Trusted Academic Travel Management
Four Decades of Experience
The story of Destination Partners began more than forty years ago, when Director Adam Carter left his career in advertising on Madison Avenue to pursue a passion for experiential travel. He founded Brazil Nuts Tours, a boutique special-interest travel company dedicated to offering travelers an authentic way to experience Brazil’s culture and natural beauty.
Universities soon recognized this distinctive, immersive approach. They began seeking support in developing short-term, faculty-led programs in Brazil and throughout South America—laying the foundation for what would become Destination Partners.
In 2001, Adam and his wife and co-Director, Maria Luisa Carter, embarked on a life-changing journey with their children, circumnavigating the globe for 100 days aboard the Semester at Sea program—one of Brazil Nuts Tours’ university clients. This global exposure, paired with a university request to design a faculty-led program in Ghana, made it clear that the company was ready to evolve.
In 2003, the Carters launched Destination Partners as a dedicated division focused on supporting universities’ short-term, faculty-led academic travel to destinations worldwide, having now supported hundreds of programs from over 50 different institutions traveling to dozens of countries in six continents.
Over time, the company further evolved, expanding beyond supporting academic programs to providing exceptional service to affinity groups, non-profit organizations, and corporations, building on the company's foundational values of high-touch client service, strong local partnerships, and deep destination expertise.
From the beginning, Destination Partners has believed that its greatest strength lies in the quality and dedication of its people. Today, the company has continued to grow, conducting ongoing site inspections, building a global network of partners, and investing in and supporting an exceptional team of experienced travel management professionals.
Adam, Luisa, Mateus (their son), and the Destination Partners team look forward to making your travel program the very best it can be.
Our Resilience
Over the past four decades, Destination Partners has successfully navigated nearly every challenge imaginable in the travel industry—from natural disasters and civil disruptions to global pandemics.
Through tsunamis, earthquakes, strikes, and COVID-related shutdowns, our team has remained steadfast, adaptive, and solutions-focused. As we look ahead to the 2024–2025 academic year and beyond, Destination Partners continues to thrive, embracing both the opportunities and challenges of an ever-evolving travel landscape.
Our Mission
At our core, we are solution providers.
Our mission is to meet and exceed client expectations by delivering the highest quality service through high-touch project management and solution-oriented programming. By doing so, we help ensure successful academic travel programs while building strong, trust-based, and enduring relationships with the institutions and partners we serve.
Our Method
Every program we manage is guided by a proven, intentional process:
1.
Listen Carefully
2.
Source Strategically
3.
Plan Collaboratively
4.
Manage Proactively