Diversity & Inclusion at Under30Experiences 

As a travel company operating in over thirty countries, diversity is at the core of our work. We are proud to take our travelers on life-changing travel experiences that bring them in contact with people from all walks of life who they normally wouldn’t interact with on a day-to-day basis. It’s rewarding to receive five-star reviews that say our travelers enjoyed meeting locals from new cultures and appreciate the unique perspectives of every individual in their group.

We encourage our travelers to join our trips with an open mind, ready to see the world and its beautiful, diverse inhabitants for who they really are.

Diversity Among our Team

We are very proud of our diverse team, with staff from different parts of the world. We believe it is important to work with local tour guides who speak the language and understand the culture. Also, we hire many women in countries where there aren't ordinarily female tour guides. Collaborating with people from indigenous groups like the Quechua in Peru, the Maya in Belize, or the Māori in New Zealand adds great value to our trips because of their unique backgrounds and often speak multiple local languages. 

For example, we specifically work with porters on the Inca Trail, who come from a rural indigenous village far outside of Cusco and wouldn't usually be able to work in tourism because of their remote geographic location.

Diversity in Our Itineraries and Travel Experiences

Our trips are designed to support off-the-beaten-path places, such as San Basillo de Palenque, a little-known UNESCO heritage site named an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Here, travelers learn about their social, medical, and religious practices as well as musical and oral traditions stemming from their African roots.

• Our Peru trip supports the rural village of K’intuy de Ocutuan, where we join Quechuan subsistence farmers for a cultural exchange. 
• In Costa Rica, we visit the El Cocal community center for a cooking experience with local families. This activity supports a community that tourism rarely reaches, and the money from this activity goes directly to families squatting on land, many of whom have migrated from Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.
• In Vietnam, we meet a Viet Cong war veteran to hear his story and listen to traditional music. 
• In South Africa, our travelers spend two immersive days in the Mashishimale Village and experience true village life at a homestay.

These are just a few examples of how we do our best to ensure our itineraries work to preserve the deep cultural roots in the places we visit… we could go on and on! 

Diversity Among our Vendors

Under30Experiences does its best to patronize local businesses that support good causes, many of which are often minority-owned. 

Here are a few examples of our diverse lineup of vendors we are most proud to work with: 

India

- Sheroes Hangout, a cafe run by female acid attack survivors.  

- Pink City Rickshaw Company, which gives employment and equity-holding opportunities to women from low-income areas of Jaipur.

Morocco

- Dar Tagine Guesthouse, a locally owned family establishment in the High Atlas Mountains. 

- Argan Oil Cooperative, a local, women-owned co-op. 

- Women-owned carpet co-op in Ait Benhaddou.

Egypt

- Dinner at the home of a resident from the Nubian village in Aswan.

- Lunch at a local family's home in Luxor.

Cambodia

- Village arts and crafts tour outside of Siem Reap, supporting local artists.

Guatemala

De La Gente Coffee Tour, sourcing coffee from cooperatives, including Mayan villages, and civil war guerillas re-integrating themselves into society.

Commitment to Diversity in Marketing

While we can’t control who signs up for our trips, we want people of all races, ethnicities, ages, genders, religions, sexual orientations, gender identities, disabilities, and economic statuses to feel welcome. This includes ensuring that the photos on our website, advertising, and social media feature a broad array of people, not just skinny young white individuals. We understand that some races tend to travel less than others, and we want the photos of our trips to reflect the real diversity of our community. We’re also careful not to oversell how diverse our trips are.

In short, our marketing is designed to make everyone feel included.

Website Accessibility

We’re also proud that our websites are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the European Accessibility Act (EAA) in accordance with the Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). This means our website is accessible to people with visual impairments, epilepsy, cognitive disabilities, and people with physical/motor challenges. Our websites use an application that adapts its functionality and behavior to interact with keyboard functions used by individuals with disabilities. We have invested significant time and monetary resources to achieve this.

Our Instagram is also accessible to people with visual impairments by offering alternative text for screen readers. 

Diversity in Our Community

Under30Experiences creates an accepting environment on our trips, at our local meetups, and online. We expect everyone to be respectful in our community and on social media platforms. 

Tolerance and respect are the cornerstones of a thriving community where everyone feels welcome. Every traveler should feel comfortable on our trips and know that they are safe from racism or discrimination of any kind.

