Tour operator AAT Kings has confirmed that nearly every trip in its 2027/28 programme now includes at least one MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience — the figure stands at 95% — as the Australia and New Zealand specialist doubles down on tourism that gives something back.
The programme, which the operator runs under The Travel Corporation umbrella, pairs travellers with local projects that protect culture, wildlife and the environment. Instead of just ticking off sights, guests spend time with the people doing the work: Indigenous guides, conservation volunteers and community groups. The pitch from AAT Kings is that this makes a holiday more memorable as well as more responsible.
Two new experiences join the line-up for 2027/28. The first is at Menindee Lakes and Kinchega National Park in outback New South Wales, where a Barkindji guide shares creation stories, ancestral knowledge and the traditional uses of native plants. It features on the new nine-day Outback New South Wales Adventurer itinerary. The second is in New Zealand at the Ōamaru Penguin Conservation Centre, part of the nine-day Southern Wonders tour, where guests meet kororā — the little blue penguin, the world's smallest penguin species — and take a guided colony walk while learning about the centre's breeding and protection work.
Group CEO Ben Hall framed it in simple terms: meeting the people who protect a native species or hearing traditions first-hand means travellers come home understanding far more about where they have been. He also pointed out that agents have a ready-made story to tell customers who increasingly ask whether their holiday can benefit the places they visit.
There is a deal angle too. The operator's Early Booking sale runs until 30 September, with savings of up to £650 per person on 2027/28 departures — a decent window if either of the new itineraries appeals.
Why it matters: community-based experiences have shifted from niche add-on to default expectation on quality coach tours, and AAT Kings' 95% coverage is one of the stronger commitments in the Australia and New Zealand market. These trips suit travellers who want structure and comfort but also genuine local contact — hearing Barkindji stories on Barkindji country or watching penguins come ashore with the people who monitor them beats a drive-by photo stop. Book early if you want the discount, since both new tours appear on fixed small-group itineraries that will fill first.
Story via Breaking Travel News.
