In March 2006, when STC Expeditions was launched, the world was different, travel was different and the concerns and interests of our student travellers were different. As we celebrate our 20th birthday, we look back proudly at all we’ve achieved and feel full of enthusiasm for the next steps in the STC journey.
Two decades of adventure
In the last twenty years, the world – and the way we live in it – has changed enormously. In 2006, Twitter had just arrived, TikTok was still a decade away and AI was a far-fetched plot device in Terminator 3. When STC Expeditions opened shop, it was with the ambition of helping young people from all backgrounds have authentic, enriching and ethical travel experiences that would expand their horizons and open their eyes.
We’re pleased to say that’s exactly what we did, and it’s what we continue to do. We’ve travelled with over 10,000 students (plus their teachers) to destinations as diverse as the frozen Arctic Circle, the rainforests of Asia and the mountains of sub-Saharan Africa. We started out with the ambition to be leaders in responsible tourism and have become the go-to operator for schools that prioritise an ethical approach.
When Covid-19 came along and kicked the feet out from under the travel industry, we kept the faith and emerged on the other side as a strong team, as passionate as ever about our work.
There are lots of brilliant things about STC trips (among them extraordinary activities, off-the-beaten track destinations and hands-on learning) but if pressed, we’d say our local leaders are our best asset. We’ve built a network of on-the-ground experts who guide all of our groups and know more than anyone about the history, geography and culture of their countries.
Ethical then, ethical now
While our students have learned a lot from their travels, the last 20 years have been an education for us, too. Many factors – from geopolitics to climate change – have required us to flex our approach to school travel. New needs and wants have emerged and we’ve stepped up to meet them. After the turbulence of the pandemic, schools became increasingly cautious, so we doubled down on risk assessments, started offering 24/7 support and worked hard to deliver essential reassurance around allergies and medical conditions.
Through the years, we’ve stuck solidly to our founding principle of responsible travel and, over time, have been delighted to see ethical tourism become increasingly important to the schools we work with. Teachers and students want to enjoy once-in-a-lifetime expeditions, but they’re aware of the potential consequences of tourism and want to make sure their impact on local communities is positive. The effects of air travel are rightly of concern, which is why we carbon-label our itineraries, offer long-haul trips of three weeks or more and organise short-haul trips packed with adventure.
What about the next 20 years?
In 2026, we’re as fascinated by the world and excited about showing it to young people as we were in 2006. We plan to continue making travel accessible to all sorts of students from institutions across the country. Our eyes are always peeled for new destinations that deliver unique experiences – Japan is somewhere that’s growing in popularity and is packed with educational opportunities. Growing our short-haul offering is also a priority.
To demonstrate STC Expedition’s continued commitment to ethical and sustainable practices, we’ve recently completed our application to be a B Corp. Certification as a B Corporation by B Lab indicates the highest standards of ‘social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability’. Not many travel companies have earned certification and the application process has been gruelling. But, like remaining firmly dedicated to ethical practices, it’s well worth doing.