Press, Recognition, and Industry Impact
Over the past decade, our team has contributed to award-winning tourism campaigns, major international media projects, conservation initiatives, gastronomy storytelling, and some of the region’s most impactful tourism development programs.
This page highlights selected media features, strategic partnerships, campaigns, and industry initiatives that demonstrate our role in shaping tourism, storytelling, and destination development across Colombia, Peru, and Latin America.
Collaborations & Features
USAID • CBS 60 Minutes • Netflix • REI • LATAM Airlines • ProColombia • Bicycling Magazine • Patagonia
Major Media & Editorial Projects
60 Minutes: Colombia Birdwatching & Conservation Tourism
Nearly 10 million viewers watched Anderson Cooper’s CBS 60 Minutes story on Colombia’s rise as a global birdwatching and biodiversity tourism destination.
WhereNext Travel helped support and facilitate the project alongside our network of local guides, conservationists, tourism partners, and the team from our YouTube channel, The Birders Show. These are the same people and communities that shape many of the conservation-focused experiences we operate today across Colombia.
Why This Mattered
For decades, much of Colombia’s global reputation was shaped by conflict and instability.
Projects like this helped introduce a different narrative, one centered around biodiversity, conservation, local communities, and the extraordinary natural landscapes that make Colombia one of the most biologically diverse countries on earth.
The story helped showcase how tourism, when done thoughtfully, can create economic opportunity while supporting conservation, local guiding communities, and long-term protection of fragile ecosystems.
It also continued our work to help position Colombia as a global leader in birdwatching and nature-based luxury travel at a time when international perceptions of the country are rapidly evolving.
Impact
Nearly 10 million viewers watched the 60 Minutes segment
Helped elevate Colombia’s global profile for birdwatching and biodiversity tourism
Supported broader awareness around conservation-focused tourism in Latin America
Highlighted the role local guides and communities play in protecting Colombia’s ecosystems and inspired our ORIGIN video series about the people behind the experiences we deliver.
For WhereNext Travel, the project demonstrated how natural history tourism and international media exposure could help shift global perception around Colombia while creating new visibility for biodiversity-focused travel experiences.
Patagonia, The Dirtbag Diaries & States of Adventure
In 2011, WhereNext Travel founder Gregg Bleakney was featured in an episode of The Dirtbag Diaries, the award-winning adventure storytelling podcast created by Fitz Cahall and supported by Patagonia.
The episode, titled Ditch Logic, told the story of Bleakney's decision to leave behind a successful corporate career in Seattle to pursue a different path built around adventure, exploration, and purposeful travel. The story explored the tension between conventional definitions of success and the pursuit of a more intentional life.
Produced by The Dirtbag Diaries and featured by Patagonia, the episode became one of the defining stories of Bleakney's early journey and helped inspire the philosophy that would later shape both WhereNext Travel and our DITCH LOGIC content series.
Why This Mattered
Long before WhereNext Travel existed, Ditch Logic explored a question that still influences our work today:
What kind of life, work, and travel experience is worth building?
The story resonated far beyond the original podcast audience and became part of a larger conversation about adventure, risk, personal growth, and redefining success on your own terms.
Impact
Featured by Patagonia through The Dirtbag Diaries
Produced by award-winning storyteller Fitz Cahall
Helped inspire the philosophy behind our DITCH LOGIC series
Adapted into a chapter of States of Adventure: Stories About Finding Yourself by Getting Lost, Fitz Cahall's bestselling collection of adventure stories published by Penguin Random House and inspired by The Dirtbag Diaries podcast
Today, many of the same themes explored in Ditch Logic continue to shape WhereNext Travel's approach to exploration, storytelling, and meaningful travel experiences around the world.
Listen to the Ditch Logic podcast on PATAGONIA’s website.
Buy States of Adventure on Amazon.
Netflix: Natural History Soundscape for One Hundred Years of Solitude
Travel is more than just what you see. It’s also what you hear. WhereNext Travel’s in-house creative team worked in the field to record and catalog the natural history soundscape for Netflix’s adaptation of One Hundred Years of Solitude, one of the most culturally significant productions ever filmed in Colombia.
From tropical birdlife and jungle ambience to the layered environmental sounds that shape the atmosphere of place, the project focused on capturing the authentic soundscape of Colombia itself.
