EDITOR ’ S NOTE
When I was a teenager , I worked for a company called Going Beyond Travel . The company plans adventurous trips for adults with special needs , and the tours include everything from day trips consisting of lunch and a musical to week-long cruises around the Caribbean complete with excursions , and almost everything in between — cabin getaways , day trips to Lambeau Field , weekends in the Wisconsin Dells , shopping in Chicago , you name it .
It didn ’ t really matter which destination we were going to or what the itinerary included , though , what was most important was that the company made — and still makes ! — travel accessible for people who might not have thought they ’ d ever get to take a vacation .
The lengths I ’ ve seen the owner go in order to include each and every one of her guests in an activity that might not have been easily attainable , and the joy I ’ ve seen spread across the faces of those guests , are memories that will forever stick with me . If I hadn ’ t already learned it , working for this company taught me at a young age the importance of including everyone .
Travel is for everyone ; this is the theme of our final issue of 2023 . While we can ’ t fit all the topics we ’ d like to cover in one single issue , we think we ’ ve chosen a few important ones . You ’ ll hear from experts on the subject of planning a trip with a neurodiverse child and directly from National Geographic ’ s Jeff Jenkins on his journey as a plussize traveler .
You ’ ll also hear from some of our friends in Maui about how to visit the island respectfully , get an overview from our annual VAX VacationAccess survey results on the current outlook of today ’ s travel
Codie Liermann
MANAGING EDITOR CODIE AIMS TO DELIVER VALUABLE CONTENT TO TRAVEL ADVISORS
advisor and learn about seven ways to build your professional brand .
We hope you find as much joy in reading what ’ s on the pages of this magazine as we found in putting it together . The travel industry has made major strides in the right direction , and there is still a lot that can be done to ensure everyone feels welcomed and included .
I love what Rumy Mohta , the president of Atlas Ventures , says on page 57 : “ The more we see the world , the more we learn about each other . The more we learn about each other , we face lesser problems in the world .”
While it might seem daunting for one person to make a difference , that ’ s exactly where inclusivity starts , with you and with me . I bet some of your favorite memories in life were made while traveling — let ’ s continue making sure this can be the case for everyone .
The travel industry has made major strides in the right direction , and there is still a lot that can be done to ensure everyone feels welcomed and included .
10 / THE COMPASS / WINTER 2023 vaxvacationaccess . com / thecompass