Published January 9 2019

Former MP Barry Devolin has launched TravelMaven a new tour and travel planning company and will host a TravelMaven Information Night at the United Church in Haliburton on Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

“After spending much of my adult life in politics government and academia I will now focus on my life-long passion for travel” said Devolin. “I’ve travelled my whole life and have developed my own travel style that I’d like to share with others.”

Devolin says TravelMaven tours will be characterized by several features. First they will be small groups (max 15 people) because he believes smaller groups are more time efficient and unobtrusive than larger groups. Second these tours will involve lots of walking. Devolin believes the best way to see a place especially great cities is on foot.

Most tours will be for one week will include one direct flight and will be based in one hotel. This minimizes time spent moving around and packing/unpacking. Tours to more distant destinations may be two weeks long or utilize two hotels.

Devolin has already planned three trips for 2019: Paris – Springtime; Holland – Tulip Time; and Bavaria – Christmas Markets. A fourth trip in October will be announced soon. New destinations for 2020 are likely to include South Africa Hong Kong and Seoul.

Devolin is also available for personalized travel planning. His specialty is longer more complex trips such as several months in Europe or Southeast Asia or even year-long trips around the world. These plans will be offered on a fee-for-service basis.

“I believe that amazing and rewarding travel does not have to be crazy expensive. There are great options at every price point especially if people are flexible with time and destinations” says Devolin. “For example a week in Prague costs half what a similar week in Vienna would cost.”

Devolin was the Member of Parliament for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock from 2004 to 2015. After living in South Korea for two years in early 2018 he returned to his hometown of Haliburton with his wife Ursula and children George and Molly.

-Submitted