also particularly likely to say they feel close to people around the world, with 42% saying so. By comparison, 34% of casual travelers and 30% of nontravelers say this.

• International Affairs

Richard Wike is director of global attitudes research at Pew Research Center

Janell Fetterolf is a senior researcher focusing on global attitudes at Pew Research Center

A growing share of Americans have little or no confidence in Netanyahu

Fewer americans view the united nations favorably than in 2023, what are americans’ top foreign policy priorities, rising numbers of americans say jews and muslims face a lot of discrimination, younger americans stand out in their views of the israel-hamas war, most popular.

1615 L St. NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20036 USA (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax (+1) 202-419-4372 |  Media Inquiries

Research Topics

• Age & Generations
• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Economy & Work
• Family & Relationships
• Gender & LGBTQ
• Immigration & Migration
• Internet & Technology
• Methodological Research
• News Habits & Media
• Non-U.S. Governments
• Other Topics
• Politics & Policy
• Race & Ethnicity
• Email Newsletters

ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER  Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of  The Pew Charitable Trusts .

Copyright 2024 Pew Research Center

Terms & Conditions

Privacy Policy

Cookie Settings

Reprints, Permissions & Use Policy

This foreign agency in the Central Valley serves 1.5 million residents. See who heads it

In the Spotlight is a Fresno Bee series that digs into the high-profile local issues that readers care most about. Story idea? Email [email protected] .

The Consulate of México in Fresno – the foreign gubernatorial entity that serves 1.5 million Mexican nationals residing in the Central Valley with services such documentation, protection and legal affairs – has a new leader.

Minister Nuria P. Zuñiga Alaniz, who served as deputy consul for the last three years in Fresno, assumed functions as head consul on April 2.

The consulate , which has been in the valley for more than 90 years, provides different services to Mexican nationals.

The consulate is best known for the documentation service which has the most demand – passports, matrícula consular (consular registration), credencial de elector (voter identification), birth certificates, registro civil (civil registry), dual nationality, power of attorneys, among other documentations.

“Which are services that people require more every day,” she said.

As part of the services provided, parents can request dual citizenship for children born in the United States or adults can request dual nationality if their parents were born in México.

Zuñiga Alaniz said while there are more than 40 services the consulate offers in Fresno under one roof; in México those services are carried out in 25 different government agencies.

“The attention we provide to our community has increased as time has progressed,” she said.

A familiar face

Having served the consulate’s community in the Valley the past few years has allowed Zuñiga Alaniz to know firsthand the stories of many of Mexican nationals as well as the challenges they face and their needs.

“The advantage of having been deputy consul is that it already gives me a much more complete and much more documented panorama of the needs and challenges that our community faces, particularly here,” said Zuñiga Alaniz, a career diplomat who has been a member of the Mexican Foreign Service since 2010.

“And that allows me to do a much more complete analysis than other consuls have not had because maybe arriving at a new place is starting from the beginning.”

Zuñiga Alaniz replaces former head consul Adriana González Carrillo, who returned to México after four years in Fresno. González Carrillo’s last day was Feb. 29.

With the advantage of already knowing the community, Zuñiga Alaniz said now she “can get to a point where we can take more actions and focus.”

With more than 60% of the population in the area being of Mexican origin or born in México, Zuñiga Alaniz said the presence of the consulate in the Valley is extremely important.

The consulate covers eight counties in the area including Mariposa, Merced, Madera, Inyo, Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern.

Other services and initiatives

The consulate offers other services such as service window for indigenous peoples and there are plans to open a service or civic education window to promote not only a stronger civic education in the community but the importance of voting.

“Why is it important that we participate in the elections in Mexico now that we can,” Zuñiga Alaniz said. “So those are some of the projects that have been opened in recent years.”

The consulate has partnered with the organization Binational of Central California for a mental health program.

“All these new programs serve very specific needs that we have detected in the community,” Zuñiga Alaniz said. “Obviously the issue of mental health, we all know that COVID left many consequences or revealed many problems that we had.”

Zuñiga Alaniz said the topic of mental health is something that remains a bit taboo in the community, that is why it was extremely important for the consulate to offer those services and create awareness and break that taboo.

