Voyages So-Leader

What Voyages So-Leader does

Voyages So-Leader is a Paris-based ethical travel cooperative that operates a direct-to-consumer booking platform offering custom trips and group tours across more than 80 destinations spanning five continents. Every booking includes a built-in 10% donation to a charitable association selected by the customer from a curated partner network covering six cause categories: culture and patrimony, human rights, education, environment, health, and solidarity. The cooperative is administered by Velvet Globe SAS, a privately held French company with 50,000 EUR of registered capital, founded in 2019 and represented by Michel Nahon. The 1-10 employee base is consistent with a small, founder-led operation; no external funding rounds are disclosed.

The platform distributes six core product categories — stays, guided group circuits, private individual circuits, combined circuit-and-stay packages, cruises, and short escapes — alongside bespoke "voyage sur mesure" and group travel packages for organizations. A secondary proprietary tool called Travel-score is offered on a subdomain for evaluating travel experiences. Ground operations are handled by a cooperative of licensed local producer partners rather than owned assets, giving the company global distribution without proportional fixed cost. Per-trip pricing ranges from approximately 353 EUR to 7,356 EUR per person depending on destination and trip type.

Revenue is generated through transaction fees on travel package sales. The company is licensed by Atout France under IM075210018, holds a financial guarantee through APST, and maintains professional liability insurance with Helvetia. Payments are processed via Lyra Connect and the website is hosted by OVH, with all data handling stated to be GDPR-compliant. Customer acquisition is concentrated on the so-leader.com website and a Substack blog, with no third-party reseller distribution. The integrated 10% donation mechanism is the principal commercial differentiator, converting what would otherwise be intermediary costs into customer-directed charitable contributions, with partner associations issuing CERFA tax receipts for donations.

Name

Voyages So-Leader

Legal name

VELVET GLOBE, SAS au Capital de 50 000 euros

Website

https://so-leader.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Voyages So-Leader is a Paris-based ethical travel cooperative that sells curated trips and group tours across 80+ destinations worldwide, with 10% of each booking donated to a charity of the customer's choice from a partner association network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ethical Travel Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Travel Agencies (561510)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury Multi-Day Tour Operators (THAKADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Escorted Coach & Bus Package Tour Operators (THAKADAA)

Keywords

• Ethical travel packages
• Charitable travel agency
• Solidarity tourism
• Group travel circuits
• Custom travel planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Travel Package Sales: Voyages So-Leader generates revenue by selling complete travel packages including transportation, accommodation, local guides, and activities. Each package includes a built-in 10% donation to a charitable cause selected by the customer. The company works with a cooperative of local producers who organize receptions and provide services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Voyages So-Leader designs and sells ethical travel packages (stays, group circuits, private circuits, combined circuit-and-stay packages, cruises, escapes, custom-made trips and group trips for associations) across 80+ destinations worldwide, with every booking automatically reserving 10% of its cost for donation to a charity chosen by the customer from a network of partner associations. Ground operations are delivered by a cooperative of licensed local producer partners that handle reservations, traveler reception, and on-trip support.

