In The News

EXPLORICA REPORTS RECORD GROWTH AS INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS PROVE MOST POPULAR

Record Number of Student Travelers Expected To Take Flight This Summer

BOSTON, MA - June 21, 2006 - On the first day of summer, Explorica, a leading educational travel company offering high-quality, low-cost travel programs worldwide, today announced that the company is reporting record growth, as evidenced by the overwhelming number of student travelers expected this summer. Despite soaring fuel prices and a weak U.S. dollar, international teacher-led tours continue to gain in popularity along with students traveling abroad.

"We have also seen more than a three-fold increase in demand for our Summer Academy international programs which combine traditional touring with education," said Olle A. Olsson, Explorica Founder and President. "Students, teachers and parents are all seeing the values of these enriching programs - international travel is literally the way to go."

According to the Travel Industry Association of America, airlines are also more vigorously pursuing international markets and are adding capacity, while gas prices continue to hurt domestic travel. And with a recent Senate Resolution naming 2006 the "Year of Study Abroad", there has been an increased focus on initiatives, such as Explorica, to promote and expand study abroad opportunities.

The most popular destinations this year includes Costa Rica, Italy and European combination tours which feature stops in multiple countries. Tour operators, like Explorica, are typically not affected by currency fluctuations. They have the advantage of offering cost-effective packages by having a worldwide presence, setting prices in advance and negotiating rates which would be unavailable to individual travelers. Explorica's hallmark is to combine the best of traditional student travel with top new technology to improve every aspect of the travel encounter - from researching, planning, and booking, to paying and actually taking the trip.

Teen Summer Educational Travel Program Doubles Offerings Due to High Demand

Explorica Expands Student Educational Travel Program In Popular Destinations Including Costa Rica, China and South Pacific

BOSTON, MA - November 16, 2005 - Explorica, a leading educational travel company offering high-quality, low-cost travel programs worldwide, today announces the expansion of Summer Academy, a program for high school students that combines classroom work with hands-on experience and total immersion in exotic locations such as Costa Rica, China and the South Pacific. Piloted last year, the Summer Academy will now offer more than 15 itineraries, nearly doubling the number of programs, to meet the growing demand for tours that are a step up from traditional summer packages.

"Students today are looking for a more enriching travel experience with more options and opportunities," said Olle A. Olsson, Explorica Founder and President. "This year, we've designed itineraries that place a particular emphasis on getting to know these countries from an ecological as well as cultural perspective. These experiences are invaluable to the students and are something traditional summer camps and tours can't offer."

Knowing college applications are of utmost importance, the Explorica Summer Academy offers high school students the chance to enhance the marketability of their educational accomplishments by traveling on one of 15 programs starting this June. Many programs combine coursework with traditional travel and touring.

The new programs added to this year's Summer Academy offerings include:

These itineraries are additions to eight launched last year. Existing Summer Academy programs are destinations to China, South Africa, and five language programs in Italy, Spain, France, Mexico and Costa Rica.

The itinerary for each program includes mixes touring and educational training. Each of the trips allows choices of departure dates from cities across the United States, and are competitively priced starting at $2,500. Offering the industry's only full cash-back cancellation policy, Explorica arranges for students to study subjects like foreign language, natural science and conservation while staying in handpicked hotels, established campsites or university residences.

"When I signed up for the Summer Academy Costa Rica trip, I had no real expectations for it, but it ended up being better than I ever could have imagined," Katrina Trout-Haney, 16, Milton, New Hampshire. "The best part about the trip was that we didn't just see the tourist sights but actually got to be around the real people in the country. Playing soccer with a bunch of Costa Rican kids in a small town in the mountains is not something you normally expect to do on a guided trip."

Students study at reputable, accredited institutions including Azurlingua in Nice, France; Benjamin Franklin Institute in Merida, Mexico; and Scuola Leonardo da Vinci in Rome, Italy. Additional excursions, from guided visits to Versailles to white water rafting, are also included. Students are also given the chance to meet and travel with international students, who often attend Summer Academy programs in Europe.

Explorica's hallmark is to combine the best of traditional student travel with new technologies to improve every aspect of the travel encounter - from researching, planning, and booking, to paying and actually taking the trip. Through its unique online approach, all relevant information is available on its Web site, www.summeracademy.com, including convenient and automated sign-up and extensive travel details.

Explorica's exclusive online Tour DiaryTM posts photos and journal entries for family and friends to track student activities. Each day, parents can log onto a personalized TourCenterTM to follow their child's trip chronicled by the Tour Director. In addition, each Tour Director is equipped with a Handspring Visor Prism, which serves as a laptop and digital camera.

With 150 years combined experience in education-led trips, Explorica partners with credited, approved and licensed travel operations and language course operators. Security is a primary focus, as students are accompanied on each program by chaperones and Tour Directors who have extensive experience in the travel industry. Their corps of knowledgeable Tour Directors are with the group at each step, have in-depth understanding of the destinations, and carry cell phones at all times.

STUDENT TRAVEL COMPANY EXPANDS TO SAN DIEGO, ANNOUNCES MANAGERIAL ADDITIONS

Despite Turbulent Times for Travel Industry, Explorica Enjoys Consistent Growth

BOSTON, MA - September 16, 2005 - Explorica, a leading student educational travel company offering high-quality, low-cost travel programs worldwide, today announced its expansion with the opening of a new office in San Diego, California, and two new management appointments. The company projects a growth rate of 35% this year on its existing offerings and 50% growth on expanded programs.