Netflix’s One Hundred Years of Solitude became one of the most globally visible Colombian productions ever released, reaching Netflix’s Global Top 10 rankings and generating more than 31 million viewing hours shortly after launch.
Why This Mattered
“Having the correct ambient sound is extremely important for productions of this caliber,” said WhereNext CEO Gregg Bleakney. “Because sound gives your audience a deeper and more accurate connection with the place you’re showing. It helps to take you there.”
For WhereNext Travel’s experience design team, the project reflected a broader belief that tourism storytelling should go beyond surface-level visuals and capture the deeper sensory identity of a destination.
“So much of the feeling you get as a traveler is not just visual; it’s the audio,” Bleakney said. “This project with One Hundred Years of Solitude was an opportunity for us to further promote Colombia to the world through our own hidden soundscape.”
Impact
Recorded and cataloged natural history soundscapes in Colombia for Netflix’s One Hundred Years of Solitude
Helped showcase Colombia through a deeper sensory and environmental lens
Reinforced the connection between storytelling, tourism, sound, and place
The project further strengthened WhereNext Travel DMC’s field production capabilities and deep operational experience working across remote regions of Colombia.
For WhereNext Travel, itinerary design now extends beyond visuals to include the environmental soundscapes that shape how a place is experienced.
Tourism Development & Sustainability
USAID Destination Nature Initiative
A $40 Million USAID Initiative Using Nature Tourism to Support Conservation in Colombia
WhereNext was selected as the local implementing subcontractor for USAID Colombia’s $40 million Destination Nature initiative, a five-year program focused on sustainable tourism, biodiversity conservation, rural livelihoods, and nature-based economic development.
The initiative was designed to position nature tourism as a driver of conservation, rural livelihoods, and long-term economic opportunity across Colombia.
At the center of the program was a simple idea: when tourism is designed responsibly, protecting biodiversity becomes economically valuable for local communities.
The initiative focused on strengthening nature tourism experiences in some of Colombia’s most ecologically important regions while helping address the root causes of environmental degradation, land-use change, and unsustainable rural economies following the country’s Peace Accord era.
The project also strengthened WhereNext Travel’s long-term operational relationships across Colombia’s conservation and nature tourism sectors.
Why This Project Mattered
Following Colombia’s Peace Accords, international tourism surged as travelers began discovering the country’s extraordinary biodiversity, ecosystems, and cultural landscapes.
But rapid tourism growth also created major challenges:
fragile ecosystems under pressure,
inconsistent tourism infrastructure,
limited economic opportunities in rural communities,
and a growing need for sustainable tourism models that could balance conservation with development.
Destination Nature was created to help address those challenges at scale.
The program supported conservation tourism, biodiversity protection, community tourism development, and regenerative travel models designed to create long-term economic incentives for protecting natural assets rather than exploiting them.
Our Role
Our role combined destination development, sustainable tourism consulting, stakeholder coordination, and tourism storytelling.
Our work included:
supporting destination competitiveness for nature tourism experiences,
strengthening collaboration between tourism organizations and environmental authorities,
helping improve sustainable tourism planning and governance,
developing branding and storytelling campaigns,
producing immersive visual content and tourism media,
and helping generate demand for conservation-focused tourism experiences.
The initiative also aligned closely with Colombia’s broader environmental and green growth goals, including the country’s evolving tourism and sustainability policies.
The Bigger Picture
Destination Nature represented an important continuation of WhereNext Travel’s work: leveraging tourism not simply as an economic activity, but as a tool for conservation, cultural preservation, and long-term community resilience.
Project Highlights
$40 million USAID initiative
Focused on conservation tourism and biodiversity protection
Supported rural communities and local livelihoods
Helped strengthen Colombia’s nature tourism infrastructure
Included destination storytelling, branding, and tourism media production
Unlike traditional nature documentaries, The Birders was produced as a cinematic travel narrative designed to immerse viewers in the emotional experience of exploration, discovery, and place. That same storytelling philosophy continues to shape how we design journeys at WhereNext Travel — experiences crafted to unfold like a story. Read the American Birding Association review of the film HERE.
The Birders: Colombia Birdwatching & Biodiversity Tourism Campaign
Helping Position Colombia as the World’s Leading Birdwatching Destination
WhereNext created and produced The Birders, an integrated tourism program developed for Colombia’s Ministry of Tourism to help position the country as the world’s leading birdwatching destination.
