October 9, 2019August 8, 2020Experiential Tourism in Puglia, Luxury Vacation Villas in Puglia, Unique ways to enjoy your vacation

BeeYond Travel is now an Outgoing Tour Operator Puglia

How many of you are familiar with the popular statement: “Nothing good comes easy”? We at BeeYond Travel can surely raise our hand, both hands actually. We had shared for a while now the “We Have Grown” news, but we had to work behind the scenes to make the right implementations before unveiling the new BeeYond Travel!

Growing is what makes us better and as reliable as you would expect when traveling overseas. But what do we mean when we say we have grown? And how did we do it?

Let’s backtrack a bit to 2016, when the first drafts of the villa rental company were drawn. We simply want to be the best Vacation Villa Rental out there. While dreaming with our head up in the clouds, we always kept our feet grounded.

We were aware that for the kind of service we wanted to offer, we needed to pick a small area and become the best advisors for the most discerning clientele. We picked one of the most beautiful countries in the world: Italy. Then one unique region: Puglia. This region offers tourism options all year long. The majority of people travel during the summer months, but there is another large percentage of people who choose to travel off season too. These travelers are not big fan of hot temperatures and dislike crowds; or many other reasons. Puglia, has much more to offer than just beach: history, culture and traditions can be felt everywhere, food it top notch, and we all agree we do not need to wait for summer to eat well.

Once we picked our beautiful corner of world, we literally moved there in 2017 and for 2 years we lived exactly like the locals and we explored every single corner of this amazing region. This was a stretch well worthed. We have met and selected the best professionals to help us out in this incredible journey. Thanks to our alliances, we were able to see the tourist traps and learn how to stay away because authenticity is key to us when delivering a certain level of luxury.

Professionalism is also key. Puglia for instance is packed with beautiful villas, but finding gorgeous villas and owners who can actually run those properties in a professional manner was not that easy. Unfortunately, many people think they can open up a restaurant, and be called Restaurateurs. Or refurbish a beautiful old farmhouse and be called Hoteliers. We know well it is not the case so we made sure we looked at the whole picture before “shaking hands.”

Along the way, our clients kept requesting more than the unique villas we offer. We decided then to offer tailored vacations with villas, transfers, tour guides, experiences, and anything in between that would create an amazing vacation.

BeeYond Travel, based in NY, evolves into Outgoing Tour Operator. After getting the necessary “checks” – insurance, certification, inventory, booking engine, proper staff, etc. – we are now proud to be probably the only Outgoing Tour Operator. Specializing in this small region capable of offering excitement all year long.

While we are in NY orchestrating unforgettable vacations, there is a Team in Italy coordinating the operation. The Team is directed by Paola Puzzovio. We are very humble so we will just say that she is the best local tourism expert in Puglia, a pioneer of enogastronomy, the first one to preach not only about food and wine but enogastronomy as an expression of culture of the local community. She is the person every traveler would want by their side while on vacation. We are so proud to have her on our Team making sure our travelers can experience a vacation in a way that they will remember forever.

The website got a new “engine.” Although it looks very similar to the previous version (we kept it that way because we all love its simplicity), under the “hood” multiple tools, and widgets. It allow us to keep track and manage inventory, reservations and payments all using the strictest encryption to guarantee your data is safe while on our site.

Tour Packages in Puglia by BeeYond Travel

We have added new pages dedicated to Tours and Experiences.

Tour Experiences in Puglia by BeeYond Travel

We have also added a new page dedicated to Cruises. We now offer day sailing excursions in Puglia and just because we like to always bend rules. Even our own, we offer week-long sailing cruises to the Eolian Islands aboard some very unique sailing yachts; one in particular can accommodate up to 12 people; we call it the Orient-Express of the sea! Check out the new page.

Cruise Tours Puglia, Sicily, Eolian Islands — Private Cruises provided by BeeYond Travel

We have changed some numbers but we continue to keep our Italian number to make it easier for our suppliers and travelers to reach us from Italy.

We promise to continue to evolve and we will continue to listen to our guests and suppliers because thanks to them we are who we are today. More tours and more experiences will be added but if you have specific places in Puglia where you wish to go or specific experiences you wish to book, let us know, just send us a request.

We hope you will enjoy the new BeeYond Travel and please keep your feedback coming.

Happy Travels,

The BeeYond Travel Team

March 14, 2019November 20, 2019Experiential Tourism in Puglia, Luxury Vacation Villas in Puglia, Unique ways to enjoy your vacation

Family Reunion, meet up again in Puglia for Vacation

In these first days of spring, if you are lucky, raising your eyes to the sky you can see flocks of swallows that come back after the long winter.

It is a fascinating spectacle that fills the heart with hope: the beautiful days are coming back, let’s get ready.

The return of the swallows is a moment of joy and serenity and we imagine that many of you have experienced this sensation.

