Enchanters Newsletter, December 2025

A Notice from Hannah Howe, Folks Director

As I method my first anniversary with Enchanting Travels, I’ve been reflecting on what an unbelievable journey the previous 12 months has been. Becoming a member of this enterprise has been each inspiring and energising in methods which can be arduous to place into phrases.

From my very first week, it was clear that Enchanting Travels is a really particular place, a enterprise with a tradition not like any I’ve labored in earlier than.

Our individuals are genuinely obsessed with what they do, deeply related to our objective, and happy with the impression they make. As a Folks Director, that form of engagement is the dream. It signifies that even after we face challenges, we’re already ranging from a spot of positivity and belief, and that makes all of the distinction.

There’s no denying that this previous 12 months has been a difficult one for the journey market and for our enterprise. Like many others, we’ve felt the results of a softer buying and selling setting and exterior elements past our management. However by all of it, what’s stood out to me is the resilience, creativity, and teamwork that outline Enchanting Travels. The way in which our folks proceed to assist one another, keep centered on our friends, and hold driving ahead is actually inspiring.

As we transfer into the subsequent chapter of ET 3.0, I’m enthusiastic about what lies forward. This new section brings with it recent alternatives to evolve, develop, and strengthen the foundations that make Enchanting so distinctive, our folks, our tradition, and our ardour for creating unforgettable journeys.

On a private word, I’ve felt extremely welcomed, and it truthfully appears like I’ve been a part of the ET household far longer than my (nearly) 12 months right here. Talking of household, we’re about to expertise Enchanting Travels for ourselves with our first ET journey to Japan. Our Journey Marketing consultant, Andy Finlay, has created an incredible five-city itinerary that I do know will probably be unforgettable. Japan has been on my husband Joni’s bucket listing for years, and now that the youngsters are a bit of older, we’re lastly making it occur. I can’t wait to expertise our product by our friends’ eyes, and I’m positive it’s going to give me an excellent deeper appreciation of what makes this model so particular.

As we stay up for FY26, there’s lots to be happy with and lots to sit up for. We’re coming into a brand new section with renewed focus, ambition, and confidence, and I really feel extremely grateful to be on this journey with such proficient and dedicated folks.

Thanks all for the heat, creativity, and vitality you deliver to Enchanting Travels every single day. Right here’s to a different 12 months of studying, rising, and doing extraordinary issues collectively.

Heat regards,Hannah

Advertising Group Meet in London, Mark Harrison

On the finish of August, the senior Advertising crew lastly existed in three dimensions. Unfold throughout the US and Europe, most of our collaboration occurs by way of screens – so assembly in particular person at our Surbiton workplace felt like seeing acquainted characters step out of the display and into actual life. It was additionally Melanie’s first go to to the UK workplace, including to the thrill.

The week blended technique and planning with real connection. Over coffees, dinners, and (see pic!) a ship on the Thames, we found the people behind the job titles. Andrew, our heroic “Captain”, steered us with eyes largely open, whereas within the dialog, laughter, and honesty flowed as freely because the wine.

Competitors inevitably kicked in when the Gross sales crew appeared close by. Whether or not we technically gained the race is up for debate, however the crew spirit was simple. By the week’s finish, we’d accomplished greater than align on technique: we’d bonded, laughed, and shared tales – reminding us why in-person time, although typically uncommon, can be so invaluable.

San Francisco Visitor Occasion, Emalee Crosser

As Parik talked about within the Enchanters Slack channel, we lately had the pleasure of internet hosting an exquisite visitor occasion in San Francisco, California!

Parik, Peter, Derek, Heather, and I hosted the night at Uccello Lounge, an elegant area inside the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The venue was really useful by certainly one of Heather’s wonderful friends, and it was successful – the dwell pianist within the lounge set the proper soundtrack, making a heat and alluring vibe that carried by the night time.

Listed here are a number of of my favourite moments and takeaways from the night:

It was such a pleasure to see our proficient gross sales crew join with friends in particular person, sharing their journey tales and passions. The friends I spoke with have been filled with reward for our crew, which was heartwarming and made me proud to be an Enchanter.

