Our passion for South America trips began when we started Viventura in 2001. Up until then, we saw trips that were overpriced with large group trips, boring itineraries and a touch ordinary. We challenged the status quo by offering amazing trips, away from the beaten path and at an amazing price. The success came quickly. Within 3 years of founding the company, we became Germany's first choice in trip organization to South America. This passion has kept going since day one. All of our Viventura staff has a deep passion for South America. We have lived and traveled there extensively. You don't believe us? Just give us a call, and you'll notice the person answering the phone is an expert!
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Andre is the founder of Viventura. He had and still has three passions that drove him to start a tour operator. South America, Travel and the Internet. So he combined his passions and started Viventura in 2001 while he was still studying Business Administration with a focus on tourism in a German university. Right after founding the first office in Germany he moved to Arequipa, Peru to research an amazing trip. The first trip took his clients through Peru, Bolivia and Chile. It was the worlds first itinerary for this route. Clients loved it, and through word of mouth, the itinerary has been copied by almost all competitors in Germany and internationally. He later researched several other trips and has lived a total of 12 years in South America.
Our passion for South America results in going the extra mile for our customers. We plan each of our trips with lots of love for details. To give you some examples. When we started our first trips, Machu Picchu was crowded with day tourists, they arrived at 10 am and left at 4pm. So what did we do? We arrived the day early, took the first bus and had Machu Picchu from 6am to 10am almost to ourselves. These details continue until today. We find little gems on our research trips that we include. We handpick our hotels. The same travel specialist that consult you on the phone are asked to do proper research in the destination once a year to check for the newest, well run family hotels, find the best guides and create magic travel experiences for you.
And the best thing. Thanks to your trips, good things are happening in the destination. Your trip is an investment in the country. Family fathers can stay with their family in remote areas thanks to income from community-based tourism and no longer have to work in the big city half the year. Animals and nature are protected thanks to the economic benefit of animal and nature lovers, and travelers. The rights of indigenous people are also respected.
All of our team has a passion for South America. But do not take our word for it: get to know the team and their descriptions, so you can see how much passion our travel specialists and tour guides have for this continent. You truly are in good hands!
Mathilde Siccardi
Brand Manager Viventura and Puraventura FR
Mathilde is passionate about travel and Latin America in particular. Mathilde has been living in Colombia and has lived a few months in Argentina. She travelled a lot of times to Latin America to a lot of countries, from North to South! Her passion leads her to work in tourism as guide, travel specialist and now manager of the team. She is always looking for the typical food or new flavors, as well as the best dance floor to dance on the rhythms of each country she visits.
Soledad Cruz
Trip Specialist
For Soledad, designing trips is a joyful expression of her passion: traveling, discovering cultures, flavors, and landscapes, and celebrating the unique beauty of each destination. Guided by curiosity, creativity, and a keen eye for detail, she creates warm, authentic experiences deeply connected to the spirit of every place.
David Thebaud
TC Ops Specialist
David, a Breton with a South American heart, spent six years traveling across Argentina and Chile as a tour guide. Now a member of our coordination team, he draws on his field experience to find the perfect guide for you, he is the one who will truly elevate your journey.
Pablo Calla
Operations Specialist
From hotels, to tour guides, to the "empanada" vendor on the corner, as a member of the Ground Operations Team, Pablo Calla connects each client to the excitement and joy he experiences from his daily interactions with our partners. Above all, Pablo ensures that every moment of your trip is enjoyable - an experience you will remember for the rest of your life.
Alec Krishna
Intrapreneur India
Alec is the Brand Director working remotely on an exciting new brand for the South Asia region. With a deep love for nature and culture, he brings a genuine passion for travel and sustainable tourism to the team.
Andre Kiwitz
CEO & Founder
Andre started his journey in 2001 after realizing that most organized travel lacked depth or genuine connection. He built Ventura to scale authentic, specialist travel experiences by cutting through complexity and prioritizing local partnerships over industry standards. He runs the company with a focus on speed and ownership, pushing his teams to ditch excuses and take full accountability for their results. Outside of the office, he avoids comfort to prioritize freedom, fitness, and finding places with a bit of real edge.
Brian Heyel
New Market Director
Originally from Wisconsin, he has spent over half of his life living abroad, having lived and worked in Central America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe. Travel has long been a passion of his, as he views it to be a key to breaking down barriers, building empathy and enriching lives. At Ventura, he operates as the Market Entry Director, responsible for expanding Ventura's reach into new consumer markets.
