Francisca Labra
Marketing · Vivencias Travel
The company is adding mental health professionals to the team that travels with school groups. It is the first time a Chilean operator has built this role permanently into its study trip programmes.
Vivencias Travel has added psychologists and therapists to the professional team that travels with its study trip groups. It is the first time a Chilean tour operator has built this role permanently into its school programmes.
Why now
Adolescent mental health has stopped being a peripheral issue. Indicators of anxiety and stress among secondary school students have grown steadily in recent years, and schools know it: today it is one of the first concerns raised in meetings with parents.
The study trip, planned for decades purely in logistical terms — hotels, transfers, excursions, price — is beginning to be looked at through the wellbeing of the people travelling as well.
"We have been seeing the same thing for years: the trips that go well are not the ones with the best hotel, but the ones with the best support. We decided to stop treating that as a personal skill of each coordinator and turn it into a professional capability of the team." — Marcelo Rollandi, founder of Vivencias Travel
How it works in practice
The professional joins the coordination team with three defined functions:
Before the trip. Work with the school to get to know the group, identify support needs and coordinate with families any cases requiring specific attention.
During the trip. Presence with the group, reading dynamics, early intervention in conflicts and availability for anyone going through distress, anxiety or difficulty settling in.
Afterwards. Feedback to the school on what was observed, where appropriate and always respecting confidentiality.
A standard that can scale
Vivencias Travel's bet is that this stops being a differentiator and becomes an industry norm, in the same way medical assistance insurance went from optional to mandatory in families' expectations.
"Hopefully in five years this will be the normal thing and nobody will remember that someone did it first. Students are people, not numbers on a passenger list. Looking after how they feel during the trip is part of the service, not an add-on." — Marcelo Rollandi
Vivencias Travel is a tour operator founded in Bariloche with a presence in Chile, Brazil and Mexico, specialising in group and individual travel experiences. Its main focus is study trips, experiential travel, adventure activities, excursions and tailor-made programmes. It offers 24/7 support and professional guides with deep knowledge of Patagonia and international destinations.