Another service is protection and legal affairs area. There is also community affairs, which seeks links with the entire diaspora and does so through three programs: education, financial education and health.

“All this is focused on empowering our community, so that they can open doors, have greater opportunities, better life opportunities, but also in some way that they adapt to the norms and ways of life established in this case the Central Valley,” Zuñiga Alaniz said.

“This is one of the consulate’s objectives to provide this care, to support our community to grow and make a more integrated and stronger community,” she said.

Zuñiga Alaniz said it is a “very big challenge” to provide service to more than 1.5 million people in a very rural environment where access to information or services is sometimes difficult.

“Obviously, part of what I want to do or part of the issues we want to improve as a consulate is, well, attention to service, quality of service, but also being able to build and continue weaving this great network of allies that already we have but increase it for the benefit of the community,” she said.

The consulate recently expanded business hours from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Before Fresno, Zuñiga Alaniz was at the Consulate General of México in Houston, at the Embassy of México in Bolivia, and Sub-Saharan Africa at the Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

Zuñiga Alaniz has a bachelor’s degree in political science and administration from Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain); an MBA in Political Science from El Colegio de México (México); holds postgraduate diplomas on Mexican Culture, IMR, and on U.S. Political Institutions and Bilateral Relations México-U.S., Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies, University of California San Diego.

©2024 The Fresno Bee. Visit fresnobee.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Norilsk: The city built by gulag prisoners where Russia guards its Arctic secrets

Environmental activists are frustrated by how authorities handled a diesel spill which poured into two Arctic rivers in late May.

International correspondent @DiMagnaySky

Friday 3 July 2020 23:41, UK

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

The drive from Norilsk airport to the city takes you past mile after mile of crumbling, Soviet-era factories.

It looks like an endless, rusting scrapyard - a jumble of pipes, industrial junk and frost-bitten brickwork. If you were looking for an industrial apocalypse film setting, this would be your place - but you're unlikely to get the permissions.

Norilsk was built in Stalin's times by gulag prisoners. This gritty industrial city is a testament to their endurance both of the cruelty of Stalin's regime and of the harsh polar climate. There were no thoughts then on how to build to protect the environment, just to survive it.

Vasily Ryabinin doesn't think much has changed, at least in ecological terms. He used to work for the local branch of the federal environmental watchdog, Rosprirodnadzor, but quit in June after exposing what he says was a failure to investigate properly the environmental impact of the gigantic diesel spill which poured into two Arctic rivers in late May.

At 21,000 tonnes, it was the largest industrial spill in the polar Arctic .

Despite the Kremlin declaring a federal emergency and sending a host of different agencies to participate in the clean-up, just last week Mr Ryabinin and activists from Greenpeace Russia found another area where technical water used in industrial processes was being pumped directly into the tundra from a nearby tailing pond. Russia's investigative committee has promised to investigate.

"The ecological situation here is so bad," Mr Ryabinin says.

"The latest constructions such as the tailing pond at the Talnack ore-processing plant were built exclusively by Nornickel chief executive Vladimir Potanin's team and supposedly in accordance with ecological standards, but on satellite images you can see that all the lakes in the vicinity have unnatural colours and obviously something has got into them."

Mining company Nornickel would disagree. It has admitted flagrant violations at the tailing pond and suspended staff it deems responsible at both the Talnack plant and at Norilsk Heat and Power plant no 3 where the diesel spill originated from.

On Thursday it appointed Andrey Bougrov, from its senior management board, to the newly-created role of senior vice president for environmental protection. It has a clear environmental strategy, provides regular updates on the status of the spill, and its Twitter feed is filled with climate-related alerts.

But what investors read is very different to the picture on the ground.

Norilsk used to be a closed city - one of dozens across the Soviet Union shut off to protect industrial secrets. Foreigners need special permissions approved by the Federal Security Service (FSB) to enter the region. It would take an invitation from Nornickel to make that happen and, for the past month since the spill, that has not been forthcoming.

