Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) Adventure Champions are the vanguards of the adventure travel industry, having been members of ATTA and leaders in the community for a minimum of 15 years. They are true believers in the power of adventure travel and have made an impact on the direction of ATTA and on the industry as a whole. To honor their commitment to their ethos and lasting contribution to the adventure travel industry, we are spotlighting Adventure Champions through a series of interviews.
ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours
Outbound Bicycle Tour Company
Headquarters: United States
ATTA Member since 2008
Introducing Monica and Maria Elena Malpezzi Price, Co-Owners of ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours:
Monica and Maria Elena own and operate two companies, one based in the USA and one based in Italy. Maria Elena is based in the US and manages ExperiencePlus! An outbound operator that takes travelers throughout the world on extraordinary guided cycling vacations. Monica manages BikesPlusm, an inbound operator based in Italy that supports travelers and companies who want to take cyclists throughout Italy and Europe on cycling vacations, guided and self-guided. ExperiencePlus! was started by their parents in 1972 (originally called Bike Across Italy). In 2022 they celebrated 50 years of taking people around the world by bike.
Why have you stayed an ATTA member for 15+ years?
Having grown up in a travel company we always felt like we were straddling multiple worlds – personally and professionally. When we met the ATTA community we realized there was an entire network of companies that had similar origin stories and similar lived and worked experiences. It felt like it was an extension of our family. We have learned so much from this network and value all the relationships we have forged.
How has your company/destination changed over the last 15 years?
15 years ago we decided to become second generation owners right in the middle of one of the steepest recessions in recent US history. This meant we had to learn a lot and quickly. We both felt like the company our parents started was important to us and to travelers as a way to help connect people around the globe. Since we took ownership of ExperiencePlus! and started the Italian company in 2008 and then became ATTA members, we have grown almost 10x.
What is the greatest force that drives you to work everyday?
Knowing we get to help people explore the world in such a personal way, and hoping that through those trips people gain a better understanding of how diverse our world is so that we can take better care of it.
What gives you hope about the next generation of adventure travel leaders?
I am excited to see a new generation of leaders emerging. Many of us have lived and grown up in travel or come to travel with fresh perspectives from other industries. I also hope that more diversity starts to support and expand the audiences that join the active travel community – both as guests and as leaders in the industry.
What is your advice for young adventure travel companies?
Always know what value add you provide to the guest and traveler. The point of joining and going on a trip with a company is because there should be expertise and added value, and knowing what that added value will help you stay focused and excited about what you do!
What gets you excited about the future of adventure travel?
I hope that we truly find a way to broaden our reach to more travelers to make adventure travel accessible. Also, we need to continute to talk about the need to travel responsibly and sustainably. Wherever we can lead by example we should. I’m excited that more more people realize that travel is very important to them, but it is still a privilege that not everyone is able to enjoy.
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