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Italia August 28, 2026
Transformational Travel
TRAVEL BETTER, LIVE BETTER
“Though you may travel the world to find the beautiful, you must have it within you or you will find it not.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
In this time of deep thinking, often aimed inwardly, I see that despite borders closing, our wanderlust is hard to hold back. It’s a primal urge that sits deep within our DNA, one that does not sit idle well, does sit quietly in the night.
I am a traveller, an explorer, a seeker, and like anything you lose, you often don’t realise what you had until it is gone. I’ve dedicated my life to unleashing the real and raw power of travel and am deeply honoured to be, along with Allies around the world, shepherding a travel (r)evolution to meet the nascent demand for a more empathetic, ethical, equitable, and ecological travel.
At the Transformational Travel Council, we’re guiding, supporting, and empowering connections and growth through travel by unifying transformational destinations, practitioners, and travellers in a global forum, for the betterment of all.
Our work is dedicated to creating knowledge, and providing travel organisations and travellers with practices and tools to harness the power of travel by accelerating the process and amplifying its benefits.
We’ve unlocked the benefits of travel through the science of changing minds and hearts. Through rigorous research into ancient truths and contemporary science and examining travel at the intersection of psychology, spirituality, anthropology, and neuroscience, we’ve assembled methodologies, tools, and practices that are accessible, implementable, achievable, and even, measurable.
We’re aiming to show how travelling better, from the inside-out, helps you live better.
We’re advocating that travellers develop a travel practice, similar to a yoga or meditation practice that cultivates deeper connection, meaning, and growth through travel.
By adopting a growth mindset, setting intentions, and reflecting, the possibility of travel begins to be tapped into, where one’s inner and outer curiosity and the expansion of one’s perceptions hold the potential for lasting change.
And we’re not talking about changing who you are; you are whole and complete as you are.
We’re advocating big and small changes, by creating the conditions for travellers to take experiences, reflect and apply meaning that may result in more aligned and life-optimising attitudes, behaviours, habits, and ways of thinking.
This is obviously a very challenging time on many levels, personally, professionally, and spiritually. That said, I also see this as the Great Reset and I am maintaining a grounded optimism.
I fully believe this will only accelerate the change that we want to see in the world. But by being a grounded optimist and simultaneously being intentional about what we can control and surrendering to what we cannot, turns the challenge and suffering into opportunities for deep healing, accelerated growth, and radical change.
I believe the light at the end of the tunnel is bright, even if it is still a long way off.
When it is time to travel again, the tourism space will be healthier, more conscious and congruent with human and planetary values.
This really sets the stage for shifting the perspective of travel from a purely fun-filled motive to one that is more intentional, mindful, and results-driven.
The butterfly effect can positively impact personal advancement, health, relationships, ecological footprint, consumer and travel choices, social purpose, philanthropic commitments, lifestyle and time management choices, mindful and contemplative practices, and creating sustainable long-term value for travellers, hosts, communities, and the planet.
We believe travel is a process not a product; that transformation is personal and is on a spectrum.
And since you’re looking for deeper connection and meaning, we recommend that you draw upon your ‘Why & How,’ then mindfully choose the ‘What & Where.’
HOW TRAVELLING BETTER LEADS TO LIVING BETTER
Inputs
Being Introspection
Applying a Growth Mindset
Taking time to Reflect
Outputs
Deeper Connections
More Meaning
Inspired Change
Change
New Perspectives, Attitudes, and Habits
More Mindful Behaviours, Choices
Clarity, Enlightenment, and Life-Optimisation
FOUR CORE THEMES OF TRANSFORMATIVE TRAVEL
Our research on deeper, potentially transformative travel is based on four core themes, outlined below with questions to ask yourself as you approach any journey.
1. Introspection – Connecting to Self
Are you uncovering motivations, meeting them where they are at, guiding, empowering, and supporting travellers in their pursuit of connection, meaning, and growth?
2. Bridging – Connecting to Others
Are you illuminating perceptions, reducing biases, and cultivating empathy in travellers that breaks down divisions within and between us?
3. Expansion – Connecting with Something Bigger Than Yourself
Are you creating space and opportunity to experience awe and wonder and deeper connections with nature, the interconnected world, and the infinite?