Dai Tatai
Brand Director Japaventura
Servus Everyone! A Japanese, born in Berlin, raised in Bavaria, studied in Australia, UK, Italy and Switzerland. Worked in Canada and Japan. Dai has lived, worked and learned in different cultures throughout his life. Dai leads the Japaventura team and is responsible for the operation, sales and product. He speaks English, Japanese and German fluently and a little bit of French and Bavarian. His passion is to create a bridge between Japan and the world and show our guests the wonders of Japan as seen through his eyes. If he is not working on creating unforgettable trips to Japan, then you will see him on the football pitch somewhere in the suburbs of Munich, as a compassionate coach or a fan of a club which will not be mentioned here to keep objectivity :)
Damian Myrda
Brand Director Puraventura
Damian loves helping people discover Central America & the Caribbean in a way that feels personal and easy. He knows the region well and cares about the small details that turn a good trip into a great one – from the rhythm of the route to the moments that really stay with you. He has a special affection for Mexico, but above all, Damian enjoys creating journeys where guests feel well looked after, curious and relaxed at the same time. As team lead at Puraventura, he makes sure every trip is thoughtfully planned, responsibly organized and simply enjoyable.
Erick Feijoo
Integrator, Head of Business Operations
Erick works from our Berlin office as Integrator and oversees our company's business operations. From a very early age, he's been fascinated by new languages and cultures, and he especially enjoys getting to know countries' politics and history. Erick's family is from Ecuador and Peru, and he previously worked on economic development issues across different Latin American countries. He joined Ventura TRAVEL after working in Washington D.C., Germany, Belgium, and Costa Rica.
Kathleen Ishibashi
Central Operations Specialist
Kathleen originally hails from Oregon, USA but has been living in Japan for over 17 years, where she has found her second home. She previously worked as an English language instructor and currently holds a master's degree in applied linguistics. She will be working with Japaventura in ground operations and is thrilled to share everything she loves about Japan with the world.
Kim Poissant
Customer Success Director
Ever since she can remember, Kim was driven by a natural curiosity that brought her to new places and cultures. Always searching for the unknown, she has lived and worked in Germany, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and the Canary Islands, before she finally settled down in France. Despite her adventurous heart, Kim loves when things are in order. As part of the Ventura team she can live out her two sides: organization geek and passionate adventurer.
Michael Guiet
Head of Group Travel
Michaël has always been passionate about traveling and discovering new cultures. After studying tourism in Paris, he decided to settle in Santiago de Chile where he worked in a travel agency. He took the opportunity to discover the richness of Latin America. Upon his return, he chose to live in Berlin where he works as a tour guide. In December 2014, he joined the Ventura team in the Berlin office. He now knows South America like the back of his hand, with a preference for Brazil and Patagonia. Passionate about creating new itineraries and finding unique experiences, he will be able to give you all the details you need for your travel plans.
Ericka Amurrio
Flight Operations Manager
Ericka works from our La Paz office as a Flight Operations Manager and is in charge of providing flights for all Ventura brands by negotiating with airlines in order to provide our customers with an exceptional flight experience to start an amazing trip.
Gustavo Cataño
IT Director
I love tech things, and use this passion every day in my work with our IT team to deliver great value for Ventura Travel. I like to travel and enjoy riding my bike along unknown roads. However, above all things, I really enjoy spending my free time with my family and my daughter.
Haidy Garofalo
Ground Operations Specialist
Meet Haidy, a curious explorer passionate about uncovering the "whys" behind cultures and places. With a love for learning and a keen interest in tourism, Haidy enjoys connecting with people. As a Ground Operations Specialist in Colombia for Viventura, she actively contributes to the industry, constantly seeking improvements to create memorable journeys. Combining curiosity and love for exploration, Haidy feels privileged to work in sustainable tourism, adding a unique touch to every adventure.
Marcia Sanchez
Human Relations Director
Born and raised in La Paz, Bolivia she is mad in love with the cultural diversity of her country. She loves working with people and found her passion working in Human Resources. In her spare time, she loves to read historical novels, travel and feels the happiest when she can get to know a new country, a new culture and new people.
Matthew Jones
Sales Specialist UK Market
Matthew is the Sales Specialist – UK Market for Ventura TRAVEL, based remotely in Sicily and focused on growing the UK market across all Ventura brands. With a strong background in travel sales and customer experience, he is passionate about connecting travellers with authentic, culture-led experiences around the world. Driven by a love for adventure and discovery, Matthew works to expand Ventura’s presence in the UK while helping travellers find meaningful and unforgettable journeys.
Patricio Grez
Finance Director
Patricio joins our Ventura Team as Head of Finance, bringing a vast experience with him. Not only in pure finance topics, but also in its relation across different areas of an organization. Passionate traveler, but the slow travel. Spending time and living in different countries and cultures has always given him good experiences. He is open to new challenges and willing to share with others.
Ralf Spielberger
Finance Director
My finance team and I manage all the financial aspects of ventura Travel. Our mission is to deliver accurate, prompt and useful financial information to the different stakeholders.