RYAN POWELL, COO - SALES & TOURING, ANDBEYOND: "OUR TEAMS REALLY ARE OUR MAGIC INGREDIENT" (Afrique du Sud)

During the latest Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas, my first encounter with Ryan Powell left me struck by his spontaneity and directness in his opinions. Traits that probably guided a successful career, that led him to spend over a decade at the helm of &Beyond's commercial engine, steering the conservation-led luxury travel company through expansion across 15 countries whilst maintaining its soul.

Since joining as Sales Director in 2012, the now Chief Operating Officer of Sales & Touring, an MBA-educated executive, has progressively expanded his remit from global sales to encompass touring and operations – a trajectory that mirrors &Beyond's own ambitions.

With previous experience at Abercrombie & Kent and Accenture, as well as MIT Sloan credentials in organisational design, Powell brings a strategic rigour that balances commercial necessity with an impact-driven purpose.

In this conversation, he reveals how &Beyond navigates the tension between direct bookings and luxury advisor partnerships, attracts talent to remote wilderness lodges, and maintains Forbes-level service standards when your properties are only accessible by bush plane.

Journal des Palaces: How is andBeyond's expansion strategy balancing growth with your "Care of the Land, Wildlife and People" ethos?

Ryan Powell: We’re intentionally seeking expansion opportunities in places where we can make a meaningful difference in conserving critical landscapes, securing habitats for wildlife, and directly empowering partner communities.

Our commercial model is designed to include impact funding, which supports the work of Wild Impact – our NGO partner. To illustrate what this looks like, andBeyond’s Tour Operating and Lodge, Camp and Yacht Reservations business donates 5% of their gross margins in Asia and South America, and 6% of their gross margins in Africa to Wild Impact to establish or accelerate projects in and around the 75 communities with which we work. This is in addition to the contribution that andBeyond makes to cover the core running costs of Wild Impact, as well as any donations from guests and trade partners.

Each expansion is chosen because it ensures that tourism revenues underwrite conservation, environmental stewardship, and community programmes.

Our most recent opening – &Beyond Suyian Lodge in Kenya’s Laikipia region – is a partnership with conservation NGO Space for Giants, and will now bring our model of conservation-led luxury to the area.

Looking ahead, &Beyond Amazon Explorer is scheduled to set sail on the Peruvian Amazon in late 2026 – marking our entry into one of South America’s largest wilderness regions. We’re excited to see how our presence shapes the future of conservation and community development in this remarkable landscape.

How are you balancing direct bookings, luxury travel advisor partnerships, and digital channels whilst maintaining bespoke service?

It is an important question. Firstly, it’s a question of ‘and’ not ‘or’. Multichannel distribution, because of the blended margin it brings, is a necessity for financial sustainability. That said, we would never meet our sustainability and growth objectives without the support of luxury travel advisors, wholesalers, and other DMC partners in the wild places where we operate.

Ultimately, we are all here to ensure the Guest is delighted. Happy guests are repeat guests, and we remain of the view that our goal is to make the table longer, not make the fences higher, which is what happens when we collaborate as an industry and with our carefully selected luxury advisor community.
Digital Channels are the opposite side of the same coin. Digital is already vital and will only become more central to how we deliver services to meet the needs of our trade partners and guests. This includes providing tools that enhance service delivery to advisors – and our own travel specialists who support them – so they can spend time on the things that matter (like human connection) and less time on administrative tasks.

What shifts in booking patterns and guest demographics are you seeing amongst high-net-worth safari travellers?

We’re continuing to see an increase in both short-lead-time bookings and those planned more than a year. As guests grapple with general uncertainty, global geopolitical circumstances, and the economic variability that accompanies them, we expect to see short-lead-time bookings continue. These present challenges when trying to curate the perfect itinerary, particularly due to the limited availability of first-choice accommodations.

As travel has become more accessible, safaris are no longer viewed as the “once-in-a-lifetime” experience. There is such incredible diversity across the continent, and a myriad of ecosystems, that we are seeing more guests returning year after year to explore new destinations and perspectives.

We’ve also seen a marked rise in celebratory travel, including honeymoons, anniversaries, occasional divorce celebrations, and milestone birthdays. Multi-generational trips designed to foster reconnection and shared family experiences remain very popular.

