There's a reason the best travel memories almost always come from small, intimate experiences rather than large organised tours. Here's the evidence and the philosophy behind how Navaro is built.
When we started Navaro, the cap of 25 travellers per departure was not a marketing decision. It was a conviction. We had both travelled on large group tours and watched, repeatedly, as the experience degraded in direct proportion to the number of people on the bus.
Access that large groups simply cannot have
A family-run restaurant in a Moroccan medina can seat 20 people. A traditional ryokan in Kyoto has eight rooms. A private beach on Nusa Penida is ruined by 50 people. Small groups get through doors that are physically, logistically or culturally closed to large tours.
Our local partners guides, restaurants, accommodation providers work with us because we send people who are engaged, curious and respectful. This reputation takes years to build and is only possible because of our group size. A 40-person coach group does not get the same welcome.
The psychology of group size
Social psychology research on group dynamics consistently shows that genuine connection becomes harder as group size increases. Beyond 15-20 people, a group naturally fragments. Cliques form. The shared experience fractures. The feeling of being part of something cohesive which is one of the most valuable things a group trip can offer disappears.
- ✦Groups under 20 people tend to eat together for the majority of meals
- ✦Larger groups splinter within 48 hours of arrival
- ✦Decision-making time increases exponentially with group size
- ✦Post-trip friendship rates are significantly higher in small group formats
Better for destinations too
Overtourism is one of the most pressing issues facing the destinations we love. Large group tourism is a significant contributor it concentrates spending in tourist zones, pushes prices up for locals and degrades the very experiences it is selling. Small, intentional travel distributes spending more evenly and treads more lightly.
We choose accommodation outside tourist centres where possible. We work with local guides rather than multinational operators. We eat at local restaurants. None of this is possible at scale and all of it makes the trip better for our travellers and better for the places they visit.
Why we will never increase our cap
We've been asked, as the company has grown, why we don't simply run larger departures. More travellers per trip means more revenue per departure. The answer is simple: it would make the trips worse. The 25-person cap is not a constraint it is the product.
Every Navaro departure is capped at 25 travellers. No exceptions, ever. Learn more about how we operate on our About page, or explore available departures.
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