How Swisskisafari sparked a global travel community

Danielle Stynes

It’s been a while since I’ve sat down to really reflect on the beginnings of SwisSkiSafari. Now, as we join a community of like-minded people through Your World is Calling, I’ve had the chance to see my business from another perspective.

It’s a joy to be building a tribe of others who have followed a similar path — one driven by passion and discovery, and the desire to share it with guests. We’re discovering incredibly talented people in their corners of the world — often hard to find, but deeply knowledgeable and skilled. It’s a privilege to bring them together and highlight their work through Your World is Calling.

We want to shine a light on the skills our members have honed over many years in their regional landscapes. This kind of deep expertise often comes at the cost of expansion and commercial standardisation, but what it offers instead is the ability to truly know a place — to live it, to feel it, and to share it in ways that are deeply personal.

It’s the people who have made that choice — to stay small, focused, and authentic — that we aim to support. Our goal is to help them thrive without needing to compromise or standardise their work.

In my own case, I’ve deliberately kept Swisskisafari small so I can continue to offer ski and hiking trips that are truly bespoke. This means taking people into areas of the Alps that are hard to access safely without insider knowledge.

And “bespoke” doesn’t just mean custom dates or hotel choices. It means understanding the land, the weather, the access points, and all the moving pieces needed to pull off complex itineraries in ever-changing Alpine conditions. Many of these trips are be planned months in advance but they also require real-time decisions, experience, and flexibility.

At Swisskisafari, we give people access to an Alpine environment that’s thrilling, unpredictable, and awe-inspiring — without requiring them to be elite athletes. My aim is to help guests experience a different side of the Alps, one that most never see when they stay within the bounds of the resorts.

Doing this well requires not only technical knowledge of the mountains, but also a strong and active network of local partners: pilots, guides, hoteliers, chefs. This network is essential — and it takes constant nurturing. That’s why there’s no substitute for living in the regions where you work.

Too often, I think the travel industry underestimates how profoundly a trip is shaped by the small, invisible touches that come from a strong network. A hotelier taking extra care. A pilot flying just a little closer so the descent is unforgettable. A guide tweaking the plan mid-day. A restaurant staying open late because we’ve run behind.

These subtle shifts aren’t just details — they’re the difference between a good trip and something extraordinary.

It’s this pursuit — of those intangible, irreplaceable moments — that drives us. It’s why we do what we do. To create a kind of magic that no algorithm or agency could ever replicate.

Find out more about Swisskisafari