No, we are not swallows, obviously, but how many times have we found ourselves looking up while waiting for a plane to land that brings home a family member who works or lives far away?

And who returns, does not feel a little like a small swallow who finally returns home, to find the nest he had left?

Airports and stations are places that could tell millions of these stories, tears of joy and long hugs.

Summer is the time when those who return home do not do it for a simple vacation, they want to embrace their origins and recharge their batteries.

In Puglia, the Family Reunions, are a real village festival: Everybody is called: cousins, second and third degree uncles, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. All ready to have fun, tell old anecdotes, stories of past lives.

Wouldn’t it be a good idea to even meet in another part of the world, a place that no one has ever seen and live it together, like a family?

Obviously, our advice is, also in this case, to choose Puglia: the BeeYond Travel villas have numerous beds and ensure the necessary privacy and tranquility that these moments deserve.

Waking up together, having breakfast, going to the beach, and then in the evening enjoying a barbecue in the moonlight: all these elements would make any family reunion unforgettable.

There are experiences that can be made here in Puglia that would strengthen ties that maybe the distance has weakened: gathering fresh fruits and vegetables and preparing them for lunch, perhaps after having learned to make orecchiette, the classic Apulian pasta. And then excursions in wonderful cities of art or in small villages, where you can lose yourself in the intricate streets and meet again in the only square of the village, perhaps led by the band that plays in honor of the Patron Saint.

No, it’s not a dream.

Now we understand why swallows always come back: they are doing well in Puglia and you and your family could say the same thing if you chose all this beauty for your holidays.

February 14, 2019August 8, 2020Experiential Tourism in Puglia, Luxury Vacation Villas in Puglia, Unique ways to enjoy your vacation

Not all that glitters is gold: OTA vs Tour Operators in the era of Tourism 2.0

Not all that glitters is gold:

OTAs vs Tour Operators in the era of Tourism 2.0

By Il Lupo e La Rondine for BeeYond Travel

Tourism is changing.
The data coming from the BIT, the “Borsa Internazionale del Turismo (International Tourism Exchange) that took place in Milan from 10 to 12 February, is an essential event for all tourism operators.
Ok, but how is it changing?
The most evident transformation is the one linked to the digitalization of businesses and tourism services.
Even the travel business has been absorbed by the pressing technological progress of the most recent years. The sector most affected by this new phase undoubtedly affects the Travel Agencies and Tour Operators.
The typical 2.0 Tourists book online travel, they gather information on-line, they book restaurants, experiences, and entrances to the main attractions.
In short, they are able to create a trip by themselves, a real custom vacation that is totally in line with their tastes and their expectations, without undergoing any market or sales logic.

At first, it might seem that this change of direction against the travel agencies is all in favor of the tourist, but is all that glitters gold?
The advent of OTAs, the online travel agencies such as Booking, HomeAway, Expedia has greatly facilitated the process of adaptation to the present times, this is a fact, but are we really sure that these channels are one hundred percent reliable?
The algorithms that regulate them allow us to find only the most chosen itineraries by travelers, thus proposing standardized and already been-there-done-that trips.
Among accommodations, for instance, you will find will only the most clicked ones, putting aside small hidden gems that simply have less luck online.
Where is the authenticity in all this?

The answer to this question is simple: there is not.
Only companies like BeeYond Travel can “sew” a trip on you like a perfect suit because they know the territory that they are selling and love it.
Here, the difference lies completely in one single word: passion, the uncontrollable desire to tell a land, in our case Puglia, through its traditions, its artistic beauties, its culinary art.
We partner with the local tour operator Salento Travel to protect you from unpleasant surprises. Enough with fake reviews on TripAdvisor!!!
These fake reviews just ruin the reputation of many structures, but also ruin the reputation of the area itself, just because on TripAdvisor someone said that in that particular area of the world everyone is rude, the food is bad, etc …

We would also never dream of cutting costs at the expense of our travelers; you can now find everything on the OTAs but have you ever wondered if the operator who offers a certain experience is covered by insurance? If all those people offering you food tasting experiences have the HACCP certificate? Guarantee that you will not get sick because of poorly managed food? Yes, we know…you should not worry about these things but it is important for you to know how important it is to rely exclusively on certified professionals because your experience and your health may be at risk.

We go beyond making sure that everything checks both professionally and legally, we personally test the experiences and only those able to engage us emotionally will be proposed… we do not sell cheap properties, nor cheap experiences, we sell them at the right price because we do not believe shortcuts and above all, we do not believe in the “hit and run tourism” phenomenon, unfortunately so fashionable nowadays. Just check out the pictures below to see us in action when selecting your experiences.

Our best reviews are the smiles of our customers when they return home satisfied and able to bring with them the desire to tell a beautiful and authentic story to friends and relatives, not to the world wide web.

