The other day a guest asked me how we're able to hire such amazing leaders with such consistently exemplary values. He then asked whether we specifically recruited for values. Which prompted me to review the criteria we use to screen leaders. Guess what? No "values" were listed. Plenty of leadership, guest service, judgment, motivation, teamwork, ability to connect with guests, active lifestyle and mechanical inclination type criteria. And about 40 sub-criteria. But no values. Then it dawned on me. Values are so ingrained in Backroads that it's inherently how we look at everything, but especially in how we treat people. Honesty, integrity and treating people with respect regardless of who they are and where they come from all matter to me and they matter to Backroads. As in, they mean EVERYTHING. These values matter, and we're proud of it. We think you'll see that they matter to you too.
Guests rate our trip leaders 9.8 out of 10 on post-trip surveys. They send me quotes like, "Our guides made it the best vacation of my life!" (Dawn B., Alaska Hiking) every day.
All our leaders are employees of Backroads -- we don't hire third-party contractors as many other outfitters do. Which means our leaders know our values, are commited to our quality standards and are empowered to make your vacation the best it can be. I invite you to meet some of our leaders and read comments readers have posted on my blogs. And I encourage you to post your experiences with Backroads leaders so others can understand the difference. Because everyone deserves the best vacation ever!
Articles
Guests on Backroads trips to Ireland explore their family history and connect with the land and culture. Alison traced her great-great-grandfather...
One of the things we hear most often from parents on our trips is that they love traveling with us because it’s one of the only times in their bus...
Croatia - it’s one of our favorite places to host our guests, and for good reason! Whether it’s the iconic architecture made famous by Game of Thr...
Cycling through Europe offers a unique opportunity to traverse beautiful landscapes, ride through historic towns and explore new cultures while tr...
Check out our new video below to get acquainted with the Backroads Performance Road Bike.Want to see the rest of our bike fleet? You can find all ...
After a fun-filled and full day of biking or hiking, there’s nothing like sipping a cold beer and taking in a stunning view. ...
In the thick dark of a Serengeti night, our tracker spotted a leopard perched in a thorny branch. We heard bones crunch as the cat devoured his pr...
Your 40s are a great time of your life to travel, but they’re an even better time to travel with Backroads. ...
A day in the life of a guest on our New Zealand trip.
Costa Rica has activities for seasoned thrill seekers and inexperienced explorers alike. We’ve spent nearly 30 years in this Central American para...
Camino de Santiago, Scandinavia and Women’s Adventures Top the List
Iceland: the Land of Fire and Ice. For adventurers, this country is the epitome of what it means to explore, to be outdoors and to discover places...