http://www.affluentpageluxuryindex.com/featured/interview-with-geoffrey-kent-co-founder-of-abercrombie-kent/
Born on safari in Zambia, Geoffrey Kent’s life seemed destined for travel. So, it came as no surprise when Kent co-founded Abercrombie & Kent with his parents in 1962. Since then, Abercrombie & Kent has become the premier company for bespoke luxury travel. Affluent Page Magazine had the pleasure of catching up with Mr. Kent during his travels in Monaco.
What inspired the creation of Abercrombie & Kent?
Well, my family lived on a farm in the highlands of Kenya. Growing up there, my whole life was a safari. I basically lived in the bush, until I was 15. At the age of 16 I drove my motorcycle from Narobi, to Capetown – the first person to ever do so.
After high school, I joined the Royal Military Academy, and became a professional British Army officer. From there I joined the wonderful 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guard. They were an incredible regiment – full of charisma and style.
So really, Abercrombie & Kent was inspired by my experiences of travel, style, elegance, and logistics.
Along with your parents, you helped found the organization; what can one learn when working with family?
Experience. My mom and dad instilled a wealth of great experiences. My father, especially, from his extensive trips through Africa. My son now is actually the President and COO of the company, but we are all different in our own ways. That is why we believe it is important to maximize our strengths, and learn from each other.
It has been said that every spot on the globe has been discovered. If that is true, how do you guarantee a unique experience?
Simple – do it differently. We have 62 global offices. Each one of our global office is run by the local country. For instance, South Africa runs the South African office; Australia runs the Australian office, and so on. We have applied this system, because they know their country better than anyone else.
Each office collects information, and then distributes it out to the customer. So, in actuality the office is a manufacturer of experiences for the clientele.
In addition, every global office has created 25 to 40, “Insider Access” programs – an experience you cannot Google. For example, one of the global offices offers lunch with local government politicians.
What should a man search for in a travel experience?
The most important thing is to have an experience that changes your life. We do not want to offer just another tall present, we want to change minds. Within that people look for a piece of mind, such as, “are all the logistics taken care of”. No one should have worry about the status of their luggage during travel.
Are there any countries that you have not established a trip within, that you would like to?
Well, the city of Gabon has incredible beaches, and wild life like gorillas and elephants. Perhaps, we could also be creating trips to space, with the technology in the next 20 years. Aside from that, countries like Bolivia, Columbia, and Vietnam have all recently garnered a lot of attention that interests us.
Could you please explain your latest innovation: Extreme Adventures?
Two years ago, I was racing Ferraris with some friends and thought, “there must be a way we can incorporate this buzz into our trips.” So, with Extreme Adventures we created an experience that provides the younger clients with that rush.
As the co-founder of the premier travel experience company, constant travel seems imminent.
Of course, we always make sure to test the experience for ourselves. If the trip turns out be worthwhile and the conditions are acceptable, we will create the adventure.
Is there anything you must travel with?
I never want to lose touch, so my Nokia Satellite phone is must. On top of that, I always joke that I bring my White Truffle Oil, because it makes everything taste better.
I have read that Abercrombie & Kent uses a biplane for one of their Kenyan expeditions.
Yes, the WACO biplane. There is nothing better than taking off on a strip in the desert and flying low against the landscape. I have never been happy with the ordinary. Honestly, I could think of nothing more boring than relaxing on the deck of a luxury cruise ship for days. I would much rather be in our Zambia Camp canoeing next to hippos and crocodiles, fishing for tiger fish, and walking with buffalo and elephants.
So, other than the WACO biplane, what are some of the other notable vehicles Abercrombie & Kent use?
There is our top-of-the-line helicopter, which has had the doors removed for an up close experience of a lion’s kill. We also have our MV ‘Le Boreal’ adventure cruise, which takes our clientele through the surrounding waters of Antarctica.
The Abercrombie & Kent is a wonderful organization. Can you explain the current efforts of the visits and travel?
Since, 1982 we have been involved with philanthropy. Each of our 62 global offices actually use a dual track – one for philanthropy and one for travel. The program is in place to help cultures flourish in education, environment, and heath. Through each program we have been able to create schools, conservation clubs, community cultivations, and tree planting services.
I will give you one example: when the cyclone destroyed much of the delta region of Myanmar, we were able to contact back to our clientele. In our collective efforts, we were able to fundraise over $540,000, which was immediately used for critical supplies. While most could not get through the “red tape” around the borders, we were able to effectively get supplies to the proper areas, due to our local Myanmar branch.
How can a man learn about himself through travel?
In the early 1960’s I use to personally run African safaris for families, such as, the Rockefellers. One of the men once told me that, “lying in that green tent at night, life becomes simple.”
Travel makes people more aware of where they came from. Secondly, travel gets people in touch with people; cultures in touch with cultures. It creates a 3rd dimension of life, which produces a global understanding. I truly believe that if we, as people, were able to travel more, there would be far less issues in this world.