4. Integration – Connecting with Opportunities for Growth
Are you using travel to change mindsets, behaviours, and attitudes that contribute to personal and planetary progress over the long run?
5 WAYS TO TRAVEL BETTER, LIVE BETTER
Develop a process and practice that supports the mindful engagement of a series of experiences.
Create the space and grace to spark emotions, feel alive, and actively create memories.
Activate a growth mindset, let go, have fun, and realise that travelling better allows you and others to live better.
Foster connection and enlightenment to other world views and possibilities.
Leave space to wander and open up to real encounters with real people (not the fake ones) 😉
TOOLS FOR DEVELOPING YOUR OWN TRAVEL PRACTICE
We’ve identified patterns of transformation known to create the conditions for transformation to unfold. These will help you design your itinerary better.
Holistically travelling with intention, openness, and mindfulness.
Welcoming challenging experiences and seeking real interactions.
Taking time for personal reflection and meaning-making.
Cultivating positive mindsets, attitudes, and behaviours.
Making new lifestyle choices that support personal, social, and global sustainability.
FOLLOW THE P.A.T.H.
PREPARE
Apply a growth mindset, uncover motivations, and set intentions.
Prepare for your journey from the first inklings of travel’s call, through the departure from your everyday world. Explore this section in full during the weeks before your departure.
Whether you’re the type to fly blind, or someone who plans every second, this preparation will serve you well.
ADVENTURE
Go slow and artfully explore the inner and outer worlds.
From threshold to threshold, through the heart of your adventure this section accompanies you as you explore the world around you.
Comprised of primarily open space for you to create you will also find “Waypoint” pages for some inspiration, insight, wisdom, and encouragement.
THINK
Reflect and uncover deeper layers of meaning and insight.
Even as your travels conclude, the journey continues. By examining, reflecting, revisiting, and contemplating, we nurture a fuller appreciation of our travels and uncover deeper layers of meaning and insight.
This section guides you through a process of diving more deeply into what you’ve experienced and uncovered.
HONOUR
Expanding the power of your travels into your life and our world.
You can honour your travels, the privilege to be able to move through the world, the impact you have on the places you visit by using your journey to affect positive change in the world.
This final chapter guides you through creating this change and making your trip transformational.
TRAVEL WITH H.E.A.R.T.
HUMBLE
Have an empty cup mentality, foster an approach of equality, learning, and understanding, and be fully open to the power of connection.
ENGAGED
Be a participant not a spectator, take responsibility for your role in your journey, bring a growth mindset, and be pro-active in creating your experience.
AWAKE
Pay attention, be actively attuned (awake) to/ (aware of) the power and complexity of internal and external circumstances/reactions, as well as the internal and external effects of our choices.
RESILIENT
Be willing to ready to embrace challenge and disorientation, accept difficulty (proactively and re-actively) in order to access better experiences, stretch, take time to reflect, and identify growth opportunities.
THANKFUL
Adopt a grateful mindset. When we’re thankful we’re thoughtful, better stewards, and everyone is happier.
DESIGN AN ITINERARY THAT ALLOWS YOU TO FIND YOUR S.P.A.C.E.
Go at Slow Pace
Seek out Powerful Places
Create AWEsome Moments
Embrace Challenging Experiences
Choose Ethical Providers
JAKE HAUPERT
Jake is dedicated to unleashing travel’s superpowers in transforming self and society. He is honored to contribute to the transformational travel (r)evolution and the emergent transformation economy as an entrepreneur, speaker, facilitator, and consultant.
Proudly guiding, supporting, and empowering connections and growth through travel by unifying transformational destinations, practitioners, and travelers in a global forum, for the betterment of all.
He brings a heart-centered, futurist perspective with a pragmatic, actionable approach, leveraging horizon scanning and story-telling to bring about a more empathetic, ethical, equitable, and ecological travel dynamic.
He is also taking transformational travel theory to practice as the Co-Founder of Explorer X and ROAM Beyond.
Jake has been interviewed and quoted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, Skift, Shape, Vox.com, USAToday, and NPR, among other publications, podcasts, and radio.
