BOSTON (August 3, 2026) – Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.), a Boston-based tour operator specializing in small-group land and small-ship adventures for travelers 50 and older, has named TURNER as its first public relations agency of record. The move accelerates O.A.T.’s next chapter of growth, connecting the brand with more travelers 50 and older.
O.A.T. was founded in 1978 by educator Judi Wineland, the first U.S. tour operator to offer tented safaris in Tanzania. Alan and Harriet Lewis acquired the company in 1993, bringing O.A.T. into the Grand Circle Corporation family of travel brands. Today the company is led by CEO Brian FitzGerald, a 16-year company veteran who was named to the role in 2019. O.A.T. runs small-group land and small-ship adventures across more than 90 countries, capped at 16 travelers by land and 25 by ship, each led by a local Trip Experience Leader who shares the culture of their homeland firsthand.
“For nearly 50 years, O.A.T. has shown travelers a deeper way to see the world, one built on real cultural connection, and the kind of access small groups make possible,” said Brian FitzGerald, CEO of Grand Circle Corporation, O.A.T.’s parent company. “TURNER’s creativity and deep relationships in travel media make them the ideal partner to share that story with a new generation of travelers.”
TURNER, an award-winning travel and lifestyle PR agency, will lead strategic communications for O.A.T., building awareness of the family-owned brand in the U.S. market and sharing its story with a wider circle of travelers 50 and older who want to experience a destination beyond the tourist sites.
“As one of the most respected names in experiential travel, Overseas Adventure Travel has built an exceptional reputation by creating authentic connections between travelers and destinations,” said Adél Grobler, TURNER’s Senior Vice President of Travel. “We’re honored to become the company’s first public relations agency and look forward to raising awareness of the incredible experiences O.A.T. offers travelers seeking more meaningful adventures.”
THE O.A.T. DIFFERENCE
O.A.T.’s land tours are fully guided, multi-day journeys overland through a region, the counterpart to its award-winning small-ship adventures aboard a fleet of five privately owned ships carrying 50 to 98 passengers each, plus additional chartered vessels. Groups are capped at 16 travelers by land and 25 by ship, and both are guaranteed. That size lets O.A.T. reach villages and ports that larger operators don’t, settle travelers into intimate local lodgings, and move them the way locals do, aboard cyclo-rickshaws, canoes, and trains.
The days are built around real cultural connection. Travelers share meals with families during Home-Hosted Visits, spend A Day in the Life alongside residents, discuss modern-day Controversial Topics with local experts, and visit projects supported by Grand Circle Foundation, the company’s nonprofit arm, such as schools and women’s cooperatives. Each journey is led by a Trip Experience Leader who calls the region home, offering firsthand insight into local life and culture, supported by more than 2,000 regional associates and 35 offices worldwide, available 24/7.
O.A.T. also gives travelers room to make a trip their own. 87% of travelers tailor their journeys by adding trip extensions, customizing flights, arriving early, combining adventures, or stopping over in an iconic destination.
O.A.T. is also a longtime leader in solo travel, a fast-growing part of the over-50 market, and half of its travelers are solo women. Central to that is the company’s approach to Single Supplements, the added fee most operators charge travelers going alone. O.A.T. offers a FREE Single Supplement on 92% of its single spaces, including every Land Adventure and trip extension, and the lowest supplements in the industry on the rest. For solo travelers, that can mean savings of up to $5,000 compared with other companies, money that goes toward the next adventure rather than a surcharge for traveling alone. Paired with free roommate matching and exclusive women’s departures, it reflects an approach to value that lets travelers see more of the world.
SIGNATURE JOURNEYS AND WHAT’S NEW FOR 2027
O.A.T.’s best-known adventures reflect the immersive, off-the-beaten-path travel the company is built on. Traveler favorites include Japan’s Cultural Treasures; Egypt & the Eternal Nile by Private, Classic River-Yacht; Ultimate Africa: Botswana, Zambia & Zimbabwe Safari; Morocco Sahara Odyssey; and Sicily’s Ancient Landscapes & Timeless Traditions, each carrying a FREE Single Supplement for solo travelers.
For 2027, O.A.T. is introducing a slate of new small-group adventures, among them Uganda and Rwanda: Mountain Gorillas, Chimpanzees and the Nile; Adriatic Odyssey: Coastal Cities & Idyllic Islands; and Echoes of Poland: Royal Capitals to Baltic Shores. The company is also expanding Immersions, its collection of shorter 8- to 12-day trips that pair a destination’s iconic sites with the cultural depth of a full O.A.T. adventure, for travelers who want a more active experience with less time to spend.
Beyond its core itineraries, O.A.T. runs special departures built around specific interests, including Exclusive Women’s Departures, Culinary Cruises, and festival and holiday sailings.
ABOUT OVERSEAS ADVENTURE TRAVEL (O.A.T.)
Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.) is a Boston-based tour operator and a pioneer in small-group travel for Americans 50 and older. Founded in 1978 by educator Judi Wineland as the first U.S. operator to offer tented safaris in Tanzania, O.A.T. was acquired by Grand Circle Corporation in 1993 and today anchors its family of travel companies alongside Grand Circle Cruise Line and Grand Circle Travel. With no more than 16 travelers on land adventures and 25 aboard privately owned small ships, O.A.T. trips go beyond typical tourism to bring travelers into direct contact with local people and cultures. The company is also a longtime leader in solo travel, offering a FREE Single Supplement on 92% of its single spaces and the lowest supplements in the industry on the rest. For more information, visit www.oattravel.com or call 1-800-955-1925.
About TURNER
TURNER is an earned-first boutique creative agency with a 25+ year history, working with client partners across outdoor, travel, sport, wellness, design, style, and spirits. TURNER specializes in storytelling, with a particular emphasis on generating editorial influence, social media engagement, and content-forward owned channels. With a showroom and office in New York, HQ in Denver, satellite offices and associates in Chicago, Miami, LA, Charleston and Austin, TURNER serves as the North American agency for brands of all sizes. The talented and diverse team speaks 11 languages, including a fully-bilingual (Spanish) account services option. Learn more at www.turnerpr.com.