Staff Feature: Manuel del Villar

Name & Title: Manuel Del Villar, Director of Program Delivery for Dominican Republic

Hometown: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Years at Offbeat Travel : 4 years

What do you like to do in your free time?

Play and watch soccer, play guitar, go to concerts and festivals, and travel.

What is your favorite spot to travel to in your home country?

Las Galeras, Samaná

What is your favorite international destination?

Vancouver, Canada

What is the favorite aspect of your job at Offbeat Travel?

Being able to connect and collaborate with people from different backgrounds and cultures.

What sets Offbeat Travel apart from other places you have worked?

A welcoming environment where I can achieve my potential while being myself. A place where all ideas are respected and valued and where as a team we can make a difference in communities we work with.

What do you like the most about working with students and teachers?

All the things I learn and relearn from students and teachers I get to meet.

Why is travel important to every education?

Traveling teaches things that can never be taught in a classroom, like grit, interpersonal skills, and self awareness, all while also developing students' appreciation for different cultures.

What is your favorite / most meaningful aspect of your culture that you like to expose travelers to?

The ingenuity that Dominicans use in their everyday lives to overcome different challenges.

What does decolonizing travel mean to you?

It means giving power back to the people from the communities we love to visit. It's making sure that we take care of the people who make traveling such an impactful and enjoyable experience, it's growing together with these communities instead of just taking from them.