Blue Parallel, a specialty tour operator that caters to affluent travelers with customized adventure packages, added Sicily and the Aeolian Islands to its list of destinations.
Emmanuel Burgio, the founder of Blue Parallel, began the tour business in 2002 with one destination: Machu Picchu. He had originally planned to create a global tour company that serviced 80 destinations, focusing on UNESCO World Heritage sites. But when obtaining financial backers proved difficult, he decided to start small and keep control of the entire product himself.
"I decided to start with a few destinations and I would be the one controlling everything," said Burgio. "It would be our own product from beginning to end. Thinking back on it, it was a good idea. With the type of clients we deal with, we need to be in control of any given journey. It wouldn't be possible to do this through outsourcing. "
Blue Parallel's clients are affluent, high-powered travelers who demand a lot for their money. The company is founded on the capacity to meet their individual needs and provide "life-changing experiences." The company maintains a broad portfolio of special experiences and activities to offer clients.
The company gradually grew its list of destinations, first in Latin America and starting in 2013 in the Mediterranean region.
The company's newest destination offering in Sicily and the Aeolian Islands includes a wide variety of possible inclusions in custom-made packages, such as hiking around an active volcano on the island of Stromboli, insider access in the Baroque Valley, biking on scenic trails, private boat trips to secluded beaches near the island of Panarea, a cooking class by a popular chef at a private estate in Sicily, and VIP visits to UNESCO sites, such as the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento.
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