Amongst the ultra-high-net-worth segment, the demand for unrepeatable experiences continues to grow. Guests are seeking moments that feel truly singular – something only they can access or experience. Trekking in search of snow leopards, or convening one-on-one with Bhutanese monks, and participating in conservation experiences like rhino dehorning are the experiences guests are seeking.

Ultimately, impact, conservation, and community development are becoming increasingly non-negotiable considerations for guests. It's not part of all buying decisions, but we offer numerous opportunities and impact-driven experiences for guests who wish to engage. Our goal is to ensure that both our guests and our trade partners feel confident knowing that, simply by choosing to travel with &Beyond, they are already making a positive difference.

At the same time, we’re also seeing a shift in travel patterns driven by climate awareness. Many guests are seeking to escape the effects of global warming by choosing cooler climates or travelling outside traditional peak seasons. These quieter periods offer the chance to experience destinations more fully – with fewer crowds and with a deeper connection to place.

How do you attract and retain world-class hospitality talent across 29 remote luxury lodges in Africa and beyond?

Operating across 14 countries in Africa, 4 in Asia, and 4 in South America does come with its challenges – one of which is the acquisition of Talent and the transfer of &Beyond's culture/ DNA. When beginning operations in remote destinations, we create crucial job opportunities for local communities and have made the conscious decision to employ locally. At &Beyond Punakha River Lodge, 90% of our team there come from the Punakha Valley.

Working at &Beyond also offers clear pathways for career growth - whether that’s moving into lodge management, operations, or in-country reservations. For many, a position at an &Beyond lodge is the first step in a long and rewarding journey with us. Our teams are given opportunities to refine their skills through involvement in company operations in other parts of the world. We are aware that our growth extends beyond Africa, so we ensure that our teams are developing the next wave of ‘andBeyonders’ across South America and Asia.

We’re proud to have many team members who’ve been with the company for more than 20 years. That longevity builds reputation, and as a result, employment at &Beyond is highly sought after.

We invest heavily in professional development through the &Beyond Academy, which focuses on nurturing skills and leadership potential at every level. The Academy offers accredited training programmes designed to empower employees across our business - from hospitality and guiding to management and specialist fields. It combines theoretical learning with hands-on experience in real lodge environments, ensuring that team members not only meet but exceed industry standards.

This commitment to continuous development enables our people to grow within the organisation or advance to the next step in their career journey. It provides our teams with a tertiary qualification in lodge or touring operations.

What learning and development programmes ensure andBeyond's guides and rangers consistently deliver Forbes-level interpretive wildlife experiences?

We have multiple guide-training schools across our regions of operation in Africa, and two key traits distinguish our approach to training.
First, we focus on how to guide, not only what to know. Knowledge can be taught, but the techniques required to deliver a truly interpretive safari experience take time to master. Our emphasis is on cultivating guiding skills and maintaining standards that create exceptional guest experiences, while knowledge of the land, wildlife, and culture is naturally built up over time in each region of operation.

Second, we prioritise continuous training and assessment, which includes our guides who we work with in our touring destinations and at our lodges. Dedicated Regional Trainers visit our teams regularly to ensure that standards remain high and to continuously refine the world-class guest experience for which &Beyond is known.

At &Beyond, a guide’s training and development continue throughout their career. Many pursue advanced qualifications exclusive to the &Beyond ecosystem, further enhancing skills and knowledge. Our current ranger-training team brings decades of combined experience, and many of their graduates go on to become specialist guides and trainers themselves - creating a virtuous cycle of expertise.

Our guides truly sit at the heart of the &Beyond experience. Guests are forgiving to a degree, but a poorly guided experience can ruin a vacation.
While we describe ourselves as a conservation-led company, it’s our guides who bring that philosophy to life every day. They spend more time with guests than anyone else and play a pivotal role in transforming a trip – whether it's a safari in Africa, a cultural immersion in Bhutan, or a culinary journey in Chile – into something deeply personal and unforgettable.

How do you maintain renowned personalisation and bespoke experiences across 15 countries without compromising authenticity?

A little more than 15 now, as it's 14 in Africa, four in South America and four in Asia. The answer is the same throughout - andBeyond “people power”. We also purposefully integrate every step of the guest experience within our business. &Beyond guides, &Beyond vehicles, &Beyond lodges and camps, and carefully chosen partners who share our ethos. Our preference is not to outsource, so that advisors working with us know their guests are with andBeyonders and ‘in our hands’ for their entire journey.

