The itinerant CEO on scratching beneath the surface and helping travellers discover hidden Japan.
There are few universal truths in travel. First, the best way to get to know a place is on foot. Second, you have to get lost in order to find something special. By working in Walk Japan—an experiential travel company celebrating 25 years in 2017—Paul Christie knows for certain that going off the beaten track is a transformative travel experience. “Two journalists told me that Walk Japan changed their lives, which I took with a pinch of salt but we've heard similar feedback a couple of times. An Australian client also said that she was able to see the world in a different, more positive light after going on a tour. I think it has to do with the immersive nature of the experience and Japan as well.”
Twenty years ago, Christie joined Walk Japan as a tour leader. Five years in, he persuaded the founders to make him a partner. Since then, the CEO has grown the company—it now has 90 employees conducting 15-20 curated tours and experiences year-round. Their newest creation is the Tohoku Hot Spring Snow Tour and the Tokaido Trail both debuting in Feburary 2018. He was also recently named as an All Nippon Airways (ANA) ambassador and will be advising the company on inbound tourism and the sustainability of Japan's lesser explored country side including the beautiful Kunisaki Peninsula in Kyushu, which he calls home. Here, he shares with us his life in travel.