Excursionist.com launches a new era in travel planning, with its web-based service that allows travelers to plan and book from a dynamic menu of exclusive global experiences, designed around personal passions.

Excursionist opens up the world of bespoke travel previously available only to the privileged few, with the option to select and combine experience modules ranging from an afternoon to multiple days for a customized trip featuring exclusive access to the world’s top experts. Created to appeal to today’s global nomads and their motivation to take a trip, the site’s areas of interest or “Passions” drill deeper than traditional travel services offering true cultural immersion, with experiences centered on food, art, culture, nature, adventure and beyond to include “Social Good,” to tap a destination’s economic and social development, human rights, conservation and the chance to give back.

Unlike the multiplying flash sale sites which compel consumers to buy based on last minute deals, Excursionist is not focused on volume and discounts, but provides special access to people and places that rarely open their door to just anyone. Many of the experiences include accommodations at unique properties and are off-the beaten path. Popular experiences include Northern Lights photography workshop in Norway, meeting an activist from the Egyptian revolution in Cairo and trekking with a naturalist in Nicaragua. Experiences are organized around 40 personal passions including spirits, literature, sailing and politics and range from $90 per person for a day experience to $11,000 to go trekking in Greenland for a week with a famous polar explorer.

Former American Express Travel executive Norman Aynbinder, now Excursionist Founder and CEO, created the menu of more than 300 experiences and assembled a team of world-renowned experts including record-holding adventurers, athletes, celebrity chefs, Emmy-award winning filmmakers, Ivy League professors and internationally-recognized authorities to curate each experience. The Excursionist team also formed partnerships with some of the world’s top in-country operators and traveled to over 20 countries to develop relationships with local personalities such as chefs, artists, professors, naturalists, architects, activists, students, and scientists to lead many of the experiences.

According to Aynbinder he identified a gap in the market for online, experiential travel, “Consumers are moving away from the confines of traditional travel planning and tour operators. They want to have unique experiences focused on the things they are passionate about- whether it’s wine, astronomy or music - and they want the flexibility to book these experiences online and on their terms.”

Because many of Excursionist’s experiences involve meeting local experts with limited availability, Excursionist has chosen to make the website membership-based. The goal is not exclusion, but rather to create a community of like-minded travelers who are passionate about exploring the world. Excursionist offers complimentary membership requiring only registration on the site or a higher level of access and benefits for a biennial fee of $300.00. More information at: www.excursionist.com