A UK-based DMC focused on offering sustainable services in Argentina for tour operators and agents in this country is to launch within days.
Daniel Santin (pictured) set up a South American marketing brand called Inspiring Destination in 2015 but decided to launch Onesixth Expeditions earlier this year after seeing an opportunity to launch an Argentine DMC.
Over the next 10 days, Santin will contact 150 tour operators that he believes will be the “right fit” for Onesixth Expeditions to explain what the company stands for.
Santin, Onesixth Expeditions founder and director, said: “The idea is that within the next 10 days everyone will know about us. We’re going to be the most sustainable DMC in Argentina. There’s a big opportunity there.
“We’re going to prove to future clients we are who we say we are. We’re going to track our carbon footprint and we can report all of that back to our UK clients. We’re accountable for everything we’re doing.”
Santin, who has recruited product designer Georgina Vezzani, based in Argentina, has already agreed deals with two unnamed UK tour operators.
“The biggest challenge is how we can engage with the UK operators and actually tell them what we’re trying to do and how beneficially we can be when working with them,” he said.
“We’re a tailor-made specialist which works on any enquiries – whether you need a holiday for 10 days or 100 days we can put that together for you.
“Travel agencies can come to us if they have licences to package their own product.”
He added: “Our target audience will be tour operators going into Latin America. We’re looking for tour operators that take sustainability seriously.”
Initially, Onesixth Expeditions will offer three “specialist” tours it has packaged, but Santin hopes to increase that to five by the end of the year and create more in 2022. He expects 95% of the business to be DMC services and 5% to be sold as packages, either through the trade or direct.
Onesixth Expeditions has partnered with the 1% for the Planet organisation and has committed to donate 1% of its profits to local projects.
The company is vying to become a certified B Corporation, meaning every decision must be focused with the social, economic and environmental impact in mind.
Santin also pledged to offset its entire carbon footprint, adding that all trips will be free of single-use plastic.