I had the possibility to speak with Alison Love, who has taken 12 journeys with us and generously permits us to make use of her pictures for advertising and marketing. As ET’s social media supervisor, I already felt like I knew her from her unbelievable images, so assembly her in particular person was surreal – and sure, I used to be a bit starstruck, as she’s considerably of an ET superstar!

As a distant employee in Kansas Metropolis, I treasured the time spent with my colleagues in particular person. After the occasion, debriefing and hanging out as a crew was such a enjoyable technique to strengthen our connections and soak within the night’s vitality.

Total, the San Francisco visitor occasion was a memorable and significant expertise – and I’m grateful to have been a part of it!

Gross sales Group Highlight

Rebecca Alterman

On a bustling summer time night, my husband and I headed to New Terrain, our favourite native brewery. True to kind, their patio was packed, and we have been attempting to find a spot to take a seat. We noticed a big picnic desk with only one couple, Annie and Kelly, and their pleasant canine, so we requested if we may share the area. They fortunately welcomed us, and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than we have been deep in dialog. Annie is splendidly chatty, and as we chatted over our beers, the subject naturally drifted to journey and their very own upcoming trip plans.

“Because it occurs,” I laughed, “I really work in journey!”

Annie’s eyes lit up. She was so excited to listen to about Enchanting Travels and what we do. We talked for some time longer, and because the night wound down, we exchanged contact data. We thought it was only a beautiful, pleasant chat, however a few weeks later, an electronic mail from Annie landed in our inbox. That informal dialog had sparked an thought, and now they have been significantly inquiring a couple of journey to Greece. The most effective half? This wasn’t simply an impersonal electronic mail reserving. Annie and Kelly have been so invested within the connection we’d made that they got here proper into the workplace to satisfy their new official Journey Marketing consultant, Emily Walter, in particular person. What began as merely looking for a seat on a crowded patio blossomed into planning a visit of a lifetime. It was an exquisite reminder that connections can occur anyplace, and this unbelievable, organically grown reserving all started with two {couples} (and a canine) sharing a desk.

Thidara Udomritkul & Akshay Maggu

This can be a story all about teamwork amongst the gross sales crew and tuning into the main points. It began when TC Akshay had booked journeys to Sri Lanka, Thailand and India for multi-repeat visitor, Jeremy Lewis.

Throughout their chat Jeremy let slip a number of key particulars: he was an enormous fan of Argentinian pink wine and was vastly trying ahead to his go to to Mendoza, and that he was about to have a good time his fortieth (Ruby) marriage ceremony anniversary. That’s when TCs Thidara and Akshay put their heads collectively. To have a good time their loyal visitor’s large milestone, they despatched Jeremy a shock hamper that includes a bottle of fantastic Argentinian wine. The thank-you word they obtained again was priceless. It turned out, simply because the hamper arrived, Jeremy had pulled his again and was ‘presently mendacity on the ground feeling sorry for myself.’ He wrote that the shock ‘has positively cheered me up and the pink wine will undoubtedly ease the ache…!’

Whereas we will’t formally advocate pink wine as a remedy for again ache, it’s a heartwarming story of how the collaboration of Thidara and Akshay’s considerate, private gesture made a visitor’s day in additional methods than one!

James Brown

So, after I first began correctly utilizing AI at work, my most artistic outlet was getting it to generate personalised birthday playing cards for our journey friends. You realize, a pleasant watercolour of the Sydney Harbour Bridge for somebody off to Sydney, a seashore scene for somebody heading to the Nice Barrier Reef. Easy, good stuff. That each one modified after I began chatting with Gemma. Gemma was certainly one of our friends, and her birthday was developing simply earlier than a giant gorilla-trekking journey to Rwanda I’d helped plan. We have been finalising particulars, and he or she instructed me,

“My grandma is my actual journey inspiration, she was wonderful.”

“Oh yeah?” I requested. “What did she stand up to?”

“Nicely,” Gemma mentioned, “she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in her sixties.”

“Wow,” I replied, “that’s unbelievable.”

