Avila Reizen wins Verre Reizen Award: "We continue to challenge ourselves – sitting still is not an option"

For the third consecutive year, Avila Reizen has claimed the coveted Verre Reizen Award, and for the second time the Sustainability Award. Tim van der Wel shares the secret.

For the third consecutive year, Avila Reizen has won the coveted Long Distance Travel Award, and for the second time in a row the Sustainability Award. A double honor. “When we first appeared at the travel gala in 2020, few people knew us. The fact that we are now seen as the specialist for long distance travel is incredibly special,” says co-founder Tim.

Together with his wife Hilda, Tim van der Wel started Avila Travel as a duo, and now a renowned travel company with offices in Belgium, Mexico and Panama, among others. 

The title 'Best tour operator for long-distance travel' has become inextricably linked to Avila Reizen. For the third consecutive year, the company has won the coveted Long-Distance Travel Award. Where it all started as a specialist in Latin America and Africa, the travel offer now covers the entire world. “That didn’t happen by itself,” Tim emphasizes. “We made acquisitions, hired specialists and brought in the agency for National Geographic Expeditions.”

But it's not just about exclusive destinations; making a positive impact is central. For the second time in a row, Avila Reizen receives the Sustainability Award, a recognition for the impactful initiatives that the company undertakes: ''We have our own foundation, the Avila Foundation, with which we support various projects worldwide, but also manage our own project in Venezuela (my wife's country of birth). In Venezuela we have been running a house (called Casa Blanca) for four years now, where 100 underprivileged children are offered a hot meal by us every day and we organize excursions and events for the kids to give them the feeling of belonging (think of music lessons, beach clean-ups, Easter celebrations, etc.). We recently purchased a second house to set up a similar project for somewhat older children who have very different social needs.''

“We have been running a house in Venezuela for four years now”

Sustainable entrepreneurship: balancing impact and profitability

According to Tim, sustainability doesn’t have to come at the expense of profitability—in fact, he sees it as an essential part of success. “We believe that making a positive impact and profitability can go hand in hand. Our ultimate goal is to find the perfect balance between profitability, customer satisfaction, employee happiness, and positive impact every day. If any of these things are out of balance, we are not successful.” 

“We are convinced that making a positive impact and profitability can go hand in hand”

Final Thoughts: Take the Next Step

The ambition to become more sustainable does not stop here. “We want to further expand the activities of our foundation and increasingly enter into partnerships with parties that are committed to species conservation, ecosystems and social projects,” says Tim. “The travel world is bursting with positive initiatives and it is up to us as a tour operator to incorporate them into our offering.” By making conscious choices, Avila Reizen wants to increase the impact of travel—not only for travelers, but also for the world. 

Curious about the travel specialist's offer? Visit the Avila Reizen website here.