Overseas Adventure Travel

Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T) is a branded operation of Grand Circle Travel, offering group adventure travel to locations foreign to the United States of America. Compared to GCT trips, O.A.T offers slightly smaller groups and a higher level of physical activity, but within the capability of a healthy, fit, and active older adult.

O.A.T was acquired in 1993 by Alan and Harriet Lewis, who also own Grand Circle Cruise Line and Grand Circle Travel. In 2016, O.A.T added several new adventures included destinations to Asia, South America, and the South Pacific, as well as a second Cuba program.^[1]

History

A 28-year-old high school teacher named Judi Wineland established Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T) in 1978. After journeying to Africa, Judi identified a need for a more cost-effective, adventurous, and culturally authentic safari experience. She began with tours to unspoiled Tanzania, becoming the country’s first US tour operator to offer tented safaris. O.A.T went on to offer custom small group trips to less-traveled destinations around the world, including trips to Peru, Nepal, East Africa, and Turkey.

In 1993, O.A.T was acquired by the Grand Circle Corporation, and the company has since shifted toward offering “soft adventures” for Americans ages 50 and older.^[2]

Destinations

OTA offers adventure trips to a variety of destinations in Africa, Asia, Central America, Europe, the Middle East, South America, and the South Pacific. New destinations for 2015 include Brazil, Peru, Indonesia, Sicily, and Tuscany.^[3]

Africa

O.A.T offers several different land adventures in Africa, including four popular safaris throughout Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, and the Serengeti. Trips include game-viewing drives through national parks and encourage immersion in tribal and village culture. Optional tours range from helicopter rides and African dance performances to elephant-back and sunrise balloon safaris.^[4]

Asia

O.A.T's Asian destinations include India, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, Nepal, China, Mongolia, and Japan. Both land and small ship adventures are available, including a river cruise on China’s Yangtze River.^[5] Optional pre- and post-trip extensions take travelers through the Gobi Desert, the heart of Cambodia, Hiroshima, and other regions. Quicker add-on tours are available for more intimate engagement with Asian art, music, and daily life.^[6] In 2016, O.A.T added a 19-day journey to South India and Sri Lanka, including stops in Chennai, Colombo, Negombo, Kumarakom, and Cochin.^[7]

Central and South America

Central and South American land adventures include trips to Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Chile, Argentina, Peru, and other countries. Popular sites include the Amazon Rain Forest, an overnight stay at Machu Picchu, the Galápagos Islands, Patagonia, and a small ship cruise through the Straight of Magellan and Cape Horn.^[8] New for 2016 is a 15-day tour of Chile covering Santiago, San Pedro de Atacama, Punta Arenas, Torres del Paine National Park, and the Chilean Fjords.^[9]

Europe

O.A.T’s European trips are focused on less-traveled regions and sites in Iceland, Spain, Sicily, Tuscany, Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia, Poland, and Russia. A typical itinerary includes visits to iconic landmarks and historical landscapes, walking tours, boat rides, and home-hosted dinners—plus a variety of optional tours ranging from hot-air balloon rides to folk shows and local musical performances. New European trips for 2016 include a 17-day excursion to Northern Spain and Portugal and an 18-day trip through Northern Greece, Albania, and Macedonia.^[10]

Australia and New Zealand

O.A.T offers several South Pacific tour packages, including trips to both popular and less-known destinations throughout Australia and New Zealand.^[11] Australian land adventures take travelers through Melbourne, Sydney, and the Great Barrier Reef. Optional tours include full-day wildlife adventures and an Aboriginal Cultural Tour in Desert Park. In 2016, O.A.T added a 17-day trip to New Zealand, including stops in Wellington, Nelson, Abel Tasman National Park, Milford Sound, Queenstown, and Auckland.^[12]

Cuba People-to-People Program

O.A.T and the Grand Circle Foundation are fully licensed for people-to-people travel in Cuba. The recently announced 2017 Cuba trip will take travelers through Havana, Cienfuegos, and the historic Trinidad (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The 12-day Cuba trip is limited to 12-20 participants and features an itinerary focused heavily on cultural engagement.

Awards

O.A.T has been named one of the world’s best tour operators and safari outfitters by Travel + Leisure readers,^[13] while the magazine has twice awarded O.A.T a Global Vision Award for philanthropy, including a leadership award in 2013.^[14] Recently, O.A.T has been recognized for its industry leadership and philanthropic contributions by several countries, including South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Laos, Turkey, Nepal, Mongolia, and Bhutan.

Group Size and Age Minimums

Overseas Adventure Travel trips are characterized by their small group sizes. Each trip is limited to just 10-16 travelers for land adventures and 16-25 for small ship cruises. Smaller groups allow for intimate accommodations that would be too small for a typically sized tour.^[15] While O.A.T caters specifically to Americans aged 50 or older, the minimum age requirement is 13 years old.^[16] However, passengers of this age are not commonplace.

Cultural Engagement

Overseas Adventure Travel’s theme is “Learning and Discovery.” Tours will typically include at least one tour-paid "in home" meal prepared by a local resident and a visit to a local grade school, many of which receive some financial support from the Grand Circle Foundation. O.A.T itineraries are heavily focused on interacting with local people where they actually live, work, and play.^[17] Trip leaders are English-speaking residents of the country who provide travelers with in-depth insider knowledge on local history, culture, language, and nature.

Solo-Friendly Travel

40% of O.A.T travelers are solo travelers, and O.A.T structures itineraries to accommodate solo travel. Travel + Leisure magazine named Overseas Adventure Travel as one of the “Best Companies for Traveling Solo.^[18] Travel Channel named O.A.T the Top Tour for Budget-Conscious Travelers.^[19]

Philanthropy

Through the company’s Grand Circle Foundation, more than $97 million has been pledged toward education & preservation in more than 30 countries since 1992.^[20] An additional $400k donation was raised by GCF and travelers for Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti.^[21] Domestically, O.A.T launched a $10 million program for Boston high school students, aimed at doubling the number of four-year college degrees attained by the city’s most underserved neighborhoods by 2018. ^xxii In 2012, O.A.T pledged $600,000 to benefit WBUR, Boston’s NPR station, the largest donation in the station’s history.^[22]

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