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A&K Travel Group founder Geoffrey Kent shares his aspirations for the company

“Adventure travel empire visionary talks new Crystal land excursions and the rise of small-ship expedition cruising ”

InterviewsOct 21, 2025by Editorial Aspire Travel Club

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Q. How was 2024 for A&K Travel Group?

Last year was our best on record, with double-digit growth. Japan did particularly well – we could have sold it twice over. That’s why our expedition cruises do so well around Japan. Southeast Asia is very popular, whether it’s Thailand, Laos or Cambodia, and Africa is still very busy. Since we bought Crystal in 2022, we’ve had our busiest sales globally. Looking ahead, Yucatan in Mexico is a big [destination for us] – we’ve just launched a DMC and have a property there that we’re refurbishing and bringing up to standard; it should open in late 2026 as an A&K Sanctuary.

Q. As well as celebrating Crystal’s 35th anniversary, you’re launching new A&K land experiences for cruise clients. Can you tell us more?

I was a bit sceptical about cruising at first. I’m an adventure guy – I jump out of planes and helicopters and go diving, so I thought I’d get bored sitting on a big cruise ship. But it’s exactly the opposite. The food is exceptionally good. You have a butler to iron your clothes. And now you can go on amazing excursions.

We’ve put together all of A&K’s land experience with DMCs around the world to create amazing experiences for Crystal customers. By using planes, you bring 250 miles into the orbit of where the ship is. So if the ship goes to Cape Town, you can go to Botswana for three to four days. But you’ve got to have the top guides, who need to be pre-booked, along with the hotels and lodges, which is why we’re launching the new land adventures now.

Q. Tell us about your trade strategy.

I’ve always worked with agents from day one. They’re very important to me. Travel agents are our partners – they understand their clients’ needs and we provide the expertise and on-the-ground experience that creates those once-in-a-lifetime journeys. We invest heavily in agent education and support because when they succeed, we succeed. Our trade team works closely with agents to craft bespoke itineraries. The relationship is built on trust and mutual respect, and after more than 60 years, that foundation has never been stronger.

Q. What’s your vision for the company?

As chairman emeritus, I don’t get involved with the day-to-day running of A&K Travel Group. But I’m a big private jet and adventure expert, and big on shipping, so I think the future is maybe about putting all of those things together with amazing chefs and lecturers on board. That, to me, is going to be the future of travel, but it’s going to be at a very, very high level. I think small boats for about 24 people to do a high-end reconnaissance at first, which could lead to Crystal expedition ships later, with professional divers, mountaineers and trained guides in the destinations. I want to do more helicopter and small-boat expeditions to places that people have never been to.

To see Gabon, for instance, you have to go by helicopter because there are no roads. It’s all about going back to exploring all over again, but in a new way.

I believe there’s a big future for river ships. This summer, we launched a new one on the Amazon – the Pure Amazon boutique riverboat, A&K Sanctuary’s first foray in South America.

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Q. What is your definition of luxury and how has the typical A&K guest changed over time?

Luxury for me is all about being adventurous but doing it in an enjoyable way. I based my idea for it when I was an aide-de-camp for Major-General John Frost, a great Second World War hero who was incredibly tough, but who lived incredibly luxuriously. To me, luxury is all about real experiences – creating something that has never been seen and showing it to my clients as house guests. You’re taking people’s time, so you need to make every moment they spend with you rewarding. But things have changed.

People in the early days would take a 30-day safari and would do it with their families. Every year, they would do the same trip in Uganda and Kenya. Nowadays, people have two weeks and want to condense those big trips. And they don’t like to repeat them anymore.

Q. What challenges and opportunities does the industry face right now?

The biggest challenge for the industry is clients’ perception of safety. People want to travel with their families and often in multigenerational groups, so they don’t want to go anywhere they feel insecure, particularly Americans. So I think the biggest thing we’re going to have to get over is global geopolitics. The best thing is for companies to be diversified so that when travel peters out in, say, the Middle East, they can take advantage of being busy elsewhere. There are tremendous opportunities too. We’re seeing incredible pent-up demand for meaningful travel experiences.

People want to connect with local cultures in ways they never did before – they’re seeking transformation, not just relaxation.

Q. Can you tell us more about your non-profit organisation A&K Philanthropy?

Every time a client travels with A&K, something is given back to the country they go to. I’ve been doing this since 1982. A&K Philanthropy now operates all over the world through every one of our operating companies. It’s a huge operation in 25 countries; we donate about $2.7 million a year for health, schooling, the environment and enterprise. The way to do it is always to involve local people, bringing them in and creating money for them.