Unlike in Soviet times, Russian citizens are now free to come and go. That's why our Sky News Moscow team were able to fly in and travel around the city, even if getting to the spill site was blocked. What they were able to film provides a snapshot of the immense challenge Russia faces in upgrading its Soviet-era industrial infrastructure, particularly at a time when climate change is melting the permafrost on which much of it was built.

Just downwind from one of the rusting factories on the city outskirts is a huge expanse of dead land. The skeletal remains of trees stand forlorn against the howling Arctic winds. Sulphur dioxide poisoning has snuffed the life out of all that lived here. Norilsk is the world's worst emitter of sulphur dioxide by a substantial margin.

"For 80km south of here everything is dead," Mr Ryabinin says, "and for at least 10km in that direction too. Everything here depends on the wind."

Immediately after the spill, Mr Ryabinin filmed and took samples from the Daldykan river just a few kilometres from the fuel tank which had leaked. By that point the river was a churning mix of diesel and red sludge dredged up from the riverbed by the force of the leak. Norilsk's rivers have turned red before and the chemical residues have sunk to the bottom, killing all life there. Nothing has lived in those rivers for decades.

In his capacity as deputy head of the local environmental watchdog, Mr Ryabinin says he insisted that he be allowed to fly further north to check the levels of contamination in Lake Pyasino and beyond.

Nornickel at the time claimed the lake was untouched by the spill. Mr Ryabinin says his boss encouraged him to let things be.

"I can't be sure I would have found anything, but this sort of confrontation - making sure I didn't go there with a camera, let alone with bottles for taking samples, it was all very clear to me. It was the final straw."

Rosprirodnadzor refused to comment to Sky News on Mr Ryabinin's allegations or suggestions that the agency was working hand in hand with Nornickel.

Georgy Kavanosyan is an environmental blogger with a healthy 37,000 following on YouTube. Shortly after the spill, he set out for Lake Pyasino and to the Pyasina River beyond to see how far the diesel had spread.

"We set out at night so that the Norilsk Nickel security wouldn't detect us. I say at night, but they've got polar nights there now, north of the Arctic Circle. So it's still light but it's quieter and we managed to go past all the cordons."

He is one of the few to have provided evidence that the diesel has in fact travelled far beyond where the company admits. Not just the 1,200km (745m) length of Lake Pyasino but into the river beyond.

He says his measurements indicated a volume of hydrocarbons dissolved in the water of between two and three times normal levels. He thinks after he published his findings on YouTube, the authorities' vigilance increased.

Greenpeace Russia have spent the last two weeks trying to obtain samples from Lake Pyasino and the surrounding area. They have faced difficulties getting around and flying their samples out for independent analysis.

They are now waiting for results from a laboratory in St Petersburg but say the samples remain valid technically for just four days after collection and that they weren't able to make that deadline due to the authorities' actively obstructing their work.

Elena Sakirko from Greenpeace Russia specialises in oil spills and says this has happened to her before. This time, a police helicopter flew to the hunter's hut where they were staying and confiscated the fuel for the boat they were using. Then a deputy for the Moscow city parliament tasked with bringing the samples back from Norilsk was forced to go back empty-handed.

"We were told at the airport we needed permission from the security department of Nornickel," Ms Sakirko says. "We asked them to show us some law or statement to prove that this was legal or what the basis for this was, but they haven't showed us anything and we still don't understand it."

Nornickel announced this week that the critical stage of the diesel spill is over. The company is now finalising dates for a press tour for foreign media and for other international environmentalists.

Mr Ryabinin thinks this should have happened weeks ago.

"If we don't let scientists come to the Arctic region to evaluate the impact of the accident, then in the future if anything similar happens, we won't know what to do."

A spokesperson for Nornickel said the company "is actively cooperating with the scientific community and will meticulously assess both the causes and effects of the accident."

Nornickel considers permafrost thawing to be the primary cause of the accident, but is waiting for the end of investigation before making a final statement, the spokesperson said.

They added that the company "accepts full responsibility for the incidents on its sites these past two months and holds itself accountable for any infrastructural deficits or poor decisions by personnel.

"The imperative is to do everything to clean up our sites, instil a stronger culture of transparency and safety in our workforce, and ensure that such situations do not occur in the future."