Product overview

Voyages So-Leader operates as a cooperative of ethical and charitable travel producers offering a portfolio of travel products through a short-circuit model. The core platform includes six main product categories: Séjours (stay packages), Circuits groupes (guided group tours), Circuits Individuels privatifs (customized private tours), Combiné Circuit & Séjour (combined touring and stays), Croisières (cruise packages), and Escapades (short escape trips). Additional offerings include bespoke Voyage sur mesure and group packages for organizations. All trips include a built-in 10% donation to a charitable association chosen by the traveler. The company also provides a proprietary Travel-score tool. Local producer partners handle reservations, customer reception, and ongoing travel support throughout the journey.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Séjours (Stays) Stay packages at various destinations worldwide, allowing travelers to book accommodations and activities with an included 10% charitable donation.
• Circuits groupes (Group Circuits) Guided group tours accompanied by local agents, covering essential highlights of destinations with structured itineraries typically ranging from 8 to 16 days.
• Circuits Individuels privatifs (Private Individual Circuits) Customized private itineraries with local agent support, allowing travelers to design their own routes and pace with direct assistance throughout the journey.
• Combiné Circuit & Séjour (Combined Circuit & Stay) Combined circuit and stay packages that blend guided touring with relaxation periods, offering a balanced mix of discovery and leisure.
• Croisières (Cruises) Cruise packages combined with land-based exploration, allowing travelers to experience destinations by sea and land.
• Escapades (Escapes) Short escape trips to paradise destinations, typically involving water-based travel and brief stopovers.
• Voyage sur mesure (Custom-Made Travel) Custom-made travel packages tailored to individual preferences and requirements, designed with assistance from local passionate agents.
• Voyage groupe (Group Travel) Group travel packages organized for associations and organizations, enabling collective trips with philanthropic funding components.
• Travel-score Proprietary tool accessible via subdomain for evaluating or rating travel experiences.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cooperative of Local Producer PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of licensed local travel operators and professional producers organized as a cooperative. These partners handle ground operations including reservations, traveler reception, and on-ground support throughout trips. All partners hold necessary licenses, accreditations, and professional guarantees.
• La ClocheminorOthersAssociation fighting homelessness and social exclusion through programs like Le Carillon and community building initiatives.
• Association Christina NobleminorOthersFoundation dedicated to meeting the physical, medical, educational, and emotional needs of vulnerable children.
• HopHopFoodminorOthersNon-profit association helping citizens and solidarity businesses enable neighbors to eat better and combat food insecurity.
• La Chaine de l'EspoirminorOthersInternational NGO founded in 1994 by Professor Alain Deloche, strengthening healthcare systems to give children equal chances.
• Light Towards Future (LTF)minorOthersAssociation created following a humanitarian mission on Lesbos island to improve reception and integration conditions for exiled persons in France.
• La Balle aux PrisonniersminorOthersFrench law 1901 association and international NGO defending human rights, registered in Ivory Coast, Niger, and Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Allegria AssociationminorOthersLaw 1901 association created in 2020 that facilitates support groups for victims of sexual violence.
• SolinumminorOthersAssociation working to include people in vulnerable situations through innovative solutions and community support.
• APST (Association Professionnelle de Solidarité du Tourisme)coreOthersFinancial guarantee provider for the travel agency, located at 15 Avenue Carnot, 75017 Paris.
• Helvetia InsurancecoreOthersProfessional liability insurance provider for Voyages So-Leader, located at 25 Quai Lamandé, 76600 Le Havre, France.
• Lyra ConnectcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing partner providing secure payment infrastructure for the e-commerce platform marketplace.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Comptoir des Voyages: French tour operator focused on tailor-made travel with strong presence in long-haul destinations including Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Overlaps with Voyages So-Leader's destination footprint and circuit/stay product structure.
• Voyage Solidarités: French ethical travel operator offering solidarity-themed trips linked to humanitarian projects. Most direct comparable on the values-aligned travel positioning, though typically structured around partner NGOs rather than a customer-chosen charity.
• Voyageurs du Monde: Leading French tour operator specializing in tailor-made, off-the-beaten-path travel. Operates across similar long-haul geographies with comparable multi-day package tour model, but at larger scale and without the embedded charitable donation mechanic.
• Evaneos: French online platform connecting travelers with local travel agents for tailor-made trips. Closely comparable in D2C model, custom itineraries, and reliance on local partner network; positioned as a marketplace rather than a cooperative.
• Terres d'Aventure: French adventure and trekking tour operator (subsidiary of Voyageurs du Monde) offering guided group departures and individual tailor-made trips. Comparable in product mix (group circuits, individual circuits, stays) and direct-to-consumer booking model.
• Atalante: French adventure travel specialist offering trekking, discovery, and solidarity-themed trips. Comparable on the multi-day group circuit model and proximity to ethical/solidarity positioning, though without the standardized 10% donation mechanism.

Broad incumbents

• Booking Holdings: Parent of Booking.com, the largest online travel agency. Represents the dominant distribution channel Voyages So-Leader is not on; comparable in selling multi-destination travel but structurally different as a meta-platform rather than a tour operator.
• TUI Group: Global tourism conglomerate offering packaged tours, cruises, and stays across all major destinations. Comparable in offering multi-day package tours and cruises, but at a vastly larger scale and with mainstream rather than ethical positioning.
• Voyage Privé: French private-sales travel club selling discounted luxury stays and packages to members. Comparable French D2C travel DNA and upscale customer base, but operates a flash-sale membership model rather than donation-integrated itineraries.
• Tripadvisor: Global travel guidance and booking platform covering destinations across all five continents. Comparable in breadth of destination coverage and D2C funnel, but operates as a reviews/meta-search platform rather than a packaged-tour provider.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/voyages-so-leader

Compliance2 records

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 Voyages So-Leader