“Wait, it will get higher,” she mentioned. “There’s an outdated picture of her within the native newspaper, standing proper on the summit, freezing chilly… carrying a Huddersfield City soccer shirt.

“I completely howled. A Huddersfield City shirt! On the high of Kilimanjaro! It was simply so completely, brilliantly random. With out even considering, I typed again, “Gemma, your grandma has set the bar impossibly excessive. There’s just one factor for it. You must come again from Rwanda with a photograph of a gorilla in a City shirt.”

She beloved the joke. And proper then, my normal ‘Glad Birthday in Rwanda’ card thought went straight within the bin. I knew precisely what I needed to get the AI to generate. That is the cardboard I despatched her:

Yamuna Bhuchar

Our favorite tales, the sort that basically reminds you why this job is so particular, is a couple of couple named the Brauckmanns. They first travelled with us again in 2023 on a visit to Japan, which our specialist, Yamuna, deliberate for them. She clearly did an incredible job and actually “nurtured” them, the proper mix of seamless planning and real care.

A short time later, they got here again to us, and particularly to Yamuna, to ebook their subsequent large journey: India. This one was particular. It turned out this was a lifelong dream for Mrs. Brauckmann. She instructed Yamuna that as a bit of lady, she’d had a pen pal in India and had dreamed of someday visiting the nation she’d solely examine in letters. Yamuna was so touched, she poured all the pieces into making it the proper itinerary.

However right here’s the very best half. As they have been finalising the main points, the Brauckmanns made a particular request. Their journey included a cease in New Delhi, they usually requested, “Is there any likelihood we may meet Yamuna whereas we’re there?” It simply exhibits the unbelievable connection they’d constructed, throughout electronic mail and cellphone calls about Japan! And so they did! Yamuna was capable of meet her repeat friends one night in New Delhi. They’d a fully fantastic time collectively, lastly placing faces to names and sharing tales in particular person. It’s simply so beautiful, a relationship that began with a Japan itinerary and changed into an actual, private connection, culminating in a contented assembly on the opposite facet of the world.

World Neighborhood Service Initiatives

Volunteers of America, Denver – Vineeta Laxminarayan

Rebecca Alterman organized a beautiful summer time afternoon of bonding by weeding, clipping, chopping, sweeping and raking a really untidy yard of a senior citizen who couldn’t do it herself. We realized lots about one another and about plant care by this expertise.

Seashore Clear up in Goa, India – Anshu Puri

Our Goa crew meet-up this 12 months was actually particular — a number of unforgettable days stuffed with laughter, sunshine, and real connections. After months of seeing one another solely by Google Meet squares, it felt wonderful to lastly meet the actual folks behind the screens. There’s one thing magical about having the ability to sit collectively, share a meal, giggle over inside jokes, and uncover how a lot heat and character everybody brings past work calls.

The spotlight for me was how effortlessly work and enjoyable blended collectively. Whether or not it was brainstorming visitor options over breakfast, chatting about concepts throughout seashore walks, or developing with instantaneous fixes for journey challenges whereas lounging by the pool — we have been studying, connecting, and supporting each other in such a pure, straightforward approach.

Our Seashore Clear-Up exercise added a deeper layer to the expertise. Standing shoulder to shoulder, cleansing the shore below the morning solar, reminded us how small efforts can create significant impression. It was humbling, rewarding, and a lovely reflection of our shared values — teamwork, accountability, and care. Evenings changed into lengthy seashore walks, laughter-filled dinners, and a few very vigorous late-night events! These moments of pleasure, music, and real camaraderie made us really feel extra like a household than simply colleagues.

In at this time’s world of distant work, assembly in particular person appears like a luxurious — and this meet-up reminded us how irreplaceable human connection actually is. We returned not simply with recollections of Goa’s golden sunsets, however with stronger bonds, renewed vitality, and gratitude for the unbelievable crew we get to name our personal.

Denver Workplace Group Lunches

For our month-to-month crew lunches within the Denver workplace, we determined to do a Diwali theme in October and a Thanksgiving theme in November the place our groups determined to place their culinary and decor expertise on show. We weren’t disenchanted!!!!