Destination Unknown from Explorer X
Would you pay someone to plan a trip for you and only learn where you’re going when you arrive at the airport?
That’s the premise of Destination Unknown, a trip-planning company that’s part of Seattle’s Explorer X. Michael Bennett is a co-founder of both and finds himself in the center of this new travel trend, with a small but growing group of core travelers reaching out to him to plan their trips.
Where are they going? They’ll find out when they get to the airport.
Christine and Pul Groppe on their surprise trip to Slovenia
That’s how New Yorkers Christine and Paul Groppe found themselves at JFK and learned they were heading to Slovenia in July 2022 to celebrate her 60th birthday. They were so delighted with the trip that they asked Destination Unknown to plan another one for them last March. That was a trip to Andalucia, Spain.
Other clients include a Seattle couple that Bennett met at the airport with their tickets and itinerary and sent to Chile during the holidays. He’s sent honeymooners on a surprise trip to Vietnam and Cambodia and arranged a solo trip to Greenland.
Who would entrust a company, albeit one with a well-traveled and qualified staff, to organize such a trip for them?
“Our travelers tend to be in the 40’s and up, mid-career, with no time to plan,” Bennett says. “Also, they can’t decide where they want to go. Sometimes that’s because of information overload or paralysis by analysis. Some are so busy they don’t have time to dream about where they want to go.”
Michael Bennett of Destination Unknown and Explorer X
Bennett says that some travelers care more about when they go or what they do rather than a specific destination. They might be looking for more off-the-beaten-path destinations or want excitement in their travels but don’t know how to find it.
How does the company determine where to send them on a trip that will ideally result in delighted clients? Destination Unknown steers these travelers through a learning process — for both sides — to create a journey that matches their desires and needs. They have a Dream Sheet for people’s desires and wishes. They look at each client’s travel history, where they ‘ve been, and what they liked about it. If they’ve had life-changing experiences, Destination Unknown also wants those in the mix.
“Maybe they’ll tell us that they want to go somewhere in December, and they want a foodie trip and leave the rest to us,” Bennett says. But the pre-planning goes deeper than that.
It might be date-specific or activity specific. Is this dream destination a classic or an emerging one, what Bennett calls a “hidden gem.” Do they want a particular environment — a desert, a city, or the seaside? What is their wish list of places they want to go? And importantly, what places do they not want to go?
They compile the information along with the budget consideration and get to work.
“If they’re looking to go off the beaten path, we might choose Mongolia,” Bennett says. “If the budget is tighter, then Ecuador or Guatemala are cost-effective choices.”
Destination Unknown also tailors the surprise levels. On a Level 1 trip, you know the destination and the locations, such as cities and regions, but not the itinerary or the experiences. On a Level 2 trip, you know the destination but that’s all. Destination Unknown can choose it, or you can select it. They do the rest.
Finally, Level 3 is the ultimate surprise. You don’t know anything until the day of departure.
Bennett says these trips run, on average, between seven and 12 days. This may be the ultimate for anyone seeking the unknown on their next trip.