We promise you a smooth holiday, tailor-made for you. For us, creating a trip is like inviting a traveler to our home: we will prepare everything before hands so you can feel pampered.

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Vacation in a Luxury Villa in Italy and more

A luxury vacation in Puglia Italy would certainly be nice. A vacation in a luxury villa near the beach in amazing Otranto or Leuca, or in Puglia countryside like Cursi, Galatone, Alliste, Ostuni, Vitigliano, Torre Suda, Morciano di Leuca. We are aware you have never even heard some of the locations we offer and that is perfectly fine. Actually, we have a good explanation for our strategy and here we explain it.

You see, going on vacation should not be considered another expense; going on vacation is much more than that. Going on a vacation in Italy and more specifically in Puglia is an investment in yourself. The moment you reach out to a company like BeeYond Travel to plan your vacation to Italy in one of the breathtaking hamlets in Puglia; you have already materialized an enrichment that goes beyond a nice beach or a villa with a pool where you can take some selfies.

Going on vacation in Puglia means getting “equipped” with a new set of eyes…ours, because we will make sure to propose you things you would not know otherwise. We will tell you where to go, what to see, what to eat, the best spot to take in that gorgeous sunrise or the rich and calming sunset in Puglia.

The difference between Beeyond Travel and many other companies is simple but very important. We have already experienced everything we offer, we have tested that single activity, that town you have never heard of, and on top of that, we select the people we connect you with along the way. A combination of all these elements will leave you something which will change your entire perspective on the word vacation and the reason why you go on vacation.

Our luxury villas in Puglia are just the inspiration for your next trip because we know even the most luxurious villa in Italy alone will not be able to make you return home changed. In the end, thanks to the new “set of eyes” we gave you, you will understand what a vacation is all about and you will be thankful to have made that first call to book memories, not just a villa.

Ready for some inspiration for your trip? Easy: Click the map below and check out our luxury Italian villas for rent in Puglia Italy for an authentic experience.

Now, congratulate yourself on taking the most important step to connect with us 😉

November 30, 2018August 8, 2020Experiential Tourism in Puglia, Feasts in Puglia, Luxury Vacation Villas in Puglia, Unique ways to enjoy your vacation

A Magic Christmas in Puglia

December is at the door and, needless to say it, the first thing that comes to mind when we think of this month is undoubtedly Christmas.

The cities are covered with lights and colors and the sparkling and chilly air in the evening is mitigated by the warmth of a celebration that everyone eagerly awaits.

Maybe you won’t believe it, but in our beloved Puglia, even Christmas time is great for treating yourself to a holiday right here.

Mercatini di Natale in Puglia

The mild climate and the usual warm welcome of the Pugliesi people make the days before the holidays even more magical, mesmerized between the beauty of the Apulian villages lit up for the Holidays and the scent of food that invades the streets.

Here at Christmas time, throughout the region it seems that a single table is set up that goes from north to south of the heel of the boot and invites all travelers and visitors to sit down and celebrate together.

On the table cartellate, pettole, taralli and succulent main course dishes.

Yes, many jokes regarding our endless lunches but, dear travelers, try to sit down once at the table of a Pugliese family at Christmas and you’ll be looking forward to coming back next year.

There are also numerous Christmas events organized in the various cities: the New Year’s Eve in Piazza del Ferrarese in Bari is a must for example.

Those who choose Salento as a destination for the upcoming holidays, can not miss the opportunity to visit the suggestive Living Nativity of Tricase (LE) and the monumental Nativity which every year adorns the Roman Amphitheater in Piazza Sant’Oronzo in Lecce.

On December 24 in Specchia is the day of the Pittula Festival, one of the oldest renewing itself for about thirty years. The pittule are typical frittelle salentine made with flour and oil and sometimes stuffed with tomatoes, turnips or olives.

So we advise you to hurry up, you are still in time to come and experience a Christmas in Puglia.

Down in Salento the elegance of Residenza DePietro will welcome you in Cursi,

The reassuring Villa Elena‘s tower will welcome you in Galatone

The chic Casa degli Affetti will welcome you in Vitigliano

And the charm of ancient and modern blend of Palazzo San Giovanni will welcome you in Morciano di Leuca.

As always it is not up to us to convince you to choose Puglia for your vacation, we know in your heart, we Puglia is already on your wish list.

And if you really can not make it for this Christmas, there’s a whole New Year, 2019, to make it happen. All you have to do is contact us and, perhaps, this year under the Christmas tree you will find a vacation by BeeYond Travel.

Tag: Slow Tourism

BeeYond Travel is now an Outgoing Tour Operator Puglia

Family Reunion, meet up again in Puglia for Vacation

Not all that glitters is gold: OTA vs Tour Operators in the era of Tourism 2.0

Not all that glitters is gold:

By Il Lupo e La Rondine for BeeYond Travel

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