Enabling technology is the other focus element. We have been on a journey to modernise and connect every touchpoint, which will result in an improved guest and employee experience.
The quality of our people, combined with giving our teams more time to interact face-to-face with guests, creates space for innovation, improved service, and what we call guest delight. It is a level of authenticity which ensures our teams deliver extraordinary experiences with enviable consistency. Our teams really are our magic ingredient.

How are you strengthening relationships with top-producing travel advisors and differentiating your trade programme from competitors?

If we are honest with ourselves – and I believe we are – this is an area in which we still need to perfect and continue our development. Great commissions are no longer enough, nor is turnaround speed, nor digitally enabled itineraries. Those are starting points.

We have been intentionally considering the Consortia and partners with whom we are aligned. When it comes to trade relationships, less is more, and our field teams are focused on developing much deeper relationships, including the co-development of product and system integration.
One specific area of focus is guest loyalty recognition, which also includes our partner advisors.

How do you ensure consistent service standards and guest satisfaction across properties that are only accessible by bush plane?

We thrive on guest feedback - it has been a cornerstone of our approach in the lodges and in our tour operation for decades. When our guests speak, we listen. Every director in this business reads every single piece of guest feedback, which informs and helps us refine everything we do: From our in-lodge and touring experiences to service offerings, lodge design and our overall hospitality philosophy. We have a high number of repeat guests who are familiar with our luxury adventure offerings, and they often provide us with valuable feedback.

We are only as good as the last guest feedback, and we are exceptionally hard on ourselves when we let guests and partners down.
Thankfully, we get it right more than we get it wrong, but every piece of feedback is our ‘canary in the coalmine’.

In our operations, consistency throughout the experience depends on the power of our people. Our greatest strength lies in our people: Whether it’s our regional managers, guides, travel specialists and lodge teams - they are, without question, the most significant force behind our consistent service delivery and our most valuable asset. andBeyonders shape and sustain our DNA, maintaining and evolving our “golden threads” which run through every aspect of the guest experience across Africa, Asia and South America. As we grow, we are carefully considering technology and its implementation to drive further refinement and consistency.

How does andBeyond's 30-year conservation track record differentiate you in sales to today's conscious luxury consumer?

It’s an interesting question. Firstly, conservation (of landscapes, seascapes and wildlife), community and sustainability are the cornerstones of what andBeyond was founded on in 1991. Long before it was part of the vernacular or the fashionable thing to do. For some of today’s consumers, it is crucial, and we have the data-backed track record which speaks for itself.

It's not often that the reason guests choose to travel with us is down to the world-class hospitality, accommodation, and guided experience. Curiosity about impact and sustainability usually stems from conversations with our lodge teams, sparking an immediate interest. “Tell me more” or “I like the sound of that - can you show me”. This is often enough to inspire guests to get involved in their own capacity, and that really does create a differentiator for guests who travel with us more often.

A large proportion of our first-time guests discover us through stories – shared by past travellers, trusted advisors who’ve journeyed with us, or through what they’ve read. It’s rarely a single differentiator that draws them in, but rather how all the elements come together: the people, the hospitality, the guiding, the food, the exquisite standard of our lodges, camps, and yachts – and the way each place expresses what sustainability means, which can differ from one destination to another. Together, these threads are intricately woven into the fabric of the experience.

What specific strategies ensure andBeyond maintains market leadership against emerging ultra-luxury competitors in key safari markets?

AndBeyond does not define itself as an Ultra-luxury provider. We see ourselves providing luxury adventure. The distinction is essential and key to the differentiation.

Our market leadership is driven by three key areas: scale, impact, and product differentiation.
First, the scale of our operations, spanning three continents, allows us to deliver a consistently high level of service and guest experience across diverse regions. We already enjoy strong relationships with many of the world’s leading ultra-luxury accommodation partners, in addition to our own exceptional portfolio of properties. This balance gives us both reach and control, keeping us closely attuned to the pulse of the global luxury travel industry.

Second, the scale of our impact sets us apart as a responsible luxury travel brand. Our conservation and community programmes are integral to how we choose to do business, not a marketing add-on - a proof point that resonates deeply with today’s conscious traveller.

Finally, product differentiation remains at the core of our strategy. Wherever opportunity arises, we curate best-in-class experiences that reflect the unique character of each destination. A strong example is &Beyond Suyian Lodge in Kenya’s Laikipia region - a partnership that embodies our commitment to conservation-led luxury and exceptional guest experiences.