Richard Thompson

Richard’s vision, knowledge, passion and commitment for making travel accessible and inclusive, everywhere, to everyone, is world renowned. His unique capacity to educate and enlighten sought around the globe.

And his is an epic journey. A fusion of independent exploration across more than 70 countries, four decades of tourism industry experience and half a lifetime turning adversity to advantage following his own life-changing changing personal injury. Over the past 22 years, Richard has defined the ‘accessible’ market and redefined what is possible, crafting journeys of discovery – close to home and on distant shores, that rekindle travel ambitions and realise ‘impossible’ dreams, however complex a persons additional requirements might be and wherever in the world they want to go. It is motivating and inspiring. And we are all motivated and inspired.

A Few Questions to Richard Thompson

What motivates and inspires you?

I’ve had so many amazing experiences in my life and travelled in more than 70 countries. I also understand how traumatic injury (I broke my neck whilst working in the French Alps) can have a dramatic impact on people’s lives – the injured person and of course those that know and love them. So I am motivated to make the world accessible and inclusive to everyone, so that whatever anyone’s requirements might be, they can enjoy and benefit from the wonders, the joys, the fun, the character building, the camaraderie and the memory-making opportunities that I have been able to experience. So with the amazing team here at Go Beyond, I am constantly inspired and motivated to create ever-more exciting holiday options, often ground-breaking, always amazing! So the journey continues. Watch this space!

What are your strengths?

I can see round corners! What I mean by that is I have an instinct for what is possible. Not what is happening now, but what will happen if we really believe in our dreams. What we can achieve if others can also see and share in a vision and who want to work as a team, recognising that we all have strengths and weaknesses, that we can all bring something unique and special to every situation. Working together to build rafts to take into the Verdon Gorge comes to mind! My mind can be overactive! This means that I am constantly coming up with new ideas.

What about your weaknesses, where do you need support?

My mind can be overactive! This means that I am constantly coming up with new ideas. This can often prove challenging for those around me so I definitely need people like Ian and Neil around me who can bring some order to my ‘spaghetti’ thinking. They are very organised and I absolutely need that ‘safety net’. I can thrive on chaos… but that’s not fair on others! Working together – great teamwork, means that we are almost always able to realise to our objectives and if we don’t, it’s never failure… we only fail if we give up, and we will still have learned a lot. That’s a great lesson in life.

What is the highlight of working for Go Beyond Holidays?

Just being one cog in the wheel that Ian and Neil turn to create what are without question the most incredible holidays on the planet. I feel honoured to be able to contribute and excited by the many possibilities for worldwide travel adventures that we can and will create over the coming years.

Do you have any personal ambitions?

Yes, definitely. There are still a lot of destinations I really have to visit. South America top of the list. Whenever I travel to a new country or continent I learn so much and this means that I can then begin to plan how we can make holidays possible to these new destinations that are as accessible and inclusive as possible to everyone. That’s a big ambition… so much of the world still to explore!

Finally, if you were set adrift on a desert island which three albums, three films, three books and one luxury would you take?

Ooh, this is a difficult one. So many soundtracks to my life but I would have to go for the music of the Seventies. Definitely ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ from Pink Floyd (my hippy youth!), ‘Blue’ from one of the greatest song-writers – Joni Mitchell and Harvest from her male counterpart, Neil Young.
I’m not a great reader (too busy writing my own story!) but one book that really inspired my (not surprisingly) is ‘Thriving on Chaos’ by business guru, Tom Peters and ‘Full Tilt’ from one of the greatest explorers of our age, Dervla Murphy – it’s the story of her epic ride from Ireland to India by bicycle!

Movies – I’m a romantic comedy fan, so either Love Actually or The Holiday. And the first ever ‘documentary-drama’ from 1934 – The Man of Aran. A gritty portrayal of how brutal life can be in the remote, storm battered island off the remote west coast of Ireland.

A luxury – definitely my iPad… wifi included of course!