LUX Autumn 2018

LUXLIFE MAGAZINE | 117 Autumn 2018 Calabria is a hidden treasure; situated on Italy’s southern coast, and nestled between three mountain ranges, it is an area of outstanding natural, and man-made, beauty. An eclectic collection of traditional villages, and ancient ruins, its historical and cultural significance cannot be overestimated. Despite all of this, it is also one of Italy’s least visited regions. Discover Calabria aimed to remedy that, “we became the first English speaking website promoting the region of Calabria to travellers. Having family connections to Calabria and spending much of my life in the region as a child, I knew it was a special place and wanted to share it with other travellers looking for a truly authentic part of Italy.” Aside from promoting the region, Discover Calabria are, primarily, occupied with being a travel planning company. Michelle goes into detail about the type of experiences they offer, “We offer private travel planning as well as small group retreats and tours. The main focus of all our travel packages - whether it’s a retreat or private holiday- is that we want our clients to experience what it’s like to live the lifestyle of Southern Italy, which is relaxed and slow paced. Sometimes it is hard for a traveller who lives in a big city to come to Calabria and slow down and just enjoy the moment. Our goal is for our guests to disconnect from their stressful life back home and really feel the essence of the Italian term La Dolce Vita .” In just three years, Michelle has created an active, passionate community of clients and fellow Calabrian enthusiasts. However, as the trend for authentic holiday experiences grows, businesses working in the travel and wellness sectors need to find their niche. According to Michelle, their strength lies in their expert knowledge of the area and their ability to offer extraordinary client services: “From the moment our client lands to the moment they leave, every detail of their holiday is taken care of. They will also have their very own bilingual host (who also acts as a personal concierge) that will be available for anything they need while on holiday. It’s the inside knowledge we have and that we are available 24/7 for our guests that very much sets us apart from our competitors!” She continues, describing the effects of Calabria’s very recent rise in popularity, “In 2017, the New York Times wrote an article and highlighted Calabria as one of the top destinations to visit. This has led to an increase in interest in visiting Calabria and we have received overwhelming requests for private holidays and retreat bookings.” Touching back on the importance of Discover Calabria’s staff in the success of the company, “Our employees are all based in Calabria and bilingual (English & Italian) many of them are expats who have moved from other countries and share the same passion of living a slower paced lifestyle in a beautiful setting. They bring with them the expertise and knowledge from the successful careers they left behind in order to share their passion with our guests.” When it comes to the health and wellbeing market, Michelle describes how the future of the firm is one of growth, on the back of recent industry trends, “experience holidays are a big thing now as well as digital detox. In the wellbeing market, more people are becoming interested in joining yoga and wellness retreats as a way to escape their busy lives and reconnect with themselves and nature. Calabria is the perfect destination to host these types of retreats because we are surrounded by nature. From the mountains to the sea, Calabria is pure and uncontaminated. In the future, we plan to offer more retreats that are infused with Southern Italy’s relaxing vibe and beautiful setting.” As for the future of Discover Calabria, “We have exciting projects in the future as we will be collaborating with celebrity chefs and wellness teachers for some of our upcoming retreats next year.” Company: Discover Calabria Address: 71-75 Shelton Street, London, WC2H 9JQ, United Kingdom Website: www.discovercalabria.it