Phototours Helps You Explore the World Through a Lens

Alex Permyakov, Founder of Phototours, helps travellers explore the world through the lens of their cameras by hosting epic tours for photography lovers all over the world.

Phototours helps travellers find great photography spots with the best light, interaction with the locals, in beautiful locations. They host international tours which include dedicated and experienced photo guides, accommodations, dining and meeting other passionate photographers.

It’s not every day you have the opportunity to learn more about photography in travel, so we asked Alex a few questions of our own.

Who is your startup for?

In short, we take amateur photography enthusiasts and help them to take their best ever pictures, as if they have seen in National Geographic or on BBC. We take people to the most spectacular events and locations under the guidance of award-winning photographer. Tourists do not need expensive cameras or many years of art studies. Even if you have iPhone, you will be impressed.

What inspired you to create Phototours?

I’ve seen the sunrise over Machu Picchu many times. It is the best time there: almost no people, chilly weather and a spectacular view of the first sunbeams touch the Lost City of the Incas. However, tourists do not see that. If you are a photography lover from the U.S., you’ve most likely visited Machu Picchu with an ordinary tour in terrible light and crowds of people around. Nobody gives you extra time to take proper photographs, wait for the light or look for better scenery; but after the tour, as usual, your group stucks for another hour or two in restaurant because “now it is free time”.

How did you build Phototours?

Phototours is not an IT startup: we are focused on travel technology. I built it by creating long-term relationships with award-winning photographers and guides who know backdoor access to the greatest sights on Earth; who can easily navigate on the largest and most spectacular festivals; and who connect our tourists with local communities, with people of totally different cultures and customs, and help us to understand their way of living.

What makes Phototours different from other similar startups out there?

We design tours, but it is not “just tours”.  We want to change the behavior of our tourists. Instead of listening to boring guides, we want people to become explorers. The best way to explore the region is through the lens of a camera. Showing tourists the most spectacular sights, and helping them to see the story behind the view: disappearing empires, majesty of nature, way of life of local people. Our tours have a lot in common with the field trips of National Geographic. It is not about a picture, but about the incredible stories behind it. And the picture.

How are you changing the future of the industry or helping to make travel better?

We want to become a new generation of activity providers, where the customer is not just a person to be served, but the Hero of an Action. Instead of keeping people in hotels and restaurants, we help them to go out and experience a destination, to be active explorers, not passive tourists. After all, we want our customers to become award-winning photographers on their own, it does not matter what contest they win with pictures from our tours: Best Travel Photographer of the Year or just a local digital photography competition. That would be the best proof of Phototours concept.

Travel Start-Up is a monthly series that profiles unique online travel start-ups in the Travel Massive community around the world. You can connect with Alex and Phototours on Travel Massive, Facebook and Twitter.