AAT Kings has revealed that 95% of its tours now include a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, as the leading tour operator continues to embed experiences that support local communities, cultures and conservation across its Australia and New Zealand portfolio.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences are designed to connect guests directly with the people and organisations working to protect local culture, communities, wildlife and the environment. For travellers, they provide an opportunity to better understand the places they visit while contributing to initiatives helping preserve them for generations to come.
The 2027/28 season builds on this commitment with new and expanded experiences across Australia and New Zealand. On the new Outback New South Wales Adventurer, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience sees guests join a local Indigenous guide at Menindee Lakes and Kinchega National Park to learn about Barkindji cultural heritage, from creation stories and ancestral knowledge to the traditional uses of native plants, gaining a deeper understanding of the enduring connection between the Barkindji people and Country. In New Zealand on the Southern Wonders tour, a new MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at the Ōamaru Penguin Conservation Centre introduces guests to kororā, New Zealand’s little blue penguins, through the Discovery Centre and a guided colony walk while learning about the centre’s conservation work.
Also featured within the new season is Real Country, a working New Zealand farm where guests gain first-hand insight into rural life and agricultural heritage through local hosts and experiences including sheepdog mustering and horse demonstrations. The MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience also supports the Fairlight Foundation, which is dedicated to advancing opportunities for women in agriculture through education, leadership development and industry support. Discover this on the Spirit of New Zealand tour.
“Travel can be a powerful force for good, but it’s also about creating a richer experience for the traveller,” said Ben Hall, CEO of AAT Kings Group.
“When you meet the people protecting a native species, learn directly from local communities or hear the stories and traditions that have shaped a place, you come away understanding far more about the destination. With 95% of our tours now including a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, these connections have become an important part of the way our guests experience Australia and New Zealand.
“For travel advisors, it’s also a powerful story to share with clients who increasingly want to know that their holiday can support the places they visit while giving them experiences and stories they’ll remember long after they return home.”
The focus on deeper local connection extends across AAT Kings’ broader 2027/28 programme. New journeys, including the nine-day Outback New South Wales Adventurer, take guests beyond Australia’s traditional tourism icons and into regional communities, where experiences spanning Aboriginal culture, pastoral heritage, local food and wine, and outback history reveal the people and stories behind the destination.
For clients ready to travel sooner, AAT Kings has also confirmed that 100% of all remaining 2026 departures are guaranteed to operate, giving agents greater confidence when securing their clients’ next holiday. Selected Last Minute Deals are also available for travellers looking to get away soon.
For those planning ahead, AAT Kings’ 2027/28 New Season Sale is now on, with travellers able to save up to $2,200 per couple* (AUD) on selected departures when booking by 30 September 2026. The offer includes savings across selected Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia and New Zealand holidays for travel during the 2027/28 season.
AAT Kings is also supporting travel advisors with dedicated tools and content through its A-LISTERS programme. The latest A-LISTERS podcast features Head of Product and Contracting John Navarro, who takes advisors behind the new 2027/28 collection and shares insight into the experiences guests are looking for from guided holidays today. The episode covers the expanding Small Group range, new MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences and upcoming Short Breaks, providing practical product information to help advisors confidently sell the new season.
Advisors can access the A-LISTERS podcast alongside updated product information, sales tools and campaign assets via the A-LISTERS trade hub at www.aatkings.com/en-au/