"Since our inception in 2000, Explorica has booked more than $100 million in business and continues to grow at a brisk pace, despite the turbulent times for the travel industry caused by the tragedy of September 11, the most recent crisis in New Orleans and rising gas prices," said Olle A. Olsson, Explorica Founder and President. "We are confident in our mission to offer student travel using technology to increase value for money and bring consistent quality. We know that it is resonating with Explorica's students and teachers, who realize that travel is a fantastic way to become better educated."

Richard Beekman has been named Pacific Region Manager of Sales of the new office, located at 2815 Camino del Rio South, Suite 116 in San Diego, and Mark Cestari has been named Vice President of Marketing for the company based at its corporate headquarters in Boston, MA. Beekman will oversee the San Diego office and manage sales efforts for the Pacific region.

Cestari will be responsible for all of Explorica's online and offline marketing and advertising, branding/creative, media planning and buying, as well as corporate communications and news media relations. He brings 25 years experience in leadership positions in the travel & tourism industry's private and public sectors.

The new office, 1150 square feet, will house six highly dedicated sales associates and customer service representatives.

With headquarters in Boston, and offices in Toronto and Europe, Explorica is one of the top players in this 20 billion dollar industry. The company's program features international tours, North American tours and its new Summer Academy program. The company continues to expand its innovative educational travel options with its new Value Packages, which let teachers bypass many of the former hassles associated with planning an educational tour.

The company differentiates itself by its utilization of new technology to improve every aspect of the travel encounter - from researching, planning and booking, to paying for the tour and actually taking the trip. Explorica has streamlined the traditionally paper-bound industry through its use of online applications and planning, and has improved communication between teachers, students and parents with ground-breaking features like online Tour Diaries, which allow parents and friends to watch the group as it travels.

"Our plans for the future are to enjoy additional consistent growth by directly responding to what our travelers want," added Olsson. "We've so far been able to do that quite well."

New "Summer Academy" Gives Students Perfect Way to Beef Up College Applications

Explorica Launches Student Educational Travel Program to China, South Africa, Latin America and Europe

BOSTON, MA - March 30, 2005 - Explorica, a leading educational travel company offering high-quality, low-cost travel programs worldwide, today announced "Summer Academy," a program for high school students that combines classroom work with hands-on experience and total immersion in exotic locations such as China and South Africa. Knowing college applications are of utmost importance, the Explorica Summer Academy offers high school students the chance to enhance the marketability of their educational accomplishments by traveling on one of the eight programs starting this June.

"Students today need to stand out, not just with good grades and test scores, but with experience," said Olle A. Olsson, Explorica Founder and President. "The best way is by seeing the world, and only Explorica offers the chance to learn first-hand in the most cost-effective, secure and technologically advanced way - something traditional summer camps can't offer."

This year, Explorica's Summer Academy includes the following 2-3 week programs:

The itinerary for each program includes one week of touring and two weeks of educational training. Each of the trips allows choices of departure dates from cities across the United States, and are competitively priced starting at $2,390. Offering the industry's only full cash-back cancellation policy, Explorica arranges for students to study language, natural science and conservation while staying in handpicked hotels, established campsites or university residences.

"The enormous benefits of student travel are clearly there," said Michael Palmer, Executive Director of the Student and Youth Travel Association, a non-profit organization of travel specialists. "The invaluable experiences are highly complementary to scholastic growth and overall student life." He added that there are more youth travelers today between the ages of 12 and 19 than at any other time in history.

Students study at reputable, accredited institutions including Azurlingua in Nice, France; Benjamin Franklin Institute in Merida, Mexico; Scuola Leonardo da Vinci in Rome, Italy; and EARTH University in Costa Rica. Additional excursions, from guided visits to Versailles to white water rafting, can be arranged for an extra fee. Students are also given the chance to meet and travel with international students, who often attend Summer Academy programs in Europe.

Explorica's hallmark is to combine the best of traditional student travel with top new technology to improve every aspect of the travel encounter - from researching, planning, and booking, to paying and actually taking the trip. Through its unique online approach, all relevant information is available on its Web site, www.summer-academy.com, including convenient and automated sign-up and extensive travel details.

Explorica's exclusive online Tour DiaryTM posts photos and journal entries for family and friends to track student activities. Each day, parents can log onto a personalized TourCenterTM to follow their child's trip chronicled by the Tour Director. In addition, each Tour Director is equipped with a Handspring Visor Prism, which serves as a laptop and digital camera.

"We expect our Summer Academy tours to Mexico and Costa Rica to be the most popular, given their proximity to the U.S.," said Olsson. He added that the programs will also appeal to students who have not yet made plans for the summer, and are looking for a fun, educational, and rewarding experience.

With 150 years combined experience in education-led trips, Explorica partners with credited, approved and licensed travel operations and language course operators. Security is a primary focus, as students are accompanied on each program by chaperones and Tour Directors who have extensive experience in the travel industry. Their corps of knowledgeable Tour Directors are with the group at each step, have in-depth understanding of the destinations, and carry cell phones at all times.