CASE STUDY
Empowering Success
in Travel.
Vision Travel's Innovative Approach to Professional Growth, Personal Growth, and Cultural Immersion.
Meet Vision Travel
Felipe Villegas founded Vision Travel in 2005 in Puerto Rico. A native of Colombia, Felipe brought his passions for technology, design, marketing and travel together to establish his vision for what travel can and should be – hence the name Vision Travel.
Felipe saw an opportunity to build something unique that met his desire to serve people and their desire for travel, but also to better themselves and to contribute to different cultures around the world.
This all started very quick, with Vision Travel realizing over 4,000 distributors in its first 6 months of operation.
There was – and remains – a huge need for this type of business. Both for our distributors and for travelers, there is an incredible desire to experience our world. We were in the right place at the right time when we started. We invested heavily in technology and people. We executed aggressively. We had to be sure we took advantage of this opportunity.
Today, Vision Travel works with 18,000+ distributors, serves over 60,000 customers, and sees 120,000+ passengers traveling to over 60 countries every year.
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Training & Empowerment
Investments in training and empowering its distributors to expand at whatever pace they felt best for them played a crucial role in Vision Travel's growth. To cater to this need to educate, inform and train distributors, Felipe and the team looked beyond traditional processes. Static resources, digital resources, etc. were prevalent in educational processes yet they weren’t meeting the needs for the fast growing company.
To address this shortcoming, and capitalize on all of the opportunities they knew existed, Vision Travel created an academy to support its distributors and help them realize their life's goals while contributing to different cultures around the world. The purpose of the academy is to move beyond traditional training and education. Its focus is to build the most solid foundation possible for each and every distributor so they are able to achieve their desired outcomes and meet the insatiable demand for immersive travel experiences that remains present today.
Adapting to Change
A story about business growth and travel in the early 2000’s can’t be complete without acknowledging the impact of the pandemic. It is well known and understood that it caused a significant disruption in the travel industry.
Vision Travel, staying true to its name and its roots, pivoted, quickly.
The company's focus on technology and automation helped us adapt and grow during this challenging time. We are never content to sit still and we weren’t going to watch what we had built disappear. We doubled down, investing heavily in technology to automate processes so we could stay in business. We had to minimize overhead and keep the company going.
The introduction of new lines of business, including travel insurance services to address the frequent and unpredictable global travel restrictions and the acquisition of a short-term vacation rental portfolio to serve the needs of travelers staying in areas for much longer than anticipated (in many cases multiple months because of quarantine requirements) also helped set the company up for future success.
MISSION TRAVELS: THE VISION TRAVEL FOUNDATION
Mission Travels, the Vision Travel Foundation, was established to give back and support the evolution of technology in developing nations. Felipe, and Vision, believe in the importance of rock-solid partnerships and leveraging technology to achieve success. Mission Travels supports these beliefs in helping distributors and travelers become more entrenched in their desired destinations and communities, giving to them in ways far beyond simple tourism dollars.
Travelers are increasingly seeking unique, off-the-beaten-path destinations, looking for authentic and immersive cultural experiences that give back to their destinations in meaningful ways. Technology has played a crucial role in catering to these demands, enabling us to leverage data, analytics, and AI to create tailored itineraries and offer personalized recommendations that deeply connect travelers with their chosen destinations. We’re also able to create educational opportunities in local communities that teach technology skills and help everyone – regardless of age – prepare themselves for new opportunities.
It goes beyond technology, too.
Cultural immersion has become increasingly important for our distributors and our travelers, as they seek authentic and meaningful experiences that connect them with local communities and traditions. By prioritizing cultural immersion, we can cater to this growing demand, offering travelers unique and unforgettable experiences while also promoting responsible tourism and supporting local economies. This shift is not only beneficial for the environment but also helps our distributors to differentiate themselves in a competitive market and our travelers to gain the holistic experience they’re seeking.
THE FUTURE
Travelers who become immersed in a culture often develop a deep attachment to it, fostering a sense of belonging and connection to the local community. This emotional bond often inspires them to stay, return frequently, and even establish businesses or charities that contribute to the community's well-being and development. By creating such enterprises, these travelers not only enhance the quality of life for their newly adopted communities but also strengthen the cultural exchange and understanding between their home country and the destination, promoting mutual respect and appreciation. Our role is to foster this in every way possible.
Vision Travel & MassPay
Partnerships are the lifeblood of any business. Period. It’s always about people. Vision Travel is about people. Our team. Our distributors. Our travelers. Our partners. One of the reasons we chose to work with MassPay – beyond having an unmatched technology and vision for the market – is partnership. They clearly understand what it means to be a partner, to serve common interests and always – always – put the needs of others first.
From a simple integration of our platforms, to the deployment of a mobile wallet that supports dozens of currencies and hundreds of markets, to the incredible support everyone at Vision Travel receives from MassPay, we couldn’t have chosen a better global payout orchestration partner for our business.
Success is about determination, persistence, commitment. The opportunity for Vision Travel and our distributors is based upon interest in travel, its associated services, and people who love to travel and want to share that love. The ability for the company and our distributors to succeed is because of the investments we’ve made - and will continue to make - in technology and in our people.
We are 17 years in business, and it’s because of this. It’s all about work, partnership and leveraging technology. We are always looking for good partners and MassPay is clearly aligned with our values of partnership, our belief in the power of technology, and a willingness to recognize the importance of our distributors’ and traveler’s experiences.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR VISION TRAVEL
Vision Travel, founded and fueled by the vision and passion of Felipe Villegas, has grown rapidly by focusing on technology, professional growth, personal growth, and cultural immersion. With over 18,000 distributors and 60,000 customers, Vision Travel provides immersive travel experiences to more than 120,000 passengers in over 60 countries each year.
The company's academy supports and empowers its distributors, helping them achieve their life goals and cater to the growing demand for authentic travel experiences. Adapting to the challenges posed by the pandemic, Vision Travel introduced new lines of business and leaned on its investments in technology and automation.
Through its foundation, Mission Travels, the company supports the development of technology in emerging nations and promotes cultural exchange.
As Vision Travel looks to the future, it continues to emphasize the importance of strong partnerships, like its collaboration with MassPay, to drive success and remain at the forefront of the travel industry.
Visit Vision Travel to learn more and follow along on their journey.