Taking people around and piquing their interest in new areas has become a job for Rick Steves. Despite being a businessman, Steves prefers to put his team and clients before himself, and he believes this is the key to his success. The travel aficionado had to close his business and burrow down due to the pandemic, though.
Steves didn’t whine about not being able to travel, though. Instead, he made advantage of the opportunity to learn more about various topics and engage in activities that he otherwise would not have had the time or inclination to do while at work.
Pandemic’s impact on Steves’ business
A $10 million net worth is said to be generated through Rick Steves’ travel agency. Before the epidemic, his tourism company, Rick Steves’ Europe, made about $100 million annually by transporting over 30.000 tourists to Europe.
However, the coronavirus outbreak and lockout severely hurt Steves because his travel agency was unable to run. There are roughly 100 office employees, yet there is now no revenue and millions of dollars in expenses. Since it was unclear when things would return to normal, Steves drastically reduced the payroll to keep the business afloat for at least two years without any revenue. Even for 2020, he fully refunded all prepaid clients’ trip costs.
When Rick Steves doesn’t travel, he examines his life.
The current circumstance has forced him to take an interest in things that he had previously disregarded because he is an adventurous guy. Despite not having the time or desire, he picked up cooking and the piano.
Even during a crisis, Steves looks upbeat. He continued by saying, “So I am showing to myself that the way travel adds more colors to your palette, staying home with a traveler’s mindset can offer more colors to your palette as well.” He then went on to elaborate on how he was viewing his life without travel.
Steves Discovered Early on His Love for Traveling
At the age of 14, Steves’ parents took him on his first trip to Europe with the goal of expanding their piano business. However, the experience altered the way he thought about traveling, and he became immediately addicted.
He chose to travel instead of joining his family business. To share his love of travel and education, he began instructing travel courses. Steve published his debut novel, Europe Through the Back Door, in 1979.
In 2000, he launched Rick Steves’ Europe, his second travel program, in which he offered advice on how to travel cheaply, locate hidden treasures in Europe, and impart knowledge of the nations he had visited. The popular program is still airing today.
Steves stands out from other travelers due to his distinctive travel philosophy, which holds that in order to properly experience a place, you must temporarily integrate with the local population. He advises staying away from popular tourist destinations and going to quaint towns and eateries.
He stays in Europe for four months every year.
Steves’ adventurous spirit is evident in his way of living. He travels to Europe for four months each year to conduct research for travel guides, revise itineraries, record episodes of his television program, and find new and undiscovered attractions.
His Europe tours are renowned for placing an emphasis on small enterprises, family-run eateries, interpersonal contacts, and pursuits that foster camaraderie with locals. Currently, in his eleventh season, Rick Steves’ Europe, a public radio show he conducts, and more than 50 travel guides have been written by him.
