Withlocals envisions a world where responsible travel experiences are universally accessible and tourism positively impacts our planet, changing lives for the better.
We’re on a mission to reshape the way we travel. We aim to connect people and cultures through unique and memorable travel experiences with people, places, and the planet in mind. To travel for the better, for the experience, and for the sense of community.
“Connecting people and cultures is the very essence of humanity. It is through these connections that we can learn from one another, grow together, and build a better world for all.”- Willem, founder of Withlocals.
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Our story began in 2013 in India. During his travels, our founder Willem accidentally stumbled upon a local guy called RP. RP offered him and his wife to take them out of Delhi into Rajasthan. “Saying yes was one of the best decisions in my life”. It was the start of a whole new experience. RP showed them the real beauty of New Delhi, helping them to understand local life, meeting his friends, eating delicious food, and chatting about life, experiencing India like a local.
RP loved being able to share his passion, offering completely personalized tours for guests. But
the downside was he had a lot of trouble making a living. He asked us: “Can you set up a website in Europe to send guests to me directly?” That’s when the idea of Withlocals was born! To enable more people to earn an income with something they are passionate about. And, maybe even more importantly, creating a higher purpose by connecting people and cultures from all over the world leading to better cultural understanding and ever-lasting memories & friendships
“The beauty of the world lies in the diversity of its people.”
We believe we can reshape the way we travel by focusing on the following three pillars:
Offer authentic travel experiences
An experiential travel platform offering private, personalized experiences guided by locals!
Support sustainable livelihoods
Foster economic and social inclusivity by supporting micro-entrepeneurs (local hosts) and small local businesses.
Inspire responsible traveling
Reshape the industry by inspiring the community to travel and connect with people, places, and the planet in mind.
Our ethical principles in delivering conscious travel experiences
To know more about our sustainability efforts, check out our sustainability page.