What EXPLORE does

EXPLORE, Inc. is a privately held luxury custom travel agency headquartered in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, founded in 1994 by Cherri Briggs. The company designs bespoke safari and experiential travel itineraries spanning 24+ countries, with a primary focus on African destinations (including Botswana, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Mozambique, Uganda, Morocco, Malawi, Seychelles, Egypt, Ethiopia, Congo, and Mauritius) and a curated set of Beyond Africa destinations (Australia, Costa Rica, Ecuador & Galápagos, India, New Zealand, and Peru). Its core product is human-curated itinerary design built on personal relationships with privately-owned camps and lodges in pristine wilderness areas, rather than a packaged software platform.

The company operates as a professional services business, generating revenue through service fees and commissions from partnered lodges, camps, and travel providers. Pricing is quote-based, varying by destination, duration, accommodation level, and custom requirements, with each trip beginning with an in-depth consultation. The disclosed technology stack is limited to HubSpot CRM, used to manage client communications, trip details, and intake forms. EXPLORE has appeared on Condé Nast Traveler's Top 100 Agents list since its inception and was named on the Wendy Perrin WOW List 2026 and Travel + Leisure A-List 2026.

EXPLORE's go-to-market is consultative direct sales targeting high-net-worth discerning travelers (multi-generational families, honeymooners, luxury seekers) and cultural/educational institutions including National Geographic, the Smithsonian, the American Museum of Natural History, the Harvard Museum of Natural History, family foundations, and corporate executives. Marketing relies on earned media through elite travel advisor rankings, content marketing via an extensive blog, weekly email newsletters, and conservation- and community-focused events. The firm remains founder-owned and independently operated with no disclosed external funding, subsidiaries, or M&A activity.

Name

EXPLORE

Legal name

EXPLORE, Inc.

Website

https://exploreinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EXPLORE, Inc. is a privately held luxury custom travel agency founded in 1994, designing bespoke African safaris and experiential trips across 24+ countries for high-net-worth travelers and institutions including National Geographic and the Smithsonian.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Travel Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Travel Agencies (561510)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Safari & Wildlife Travel Agencies (THAKAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adventure & Expedition Travel Agencies (THAKAFAB), Multi-Activity & Expedition Packages (Guided Adventure Trips) (THAJABAL)

Keywords

• Luxury safari travel
• Custom travel planning
• African safari tours
• Bespoke travel itineraries
• Wildlife safari experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Steamboat Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Travel Planning and Booking Services: EXPLORE acts as a luxury travel agency curating custom travel experiences throughout Africa and beyond. Revenue is generated through service fees and/or commissions from partnered lodges, camps, and travel service providers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

EXPLORE, Inc. is a luxury custom travel agency that designs and books private, bespoke safaris and experiential trips, primarily across Africa and in select destinations beyond Africa. The company curates exclusively privately-owned camps and lodges, providing full-service itinerary design, lodge/camp booking, guide coordination, and travel logistics for discerning travelers seeking once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Product overview

EXPLORE, Inc. is a luxury custom travel agency specializing in bespoke travel experiences throughout Africa and beyond. The company operates as a service-based business offering personalized trip planning rather than a software product. Their core service is custom-designed luxury safaris and travel itineraries, with coverage spanning 24+ countries including African destinations (Botswana, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Mozambique, Uganda, Morocco, Malawi, Seychelles, Egypt, Ethiopia, Congo) and Beyond Africa destinations (Australia, Costa Rica, Ecuador & Galápagos Islands, India, New Zealand, Peru). EXPLORE does not offer a technology platform or software product—it provides human-curated travel advisory services including itinerary design, lodge/camp booking, guide coordination, and travel logistics planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom African Safaris
• Beyond Africa Custom Travel

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Expedition EarthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEXPLORE maintains a relationship with Expedition Earth, a conservation-focused travel organization. Both companies share similar values around ethical tourism and supporting local communities in Africa.
• Iconic AdventuresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Iconic Adventures, another luxury travel operator with complementary destination expertise. The relationship allows for referrals and shared best practices in high-end travel planning.
• First Peoples WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounder Cherri Briggs has worked with First Peoples Worldwide for over a decade, contributing time to help indigenous people plan how to effectively utilize their natural resources through tourism as a means of development without compromising cultural values. She has helped communities in Alaska (Inuit Nation), introduced them to Aboriginal Australia, and worked with San people of Botswana's Kalahari.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ker & Downey Africa: Luxury safari outfitter offering custom-designed itineraries across East and Southern Africa with strong supplier relationships. Direct overlap with EXPLORE in bespoke luxury safaris and HNW clientele.
• Roar Africa: Boutique luxury Africa travel company curating high-end safaris and experiences for celebrities and UHNW travelers. Comparable in clientele, premium positioning, and curated camp inventory.
• Classic Safari Company: High-end safari outfitter designing bespoke Africa itineraries for discerning travelers. Overlaps with EXPLORE in luxury positioning, custom curation, and supplier-driven inventory.
• Travel Beyond: Luxury travel company specializing in bespoke African safaris and experiential trips, often family-led. Similar in consultative model, Africa focus, and HNW target market to EXPLORE.
• Micato Safaris: Family-owned luxury African safari specialist with decades of experience and strong conservation philanthropy. Closely mirrors EXPLORE's founder-led, conservation-aligned, bespoke Africa-only model.
• Extraordinary Journeys: Luxury tailor-made Africa travel company founded by a travel expert, offering bespoke safaris across multiple African countries. Comparable to EXPLORE in custom itinerary model and Africa specialization.
• African Travel, Inc. Luxury Africa-focused tour operator owned by a larger travel group, offering custom safaris and high-end accommodations. Comparable to EXPLORE in Africa specialization and bespoke service model.
• andBeyond: Luxury safari and experiential travel operator with owned camps across Africa and India. Directly comparable to EXPLORE in target HNW clientele, Africa-first focus, and high-touch bespoke itinerary design.

Broad incumbents

• Wilderness Safaris: Large established African safari operator running owned camps and conservation programs across multiple countries. Overlaps with EXPLORE in luxury Africa experiences but operates camps directly rather than as a pure advisor.
• Abercrombie & Kent: Global luxury tour operator offering bespoke safaris among a much broader portfolio of luxury experiences worldwide. Comparable in custom luxury itineraries and HNW clientele, but at much larger scale and broader geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/exploreinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/explore-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EXPLORE