São Paulo – Founded in September 1996 by São Paulo native Adriano Lucchesi and two longtime friends, Carlos Tadao Kawamoto and Guilherme Spina, following an expedition of nearly a year across Asia and Europe, Atlantic Connection Travel (ACT) has marked 30 years in business, specializing in trips for Brazilians to African countries.
“Since my teens, I had dreamed of traveling the world with just a backpack. So, as soon as I graduated in 1995, I set off with my two friends for destinations that were little known to Brazilians at the time. We spent six months in Asia alone. I came back so deeply affected by the experience that I decided to turn my dream of starting a company into reality. Together with my friends, I founded Atlantic when I was 24,” says Lucchesi, who holds a degree in business administration from Brazilian university FGV.
Unlike traditional travel agencies, which focus on classic destinations such as Europe and North America and resell third-party packages, the Brazilian tour operator took the opposite approach, specializing exclusively in Africa through its own operations.
The company now operates in half of Africa’s countries, covering destinations ranging from the continent’s Arab nations in the north, such as Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, to safari circuits and beach destinations in the east and south.
“The idea of starting a travel company came from a desire to serve Brazilian travelers who were not yet ready to travel on their own. When considering destinations for our trips, we wanted to choose places with a certain level of demand,” Lucchesi says.
The decision about where to focus the company’s travel offerings did not take long. It came after the founders returned from their nearly yearlong trip, when Lucchesi and his partners attended a trade fair in Johannesburg, South Africa.
“At the time, South Africa was transitioning to democracy and reengaging with international tourism, which caught our attention. We returned fascinated by the destination and considered organizing trips there. After calculating the flight time, we made our decision and chose the country as our company’s first destination,” says Lucchesi, who holds an MBA in Tourism Economics from the School of Economics, Business Administration, Accounting and Actuarial Science at the University of São Paulo (USP), as well as a master’s degree in Sustainable Tourism in Africa from USP. He is currently the company’s sole managing partner.
“Another reason we chose to focus on Africa was not just love or passion, but a strategic assessment of the market. Africa remains relatively unexplored by tourists, and travelers often find it more difficult to plan independent trips there. As a result, they seek help from a specialized tour operator.”
Traveling to North Africa
Among Africa’s Arab destinations, Egypt and Morocco are established markets, but they attract travelers with distinct profiles.
“Egypt has always been a classic global destination, with tourism focused largely on the pyramids, historic cities such as Luxor and Aswan, and Nile River cruises. Its visitors tend to be more traditional travelers. Morocco, on the other hand, has grown significantly with the resumption of direct flights and attracts younger, more adventurous travelers. We can even offer self-drive trips there, with clients driving their own rental cars,” Lucchesi notes.
According to Lucchesi, Tunisia is included in the company’s itineraries but remains a relatively unpopular destination among its clients.
Customization, nature and three generations
Offering complete packages that include international and domestic flights, safari lodge bookings, licensed local guides and transfers, the company creates tailor-made itineraries for solo travelers, couples and families.
“Family travel is the company’s main driver today. We serve everyone from small groups to entire families of 35 people traveling together,” Lucchesi says. “Some clients honeymooned with us 20 or 25 years ago and now return with their grandchildren, bringing three generations together on the same trip. The loyalty of those who traveled with us years ago and never forgot the quality of our service is the greatest reward for our work.”
By passenger numbers, South Africa remains the company’s most popular destination, followed by Tanzania—which generates the most revenue—Kenya, the southern Africa circuit covering Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and the Indian Ocean islands.
Two operations and a global reach
To manage the continent’s logistical complexity and the company’s exponential growth over the years, the brand adopted a binational model built around two complementary operations.
In Brazil, the parent company, Atlantic Connection Travel, is responsible for attracting clients and providing dedicated service to travelers based in the Americas.
In Cape Town, South Africa, where Lucchesi currently lives, ACT Afrika Tours & Safaris, founded in 2009, coordinates operations across Africa and sells packages to travelers from Europe, Asia and Oceania.
Since the beginning, the operation has been supported by a strong partnership with South African Airways, an airline specializing in flights to the African continent.
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Brazilian travelers are redefining tourism
Report by Rebecca Vettore, in collaboration with ANBA
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
