Conservation Conversation with Explorer X

Michael Bennett in Peru

Michael Bennett, Ed.D, is the co-founder of Explorer X, a Seattle-based travel design company launched in 2017 by him and fellow travel industry veteran Jake Haupert. It crafts unforgettable and impactful travel experiences for its clients. The company’s mission is to support clients in both traveling better and living better. Bennet puts it this way, “We're sort of the love-child of Anthony Bourdain, the irreverent yet savvy traveler, and Joseph Campbell, the wise and sage-like teacher.”

How does Explorer X's mission connect with the issues of climate change, overtourism, and other problems facing places? How do you see it from your perspective?

Issues like climate change, over-tourism, and environmental, cultural, and economic conservation and regeneration are at the heart of everything we do. We're mindful of where we send each and every traveler and lovingly encourage them to consider destinations that are a little more off-the-beaten-path so as to avoid over-tourism. As much as possible, we avoid domestic air travel and prefer trains and other forms of public transportation when available. We almost always book small, locally-owned accommodations and only work with local guides so as to keep as much money in-destination as possible. (Our goal is to keep 75 percent of all trip costs in the destination.) We're not only proud members of ATCF but also of 1% for the Planet. 

Michael Bennett in Iceland

We encourage and support our travelers in embarking on their journeys with more intention and purpose while staying open-minded, present, and aware of all that they are seeing and experiencing while on the road. In doing so, they can connect and engage more deeply with the people, the culture, and the history of a destination. As a result, your travelers are more likely to take mindful action to not only preserve what is currently there but, when and where appropriate, help regenerate those things that may have been lost. 

In essence, we embrace the thoughts of Baba Dioum: “In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will only understand only what we (experience).”

Explorer X has been a big supporter of ACTF. Why?

Michael Bennett in Egypt

Simple: We believe in the mission of ATCF and, just as importantly, we believe in people creating change through the ATCF. There is immense power in coming together as a community to support worthy projects around the world that are doing critical work to combat climate change and protect and preserve the environmental, cultural, and economic resources we have been entrusted with, and we can't think of anyone better than the folks at ATCF to lead this charge on our behalf. At the end of 2022, we took a portion of our proceeds and made a financial contribution to ATCF.

You are passionate in your belief that travel can transform lives and the world. Please share more.

I call the 3 Us of Travel: First, there is the ultimate game we are all playing, which is to become the best possible version of ourselves. Of course, this would suggest that we need to make incremental improvements in who we are being on a daily basis to close the gap between who we are currently being and who we are capable of being. But here's the thing: The only reliable source of action in our lives is how we are ourselves and how we see the world. So if we want to take consistent action to improve who we are being and how we are showing up in the world, we need to keep growing and changing how we see ourselves and the world ... and the best (and most exciting) way to do that is through travel! 

Next, there is a universal path that we all go on when we travel – some people call this the Hero's Journey. We feel some call to go on an adventure; we embark on said adventure; we face trials and challenges, meet new friends and mentors, and are pushed beyond our normal comfort zones; we learn critical lessons about ourselves and the world ... and then bring that wisdom home with us, where we begin making small but impactful changes in our life. 

Michael Bennett on Faroe Islands

While the path is universal, we each have a unique practice, or way of engaging with our travels, that allows us to get the most from these experiences. Some people prefer to read as much as possible about their destination before going while others like to stay completely open and go in with a blank slate; some people are morning people while others like to stay up late; some people take a Mindful Moment through meditation or prayer while others use creativity and art to connect to the unseen spirit and forces that surround us all. There is no right way or wrong way; we each have our unique way of exploring, and as long as we are true to that, every travel experience can teach us something. 

You can learn more about Explorer X on Instagram and Facebook.