JOURNEY AGAINST THE WIND
ITINERARIES OUTSIDE THE
TOWN WITH NICOLE
Promoter and tour leader, she loves nature and all those trips that have the scent of adventure. Traveling against the wind is the blog where Nicole takes us on less touristy routes, more in contact with real local life.
Welcome to Easy Travel Hosting! Could you tell us about how your passion for travel was born and how over time you made it your profession?
I have been in tourism all my life. Institute for Tourism for high school, International Trade for university, Tourism Promotion and Communication for master's degree.
Seasons abroad as a tourist assistant for large Italian tour operators, guide for excursions in Greece. I lived in Berlin and Thessaloniki.
During my university studies I managed to get my tour leader's license and from there I never stopped.
I have accompanied small and large groups of Italian tourists around the world, marathon runners at large foreign marathons such as NYC, Chicago etc. and American tourists visiting Italy.
I realized my dream. In this job there are no schedules, there are no holidays when you want them, your free time is in the evening when you go to sleep, you are available 24 hours a day, you are not paid by the hour, it is not a Monday to Saturday job, you often have to solve problems of all kinds (embassies, police, hospitals, returns, accidents, but also surprises, romantic dinners, excursions, etc.), but for me it is the most beautiful job in the world, it is a love that I cultivate with passion.
I really want to say that I am not a travel blogger. That is, I have a blog, which I myself built on the WP platform in complete autonomy without any help, but I am first of all an expert and a tourism professional.
Everything I write or say is the result of many years of study and work, I am not a traveler who suggests destinations. I suggest advice that comes from my background and my work.
Thanks to my profession, unfortunately or fortunately I find myself having to "comb through" destinations and facilities, so I have a clinical eye for hotels and tourist companies. I have to do it for work, because then I have reports to bring to the agencies.
I immediately see what works and what doesn't. Any advice comes from professional level tips.
Designs food and wine itineraries, a tourism sector that doesn't seem to be slowing down even in the face of Covid. Offer very interesting and unique experiences, like sleeping in a barrel of prosecco! Can you tell us about this aspect of your work?
Since I got my master's degree in tourism promotion and communication, I have become a tourism promoter in all respects. I also continue to be a tour leader, but I deal with promoting itineraries, destinations and proven experiences. If I was happy with it, why not suggest it?
I have also studied the world of web marketing and social media in depth through further studies, therefore I provide consultancy to small companies that want to enter the world of tourism, also through help in organizing events.
I don't promote companies that deal with mass tourism, I have worked for large tour operators, but it's not a world that belongs to me. I exclusively promote local companies, small businesses, wineries. Everything related to slow and eco-sustainable tourism that enhances local organizations.
I strongly believe that a lived tourist experience is worth more than anything. Tourists want to "live" "savour" "taste" "taste" every single moment of the journey. And this is the type of travel that I like to promote.
When I'm not traveling for work and traveling on my own, I like to try tourist experiences to offer to my readers. Or for example there are wineries that call me to show me their tourist offer, as happened in Prosecco that I was invited to see this beautiful resort surrounded by vineyards, which offers rooms made from organic barrels and wines.
I like genuine companies, the family stories that lie behind these businesses. Wine tourism and the world of wine have always fascinated me, so much so that I also wanted to study to become a sommelier. I'm on level one. So I often get food and wine tours.Behind a glass of wine there is history and culture and why not also hospitality.
Another point in which I strongly believe is the business network, the collaborations that can be created. Always starting from the point of view "if I felt good" I recommend that place, that company, then the favor will surely come back and if it doesn't come back it doesn't matter, I made someone happy.
Tourists are not fools or people to be ripped off, I want them to feel good, have a good experience and go home happy. I have also happened to design itineraries but in collaboration with travel agencies, because I am not an agency, but by traveling a lot and always thanks to my travel experiences I have the opportunity to get to know many realities.
The journey against the wind, against traditional tourism, in search of authentic experiences. What was your first, very personal journey against the wind?
My blog was born first of all from the need to make something useful available for everyone, often customers who have already traveled with me ask me for advice and therefore I wanted a place available where anyone could "draw" useful advice.
Secondo was born to allow me to continue travelling, at least in my mind and not go crazy. In fact, I built it during the first lockdown, while cancellations of work were pouring in. I wanted to continue dreaming of travel and writing saved me.
I chose the name Contro Vento because I like to recommend itineraries that are out of the ordinary, because I recommend companies and destinations without necessarily having an economic return, most of the time there are no commissions. I like to recommend only what I myself have tried, not so much for the commission. Just like what happened with my new green hosting.
I believe that you can live against the wind even without having who knows what adventure, but perhaps instead of choosing, where possible obviously, the all-inclusive village I choose the B&b local and I eat in the nearby restaurant, rather than inside the village where there is an Italian chef. I eat pasta in Italy, abroad I only try local food. I choose the companies in the area for my visit and I don't buy the expensive excursion proposed by the tourist assistant. I go straight to the source.
Perhaps having worked personally for large companies gave me the opportunity to see how local companies are discriminated against and therefore I thought that this world cannot be part of mine. I think my first trip against the wind was during one of my work experiences abroad.
I was in Greece, on a wonderful remote island and after the working season, I stopped for a bit of holiday. A friend had lent me his house by the sea, they were the most beautiful weeks of my life. I was alone, the beaches were empty, very few tourists, they had already removed the umbrellas, but in Greece you can go to the sea until November, sometimes even later.
I often spent the evening watching the stars on the terrace, during the day I explored the island through nature trails, I went snorkelling, in the evening I had dinner in some local tavern. I love those taverns where grandma is still at work in the kitchen. I spoke with the local people, with the priest of some village, with the elderly outside the bar.
Here they know more than any book. I didn't have any adventure, I just unplugged for a while and connected to the place where I was, I lived it fully in an authentic way. Did you know that a local excursion in Greece, the classic boat tour of the day, if purchased directly at the port can cost 20 euros instead of the 50-100 euros purchased in the village?
That experience remained in my heart and I will always carry it within me.
What do you do to make your travels greener?
To make my trips more eco-friendly, as already mentioned, I purchase directly from the locals: experiences, excursions, food, wine, etc. I only eat in local restaurants and taverns, I never buy all-inclusive trips. I check the prices on the large portals, but then contact the structures directly in order to save money and avoid the locals having to pay large commissions on the portals for my stay.
I use towels several times, I don't change them every day. I use steel water bottles that I bring from home and avoid plastic if I can. I turn off the lights, unplug when I leave the room. If I can, I travel by local transport or on foot.
I don't print anything, I keep everything on my phone. I use bamboo toothbrushes and travel-size shampoo and body wash in reusable or product-saving containers. I would like to use trains and buses more, but they are often expensive or inefficient and therefore I take the plane, but I try to be more respectful through other practices.
I want the locals to make money instead of the big multinationals. When I'm at the beach I always have a bag in my bag for rubbish. In my own small way I try to do something and respect everything around me as much as possible, starting from the work of others.
We only have one planet and it is right that it is a welcoming place for everyone, even for those who come after me.
Easy Travel Hosting Thank Nicole very much for taking part in our interview.
If you want to find out more, you can follow her on her website by clicking here.
And on social media too!
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