The campaign combined documentary film production, conservation storytelling, field expeditions, music, influencer strategy, international PR, operator outreach, and digital distribution to promote Colombia’s extraordinary biodiversity to global birders, adventure travelers, and nature-focused tour operators.
The project was built around one of Colombia’s greatest natural advantages: its position as one of the most biodiverse countries on earth and the top country globally for bird species.
Today, many of the guides, regions, and conservation partners featured in the project remain part of WhereNext Travel’s broader biodiversity travel network.
Why This Mattered
For years, Colombia’s international reputation was shaped more by conflict than conservation.
The Birders campaign helped tell a different story.
By focusing on birdwatching, biodiversity tourism, and local conservation communities, the campaign positioned Colombia as a destination where tourism could support rural livelihoods, protect natural ecosystems, and create new economic opportunities in regions once considered difficult or unsafe to visit.
It also helped connect Colombia to a passionate global audience of birders, photographers, conservationists, naturalists, and tour operators already motivated to travel for nature.
Impact
Generated more than 30 million organic likes and comments, breaking the Colombian Ministry of Tourism’s record for any publicity project.
Helped position Colombia as the world’s leading birdwatching destination..
Produced five documentary films, original music, digital campaign assets, PR strategy, influencer campaigns, and operator sales tools.
Built partnerships with organizations including the National Audubon Society, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and eBird.
The eBird campaign reached 2.9 million people and generated 828,000 interactions.
The campaign’s influencer strategy included six National Geographic photographers and explorers with a combined following of nearly 6.4 million.
The campaign helped generate international media coverage in outlets including BBC Wildlife Magazine, Outside Magazine, and Bird Watcher’s Digest.
The Bigger Picture
The Birders was more than a wildlife documentary campaign.
It became a proof point for how destination storytelling can help reshape global perception, generate demand for conservation tourism, and create economic alternatives in regions where biodiversity is one of the most valuable assets.
For WhereNext Travel, the project remains one of the clearest examples of how tourism, media, conservation, and local expertise can work together to help a destination tell a more powerful story.
The Birders campaign generated international media coverage and helped bring Colombia’s wildlife itineraries, birdwatching routes, and conservation travel story to global audiences through BBC Wildlife Magazine, Outside Magazine, Bird Watcher’s Digest, and other international birding and conservation outlets.
Award-Winning Tourism Campaigns
Created for ProColombia, Finding Encanto connected Disney’s global cultural moment back to the real Colombia: its landscapes, music, biodiversity, regional identity, and people.
ProColombia: Finding Encanto
As Disney’s Encanto introduced millions of viewers to a fictionalized version of Colombia, WhereNext partnered with ProColombia to help connect that global cultural moment back to the real country, its landscapes, music, biodiversity, and people.
The Finding Encanto campaign was designed to position Colombia not simply as a backdrop for storytelling, but as a destination filled with the color, emotion, culture, and regional diversity that inspired the film itself.
Why This Mattered
Finding Encanto helped translate a global entertainment moment into destination awareness, using tourism storytelling to connect audiences with the real places, cultures, and natural landscapes behind Colombia’s creative identity.
The campaign also reflected a larger evolution happening across Colombian tourism: moving away from traditional destination marketing and toward emotionally driven storytelling capable of inspiring a new generation of global travelers.
Recognition & Awards
Winner — FITUR International Tourism Fair, “Best Audiovisual Campaign 2023”
Silver Award — 14th Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards 2023
Gold Award — Terres Travel Festival, “Tourism Destination Country”
Official Selection — Zagreb TourFilm Festival 2023
Impact
Helped amplify Colombia’s global visibility during one of the country’s largest modern cultural moments
Supported ProColombia’s international tourism positioning efforts
Showcased Colombia’s landscapes, culture, biodiversity, and regional diversity through cinematic storytelling
Reinforced the role of emotional storytelling in modern tourism marketing
For WhereNext Travel, the campaign showed how cultural storytelling can become destination strategy when it is focused on real places, people, and regional identity.
Press and Strategic Partnerships
Bicycling Magazine: Colombia Cycling Storytelling
WhereNext Travel planned, operated, and produced a Colombia cycling editorial project for Bicycling Magazine that helped position the country as one of Latin America’s most compelling destinations for cycling, endurance, and luxury adventure travel.
