Innovation… For Better or Worse

Undeterred, George and Martha continued to run student trips and ran a number of trips for the Royal Ontario Museum, but the company as it exists today wasn’t quite yet borne. In parallel, Martha started her own interior design business and Sidney went on to become one of the top corporate lawyers in Canada. George opened a restaurant that became a hot Toronto nightspot. He had his hand in a number of businesses. And then, in 1979 another great travel idea emerged: Shipwreck Holidays.

The idea was to take people to a deserted Caribbean island in a shipwrecked state. For $600, each person would receive a bathing suit, a plastic sheet and a bucket. While the purpose of the bathing suit was obvious, the other two props were perhaps less straightforward. Participants were to dig a hole in the sand, put the bucket in the hole, cover it with plastic and collect the condensation for drinking water. Food was the conch from the sea. A brilliant idea—real survival in a beautiful place. He planned 15 departures in the first year. This time there was some interest. He ran one trip.

Everyone hated it.

What doesn’t get said, but bears keeping in mind, is just how damn crazy this idea was in 1966.

Undaunted Ingenuity

But George remained undaunted. A true entrepreneur, he knew that success in business depends upon three things: innovation, surrounding yourself with talented people, and good timing.

In 1980, George re-introduced the concept of deluxe biking trips for adults. This time, after many valiant attempts and innovative spins, B&R’s concept of high-end cycling and walking holidays (finally) caught on. What started as one trip in 1980 became three trips in 1981, eventually climbing to more than 400 in 2016. While the growth has been exponential, the company has always remained a family-run business.

A Rose by (a Shorter, Better) Name

The very first Butterfield & Robinson brochure promised, “We will travel Europe in a relaxed and leisurely fashion.” It took a few years to both refine and expand that philosophy, and the exact origins of what would become B&R’s motto and raison d’etre remain something of a mystery—there are clues scattered throughout the archives, including a partially wine-stained napkin with “Slow down…” scrawled in spotty penmanship—but the root of the idea has been there from the very beginning:

Slow Down to See the World

After 50 years, a stumble or two, a few more “eureka!” moments and an unfailing commitment to slowing down, today Butterfield & Robinson is the world’s premier active travel company. We’ve spent half a century crafting incredible journeys and immersing ourselves in the world’s most amazing places.

This is the point where most companies would add, “and we have no intention of slowing down.” But we’re not most companies.

Slowing down has worked pretty well for us over the past 50 years—and we have every intention of continuing to do just that.