Luxury Ambassador of the Month

Beto Conte, CEO & Founder TripTravel · Brazil

What sparked your passion for luxury travel?

"have traveled through imagination since my childhood, navigating the seas with Sindbad in 'One Thousand and One Nights' and the skies with Jules Verne in 'Around the World in 80 Days'. But it was in my early twenties that I made the big switch from my academic background in architecture to the travel industry. I was pursuing my master's degree in Switzerland when I took a sabbatical in Asia. It was in the Kashmir Himalayas that I decided to move into a professional field that would satisfy my eagerness to explore the world's diversity while learning through the process. Back home in Brazil after three years of traveling through Asia, Africa, and Europe, I felt I was ready to open my own travel agency and provide others with the life-changing experiences I had been blessed with. That’s how TripTravel started 38 years ago."

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Career

  • 1988: Opening of TripTravel
  • 1994: Launch of the first Grand Tour TripTravel. What was initially an isolated program became a concept of cultural immersion tours and a very successful product that continues to this day
  • 2001: Opening of our third branch, combining the travel agency with a cultural center exploring the diversity of the planet through lectures, presentations, and photo exhibitions
  • 2020: During the pandemic, we learned to work more effectively online, opening the market to clients from different parts of the country and beyond, allowing them to benefit from our expertise

Which travel themes do you specialize in?

"Even though I studied in the U.S. and in Europe, my love is for exotic destinations in Asia and Africa. As my team and I have traveled extensively on all continents, we are well known as travel designers for any destination. My expertise is particularly valued for 'off-the-beaten-track' places, always offering the best local support and unique accommodation experiences. Another area where I get very involved is our 'Grand Tour TripTravels Around the World', where I take groups on cultural immersions four times a year. In 2026 we started with the Philippines, are now on an art-focused cruise in France, and will travel to Angola in August and Indonesia in September. We are on our 62nd edition, having been to 160 countries, as every journey is unique, exploring different areas of our fascinating planet each time."

What is the greatest challenge for today's travel advisors?

"AI is a great tool for getting precise details about destinations, attractions, and services around the globe. Information is available to us all, making our clients more knowledgeable than before and demanding that we keep up with this fast and immense flow of information. Our ability as 'curators' is needed more than ever to channel all that information into an even more personalized travel itinerary."

What is it that you enjoy the most in your daily work?

"I give a lot of myself to every single travel itinerary that I create, and my long-term clients recognize my efforts to deliver the best travel and life experiences. I love the challenge of working on an itinerary that is new to me and requires extensive research. I learn a great deal through the process, and it often inspires me to explore the destination myself later on."

What has been your top goosebump moment on a trip?

"The sabbatical year that I spent in Asia was by far the most challenging and satisfying trip of my life, and it keeps reminding me what a 'real intercultural experience' is about. In 1986, I crossed all of Southeast Asia, the Himalayan countries, and areas of China that were still closed to tourism, including Tibet and Xinjiang. If I were to name one particular moment, it would be sleeping in a Sherpa yak tent in Tibet on my way back from Everest Base Camp. A truly unique experience that I'll always remember."

What destinations remain on your personal bucket list?

"Having covered most Western countries and traveled extensively throughout Asia, the gaps I still need to fill are all located in Africa and the Pacific Islands. My 2026/27 plan is to travel to all Portuguese-speaking nations – with Angola, São Tomé and Príncipe, and East Timor this year, and Cape Verde next year. I have already visited Mozambique and will still be missing Guinea-Bissau, which is a destination for the near future. The Seychelles and Madagascar are also still on my bucket list."

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