From Vancouver to an Italian Dream Job The Vancouver Sun tells the story of how our founder, Jesse Andrews, turned a love of travel into a life and a career in Italy.
It began with a move to Calabria, a travel blog and a stream of questions from travelers. More than twenty years later, it is a company that plans journeys across Italy and beyond.
Our Founder in the Vancouver Sun
In May 2025, the Vancouver Sun published a profile of our founder, Jesse Andrews, written by Lynn Mitges. The article follows Jesse from her school years in Vancouver to the work she does in Italy today.
The headline news was a professional milestone. According to the Vancouver Sun, Jesse became the only Canadian tour operator with a designation from Italian tourism, after more than 20 years of work, around 600 hours of courses, written and oral Italian fluency exams and a solid understanding of Italian law.
It is a story about persistence, and about what it really takes to build a travel company in another country.
Where the story began
Where It Began
“Trek definitely played a formative role in my life.”
From a Travel Blog in Calabria to a Travel Company
Jesse first caught the travel bug in high school, on the Prince of Wales Trek outdoor education program. She was headed to McGill University to study environmental law, but her love of travel, nature and exploration took her to Italy instead.
In 2003 she moved to Calabria in southern Italy and started a blog to help travelers. The requests came quickly. Many people wanted help planning their trips, and many wanted to trace their family histories in Italy.
That was the beginning of what would become Italy Vacation Specialists. You can read more about how it all started in our story.
Southern Italy, where it all began
What We Learned Early
“People really need more help than they think.”
Real Logistics, Real Knowledge
Long before travelers planned everything online, Jesse was gathering practical information about how to move around Italy: hotels, transport, the rules and the details that are easy to underestimate from abroad.
As she told the Vancouver Sun, travelers often need a car or one or more drivers, and there are many rules to understand. That early focus on logistics is still at the heart of how we work. Our team of drivers, guides, tour escorts and trip planners takes care of the details so our guests can enjoy the journey.
On the road in Italy
Our Belief
“Fewer, better journeys, built on real relationships.”
Thousands of Trips, Still Built One at a Time
Today the company plans everything from small private tours to large groups and cycling tours, and has grown beyond Italy to Malta, France, Croatia, Greece, Spain, Ireland and Scotland. In Jesse's words to the Vancouver Sun, that adds up to thousands of trips and guests.
Even so, the article notes that she prefers to build relationships rather than create cookie-cutter tours. Jesse now lives north of Rome, in Lazio, and still explores Italy whenever she can. Her favorite place for a holiday is the Amalfi Coast, and she is drawn to the Alps and the Dolomites.
Planning a journey with local experts