Why This Mattered
For years, Colombia’s tourism identity internationally was shaped by outdated narratives disconnected from the country’s landscapes, athletic culture, and outdoor potential.
Produced for one of the world’s leading cycling publications, the project helped introduce Colombia’s mountains, riding culture, and luxury adventure travel potential to a global endurance and cycling audience.
Impact
Helped position Colombia as a premier cycling and adventure travel destination
Showcased Colombia’s landscapes, mountain culture, and athletic identity through cinematic storytelling
Reinforced the country’s growing reputation in global cycling tourism
The project reinforced Colombia’s potential as a serious cycling and adventure travel destination, not only for athletes but for travelers drawn to mountain culture, endurance, and landscape-driven journeys.
REI: Adventure Travel Storytelling in Peru
WhereNext partnered with REI to help showcase Peru through a more immersive and experience-driven lens focused on adventure, culture, gastronomy, and human connection.
The campaign combined cinematic storytelling, destination media production, and on-the-ground travel experiences designed to inspire a new generation of travelers seeking deeper and more meaningful ways to explore Peru.
Why This Mattered
As adventure travel evolved beyond traditional trekking and sightseeing, the project helped position Peru as a destination where culture, food, landscapes, and local communities could all be experienced together through more intentional travel.
Rather than focusing only on iconic landmarks, the campaign emphasized atmosphere, storytelling, local relationships, and the emotional experience of exploration itself.
Impact
Partnered with one of the world’s leading adventure travel brands
Helped position Peru through a more modern and experience-driven travel narrative
Combined cinematic storytelling with destination marketing and adventure tourism
Demonstrated WhereNext Travel’s ability to produce travel media in remote and logistically complex environments.
At WhereNext Travel, we believe the future of tourism marketing belongs to destinations and brands capable of making travelers feel emotionally connected to a place before they ever arrive.
Produced in partnership with REI, this campaign explored Peru through adventure, culture, gastronomy, and human connection, with production carried out in remote environments and challenging field conditions that required deep regional expertise and operational experience.
LATAM Airlines: Flavors of South America
For LATAM Airlines, WhereNext produced Flavors of South America in partnership with Green Team Global, a culinary storytelling series exploring chefs, ingredients, landscapes, and food traditions across the region. Today, gastronomy remains one of the core pillars shaping WhereNext Travel’s luxury journeys throughout Peru, Colombia, and Latin America.
Why This Mattered
As global travelers increasingly seek deeper cultural connection through food, gastronomy has become one of the most powerful ways destinations can shape emotional connection and identity.
The series connected the aviation brand with gastronomy by showing why food is one of the strongest reasons travelers choose Colombia, Peru, Chile, Brazil, and Ecuador.
Impact
Partnered with Green Team Global and LATAM Airlines on a regional storytelling campaign focused on gastronomy and culture
Produced in remote locations across South America
Showcased chefs, ingredients, producers, and culinary traditions throughout the region
Reinforced the connection between gastronomy, travel, and destination identity
Expanded WhereNext Travel’s work at the intersection of tourism, storytelling, and cultural media
At WhereNext Travel, we believe food is one of the most meaningful ways travelers connect with a destination, not just through restaurants, but through the people, traditions, and stories that shape a place.
The “Flavors of South America” project was a series of videos highlighting the gastronomic delights of Colombia, Peru, Chile, Brazil, and Ecuador through recipes prepared by world-class chefs from each country. The aim was to entice the audience to travel and experience the culinary magic for themselves.
Why This Work Matters to Our DMC Partners
At WhereNext Travel, these projects are not separate from our DMC operations. They shape how we approach luxury travel across Colombia, Peru, and Latin America every day.
Our work across tourism development, conservation, gastronomy, international media, and destination storytelling has helped us build deep regional relationships, operational expertise, and a broader understanding of how travel influences the way destinations are experienced and perceived globally.
Today, that same perspective informs the journeys we design for luxury travel advisors, tour operators, brands, and travelers seeking more thoughtful, immersive, and operationally sophisticated experiences across Latin America.
Partner With WhereNext Travel
For luxury travel advisors, tour operators, and brands seeking a Colombia or Peru DMC with deep local operations, original storytelling capability, and proven regional authority, connect with our team.