We ask our Trip Leaders to refrain from sharing their political beliefs on our trips, and we hope you, too, can leave your political affiliations at home. Politics can be divisive, and many of us usually travel to escape the pressure and polarization we feel in our countries. Please refrain from actions that might unsettle or distract the group.

Anyone who disrupts our itineraries will be asked to leave.

Zero Tolerance Policy

Under30Experiences has a zero-tolerance policy for bullying, harassment, and hate speech. Anyone who knowingly violates these rules will be removed from the trip.

Our team works hard to create a safe space for all travelers where everyone feels comfortable. If you ever feel uncomfortable, you can always approach our Trip Leaders, email bookings@under30experiences.com, or WhatsApp us at 1-888-959-4436. 

To read our trip rules, please see any trip details page and our terms of service. 

Not Under Thirty Years Old? No worries!

Under30Experiences has always been an inclusive community, not an exclusive one. U30X is designed for travelers ages 21-35, but we don’t kick people over 35 who want to travel with us for the right reasons. You can also check out our brand, Over30Experiences, for solo travelers in their 30s and 40s. 

Travelers with Disabilities

We are often asked if we can accommodate travelers with disabilities. As you may have noticed on our website, each trip has a physical rating to appropriately inform our travelers about the difficulty of any strenuous activities like hikes, kayaking, and rock climbing. These activities are often optional, so if you prefer to skip one, like rock climbing in Thailand, that’s perfectly fine.

Many of our trips travel to rural areas in developing countries where things are less accessible than in US National Parks, for example. If our trips don’t fit your needs, we’re always happy to refer people to several companies that do outstanding work and serve travelers with disabilities.

• Ability Adventures 
• Iceland Unlimited
• Il Viaggio Travel
• Latin America for All

Many of these companies cater to people with mobility issues, visual impairment, and even operate sign language tours.

Neurodiversity

Each year, plenty of neurodivergent travelers go with us to various destinations around the world. This has included individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Please let us know about your medical condition in your pre-trip medical notes. Lying or withholding information about a medical condition is against our terms of service, and anyone who disrupts the trip will be asked to leave.

If you have severe social anxiety or are neurodivergent in any way, consult a medical professional and qualified psychologist to ensure group travel is right for you. Please note that our Trip Leaders can not provide individual attention to people with particular needs throughout the trip. You’ll be expected to be on time and not slow down the group.

We realize that travelers on the autism spectrum may have difficulty in noisy, crowded places like airports or major tourist attractions and that picking up on social cues during group travel can be difficult. Here are some great tips on traveling with ASD.

Travelers with autism may want to select a quieter destination like Costa Rica, Iceland, or Belize, where we don’t visit crowded attractions and spend more time in peaceful environments. Our best advice is to let your fellow travelers know that your brain works in a unique way and that you might miss social cues. We’ve found that our groups are usually super accepting of people who are upfront about things! 

If you would like more space on your trip, you can inquire about paying for your own room by emailing bookings@under30experiences.com. 

Are Our Trips Safe for LGBTQIA+ Travelers?

Fostering a group travel environment open to all is extremely important at Under30Experiences. Again, Under30Experiences has a zero-tolerance policy for bullying, harassment, and hate speech. Anyone who knowingly violates these rules will be removed from the trip.

Unfortunately, not all countries are okay with people from the LGBTQ community openly expressing who they are. While you can still travel to these destinations, public displays of affection between same-sex couples are not recommended in places like Egypt. 

Please consult Equaldex for more information or reach out to us with specific questions about a trip at bookings@under30experiences.com. 

We Hope you Feel Welcome in Our Community!

At Under30Experiences, diversity is at the core of everything we do. As a travel company operating in over 30 countries, we encourage our travelers to have life-changing experiences that bring them into contact with diverse cultures and people. Our team reflects this diversity, from local guides to women breaking barriers in traditionally male-dominated roles and Indigenous community members who enrich our trips. Moreover, we prioritize supporting off-the-beaten-path destinations that preserve cultural heritage and work with local, minority-owned vendors. Our commitment is to ensure that everyone, regardless of their background or identity, feels welcome on our trips. We continue to work hard to create an inclusive and respectful environment on every journey.